Even ‘American Idol’ Judge Carrie Underwood Isn’t Immune to Some Nu Metal Nostalgia

Not gonna lie, it’s usually a little cringe-inducing when a metalhead goes on American Idol or America’s Got Talent and they sing to their favorite metal songs. I don’t want to shit on stuff people enjoy doing, but there’s something about a dude screaming along to Cannibal Corpse by himself in front of a panel of judges hired to appeal to normies that just gives me the ‘ick’ as the kids say.

But there’s something so genuinely fun and wholesome about this new instance that I just have to share it. On a recent episode of American Idol, this guy named Insite (likely not his government name…) tried his hand at auditioning for the show. Rather than sing something normal like “Hallelujah” or “Thinking Out Loud,” our boy decided to do Korn’s “Freak On A Leash” and Drowning Pool’s “Bodies.”

Luckily for him, Carrie Underwood is not just a country megastar, but she was also apparently a huge nu metal fan in her high school years. We know that not only because she said so in the clips below, but because she’s already exhibited signs of loving metal music. As Insite goes through his performance, Underwood is seen standing next to him, dancing along, singing, and banging her head along to the songs. The other judges, Lionel Ritchie and Luke Bryan are also seen rocking out, but Underwood really sells it.

Since this is the audition phase, I’ll be shocked if he makes it onto the main show, but it’s still impressive that he made enough of an impression to be added to the final cut. Who knows? Maybe this will cause him to land a gig with a band somewhere?