Katy Perry was all over the map on “American Idol” in 2024. But what does she think of her successor, Carrie Underwood? Perry recently spelled it out.

Perry didn’t rage-quit the show: She announced before the 2024 season began that her seventh turn as a judge would be her last. She continued to be a vivid presence: There were stunts, including a turn as Cinderella. There was a wardrobe malfunction. There were moments when she seemed jaded by run-of-the-mill competitors, but when she thought she saw a pop star in the making she came to life with the glittering interest of an apex predator recognizing one of its own kind.

Producers announced way back in August that Underwood would occupy the seat that Perry had relinquished, joining fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan and host Ryan Seacrest. It was fitting, because Underwood won the fourth season of the show in 2005 and went on to a massive country career afterward. Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, called it “a full-circle moment both for the show and audiences at home who have been tuning in for over two decades.”

Perry acknowledged all that when People magazine asked her about the situation.

“She was born on that show,” Perry said of Underwood, who recently sang “America the Beautiful” at the inauguration of President Donald Trump. “I think she knows how to steer it.”

“She actually truly knows… What it feels like to be in their shoes. We could only metaphorically feel that as judges,” Perry told People.com. “As artists, we’ve been in some sort of their shoes, but she has lived every single day. … So I think she’s going to have a lot to offer anyone that’s willing to listen.”

We don’t know yet whether any of those listeners will hail from Alabama. Last year, eight singers with connections to the state made it into broadcast segments. Two – Mia Matthews and Triston Harper — made it to the Top 10.

“Idol” producers recently announced that Jelly Roll, who appeared last season as a coach, will return as the show’s first artist in residence.