American Idol Judges 'Mortified' After Contestant Tells Everyone to 'Shut the F--- Up'

‘American Idol’ wasted no time grabbing headlines as it kicked off its 23rd season, thanks to an audition that left judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan visibly stunned. Toronto-based contestant Sophie Powers, 20, brought her original song "STFU" into the audition room, creating a moment that was equal parts confusing and unforgettable.

Before Powers even stepped into the room, Carrie Underwood—who famously won "Idol" back in 2005 and has now returned as a judge—shared her high hopes for the season. "I want to see somebody at the end of this thing dominating the airwaves and the charts," Underwood declared. "I want to see a huge artist come out of it." Well, Sophie certainly dominated the room, though not in the way anyone expected.

Describing her song as a "tear-jerker" before launching into her performance, Powers delivered lyrics that ranged from the whimsical to the outright bizarre. "I had a pet lizard named George / He was cool but he made me really bored," she began, before escalating into a chorus that had everyone’s eyebrows raised: "Karens, shut the f--- up / Vegans, shut the f--- up / Babies, shut the f--- up / Everyone needs to shut the f--- up." Powers didn’t spare laundry, dinosaurs, or groceries either. Bold move, Sophie. Bold move.

When asked how he felt, Lionel Richie didn’t mince words: "Mortified." Luke Bryan, however, couldn’t resist cracking a joke. "My wife will play me that song every evening. You should've put ‘Luke, shut the f--- up,’" he quipped, proving even bewilderment can have a sense of humor.

Carrie Underwood offered a more measured critique. "You clearly have a thing going," she said. "You're interesting. Obviously, in the context of ‘American Idol,’ I don't know where you would fit in here." Powers herself seemed unfazed, replying, "Neither do I, I'm literally Canadian." With that, three "No's" followed, ending her journey on the show.

But Powers' unique audition didn’t fade quietly into obscurity. Viewers quickly took to social media, with one commenting, "When her parents told her, ‘Sophie, just be yourself,’ Sophie took that as a challenge. Loved this audition, and loved her. I wish they had let her go to Hollywood, just so I can see what she would sing next." Another optimistically noted, "She’s gonna be the most famous from this season." If nothing else, Sophie Powers may have achieved her goal: standing out. And let’s be honest, isn’t that half the battle?