Carrie Underwood is returning to her roots!
The American Idol judge, 42, debuted her new look Monday, having swapped her signature light blonde locks for her natural brownish blonde coloring.
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“Well, the last time I saw my natural hair color, I was probably about 12 years old,” Underwood said in the Instagram caption of her big hair reveal, “but I thought it might be time to give it a second chance.”
Thanking her hairstylist for “helping me get back to my roots,” Underwood was clearly feeling her new look, adding her new hair color “Bronde” in a hashtag alongside “New Old Me.”
Underwood previously expressed being a bit uneasy when it came to experimenting with her hair color.
“I’d love to do a little more with hair color,” she told Refinery 29 in 2012. “I’ve always been blonde! The problem is, I don’t want to shock people – like if I dyed my hair brown, I don’t want people to think I’m turning dark and serious.”
She added, “I wish I had started changing my hair around in the beginning, then it wouldn’t be such a big shock if I did something like that now.”
Underwood debuted her golden blonde tresses on American Idol Season 4, which she won in 2005, and rocked a similar ‘do while judging the ABC singing competition’s 23rd season earlier this year.
As for whether or not the “Before He Cheats” singer plans on returning to Idol for another season, she kept things vague while talking to Entertainment Tonight in May. “I don’t know!” she told the outlet after the Season 23 finale. “There’s lots to contemplate.”

Underwood’s fellow judge Luke Bryan is pretty confident he’ll be sitting beside the Grammy winner on the judging panel next season, however.
“[She] really enjoyed it,” Bryan told Taste of Country Nights last month of Underwood’s first season as a judge. “I know she had a great time in the role.” As for what that means when it comes to her possible return for Season 24, the “Country Girl” singer teased, “My prediction would be highly favorable.”
“Last year was really, really incredible with Carrie and [fellow judge Lionel Richie] and [host Ryan Seacrest],” he continued. “And the main thing is just, have fun with American Idol and have fun with the kids [contestants].”
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