See the Stars of ‘American Idol’ Then and Now

Remember how innocent your favorite American Idol contestants looked when they first appeared on the TV show? While some of these contestants went on to become successful mainstream performers, it’s so interesting to look back at their days before they had access to top fashion stylists, makeup artists, and hairdressers. Let’s face it: Your favorite American Idol stars had some pretty adorable — and awkward — looks from way back when.

Some of our favorite American Idol alumni, like Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson, look so sophisticated and glamorous now compared to their former selves while they were auditioning. They’ve grown up and become mothers, but they’ve gone through some pretty impressive style transformations as well. And who could forget beloved stars like Chris Daughtry or Sanjaya Malakar? They sang their way into the country’s hearts as American Idol contestants, even though they didn’t win the competition. (P.S. One of them recently changed his look so much that we’d never recognize him on the show!)

The iconic show may have gone out with a bang in its series finale in April 2016, with performances from some of its beloved personalities, but it wasn’t gone long. American Idol made a triumphant return to television again in March 2018 — and we couldn’t be happier to have it back on our TV screens.

Click through the gallery to see what your all-time favorite American Idol contestants look like today: