American Idol season 23 thus far, it's becoming clear that she's not likely to be a long-term solution to the problem on the series. With a lot of moving parts on Idol, Carrie has exacerbated some problems and brought others out of the woodwork. While she's not the issue, she isn't the solution, either.

After winning American Idol season 4, Carrie quickly skyrocketed into the music industry stratosphere, becoming a country megastar of epic proportions. While she was cultivating her own following and making a name for herself, the show that she got her start on began to struggle. While the first ten or so seasons of American Idol were enjoyable, things began to shift around the time Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell left the series as judges. Though they weren't the main draw of the series, American Idol became less about the contestants in the remaining seasons, and more about the judge's .

With the show declining, things came to a crashing halt when it was announced that American Idol season 15 would be the show's last, at least on ABC. After taking a few years to regroup, American Idol season 16 returned on FOX, and with the fresh network came a freshly revamped show. While the onus was still finding the next American music superstar, things had changed on Idol, including the judges. Welcoming Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie as the show's , American Idol season 16 was a strong refresh for the brand, but with Carrie, things are backsliding.

6 Kelly Clarkson

American Idol Season 1 Winner

As the first American Idol to win the show, Kelly Clarkson is a natural fit to replace Carrie. After helping put the show itself on the map, Kelly became one of the most popular artists of the early 2000s, moving the show and its ability to find talent into a different level of competitive reality TV. While there had been other reality TV talent competitions in the past, Kelly helped American Idol become the premiere competition for years to come. After releasing hit after hit, collecting Grammy nominations, and being hailed a superstar, Kelly's even shifted in her illustrious career.

As a versatile performer, Kelly's vocal ability is unmatched, but it wasn't until she became part of NBC's The Voice that it was clear just how remarkable of a talent she was. Seeing her working with contestants after her own start as a reality TV competition contestant was exciting, and knowing she has the ability to teach is great for her potential future as an Idol judge. On top of her music career, Kelly's become a lauded talk show host who manages to infuse her infectious positivity into everything she does. As a judge, Kelly would be a great fit.

5 Fantasia Barrino

American Idol Season 3 Winner

Another American Idol winner, like Broadway's The Color Purple.

Fantasia's professional journey has come with a personal touch, which would be a great way for her to continue to connect with her audience as she potentially moves into a judging role on American Idol. Throughout her time on the series and in its aftermath, Fantasia was able to share raw, personal experiences from her own life, revealing how strong and resilient of a person she was. This strength has allowed Fantasia to connect deeply with her audience, and would resonate well with Idol contestants work through the competition with determination. Fantasia's fortitude and talent would be a great fit.

4 Miranda Lambert

Country Star & American Idol Mentor

Though Miranda Lambert hasn't been a competitor on American Idol in the past, she competed on a different reality TV competition show early in her career. The short-lived show Nashville Star saw a young Miranda, who's become a country superstar in the ensuing years, take third place and launch her career from the show. As someone who's appeared on competition reality in the past, Miranda would understand what it takes to compete on a show like American Idol, but also understands the music industry in ways far outside the scope of reality TV. As an artist, Miranda's changed the game.

With talent in performing and songwriting, Miranda's a multi-faceted artist who's been able to bring a classic style of country music to the mainstream. Performing all over the world, Miranda's music has brought her fans from all different spaces within the genre. Her music allows her to be more of a storyteller, which allows Miranda to infuse her songs with soul, connecting with her audience. American Idol, she's proven to be great with the contestants, which means making the jump to being a judge would be easy for the next season of the long time series.

3 Jennifer Hudson

American Idol Season 4 Contestant & EGOT Winner

Another former American Idol competitor, coming back to the series would be interesting for former contestant and EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson. After competing along with Fantasia during American Idol season 3 and shockingly being eliminated in seventh place, Jennifer bounced back quickly in the industry. Refusing to let the surprise of her elimination get her down, Jennifer worked hard to find herself overcoming adversity, landing the role of Effie White in 2006's Dreamgirls. Earning an Oscar for her performance, Jennifer quickly became a huge star outside of her turn on Idol, then went on to continue quickly rising to fame.

A talented performer in her own right, Jennifer has been able to achieve something few others have in winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award within the last two decades. As a performer, Jennifer's done an incredible job carving out space for herself and making it known that she isn't going anywhere, regardless of what happens in her personal life. With genuine talent, Jennifer's done a lot to push herself forward, coaching on both the US and UK versions of The Voice before beginning to host her own self-titled talk show. Jennifer would be an inspirational replacement judge.

2 Katy Perry

Former American Idol Judge

Although Katy is one of the original American Idol reboot judges, seeing her back on American Idol season 24 could be an interesting twist. After choosing to leave to focus on her career after American Idol season 22, many were curious about what would be next for Katy. Despite knowing that she wanted to work on her music, Katy's gone on to make some interesting decisions after American Idol. Still, Katy's larger-than-life personality was something American Idol viewers looked forward to each season for the last several years, and it would surely be welcomed back to the show with ease.

For Katy, who's made some interesting decisions in her career since leaving American Idol behind, returning to the show to take her place on the judge's could be a smart move. As a judge, Katy's great at giving that can be critical, but doesn't always feel like it's a negative. In trying to help the contestants on Idol develop, Katy's been able to hone in on what makes her a good judge, too. Giving in a way that's constructive, but not critical the way Katy does is something Carrie has yet to learn on American Idol.

1 Jordin Sparks

American Idol Season 6 Winner

As the youngest winner in American Idol history, Jordin Sparks would be an interesting choice to bring in as a judge for the next season of the series. While she took on competitors on American Idol season 6 at just 17 years old, Jordin has become an adult in her own right since her time on the show, changing and growing in several different areas. As a performer, Jordin's had hits over the years that have kept her working hard and maintaining her fanbase. She's also gotten into acting, working on Broadway and in movies in the past.

While Jordin's career may not have always be commercially successful, she's faced public scrutiny which would be helpful for future American Idol contestants to hear about. As a judge, Jordin could call on her experiences competing on both Dancing With The Stars and Idol, plus other competitive reality TV shows. With the ability to connect to a wide audience, Jordin would be able to bring a personable side to the American Idol judge's table that would ensure her ability to both help contestants and provide . Jordin's career on American Idol may not be over, even after her win.

American Idol airs Sundays & Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.

Source: Fantasia Taylor/Instagram