Carrie Underwood’s Emotional Struggles Revealed as New American Idol Judge

American Idol is just getting started, but already new judge Carrie Underwood has impressed fans and her fellow judges alike.

“We are learning about our judge!” an impressed Lionel Richie exclaimed after the 42-year-old jumped in on a contestant’s head-banging metal take on “Bodies” by Drowning Pool. “She knew every word, Who are you?!”

Behind the scenes, however, insider tell Star that the country star – who rose to fame after winning the fourth season of the singing contest in 2005 – is a ball of emotions. “Carrie is a huge perfectionist, the standards she has for herself are next-level,” a source says of the “Before He Cheats” singer. “She tends to pick apart everything she does. It causes her a lot of stress.”

Having been a hopeful on the show herself, the mom of two, with husband Mike Fisher, also empathizes with the contestants, for better or worse. “She can genuinely feel their tension and their painful disappointment,” adds the source. Lionel and fellow judge Luke Bryan are giving her tips on how to handle the drama, says the source. “They say it’s important to keep your head and give clear and constructive advice.”