Ryan Seacrest recently talked to Us Magazine about various past Idols ...

On Clay Aiken: "Clay Aiken was the the ultimate Idol makeover story. He had a great voice from day one but his look and confidence grew out the success he had each week."

On Carrie Underwood: "I believe Carrie Underwood has the potential to be our biggest music star yet. She is beautiful and non-threatening. Her choices post Idol have been very wise. She is a superstar."

On Kelly Clarkson: "[American Idol] is a brand and so is Kelly Clarkson. She owns female pop music."

On Taylor Hicks: "Taylor was important for our show because he was not a typical Idol contestant."