Diva Spotlight: Carrie Underwood

I was 13 when Carrie Underwood won Season 4 of American Idol. It wasn't exactly a surprise that she was going to win (she'd been the fan favorite since her audition), and while I was rooting for runner-up Bo Bice I wasn't upset with the results and knew I would end up buying both their albums regardless. Fastforward to 2021, I've purchased eight of Underwood's albums, and she's still everyone's favorite. Carrie Underwood has been America's Sweetheart Girl Next Door since she was 22, and during that time she's come out with a lot of really good music - a lot of which I had honestly forgotten was as good as it was until I listened to it all this week.

In case you're don't know much about her, here's your quick crash course on this week's diva (all info current as of June 2021):

-38 years old (first album was released at age 22 and she's a Pisces)

-Born in Muskogee, Oklahoma (around 138 miles Northeast of Oklahoma City)

-Vocalist, guitarist, & pianist

-Married hockey star Mike Fisher in 2010 (they have two sons together)

-Has won 178 awards, including fifteen American Country Music Awards, fifteen American Music Awards, twelve Billboard Music Awards, nine Country Music Association Awards, seven Grammys, and nine People's Choice Awards

-Was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2008

-Has released 8 studio albums (7 solo, 1 Christmas) and 1 compilation album

I've always had a weird musical relationship with Underwood, possibly stemming from rooting for her competitor during American Idol. I've always liked her and think she's very talented, but I've never been so completely enamored with her that I think that she deserves every single award ever in the entire world. That being said, I had a great time revisiting her previous albums and getting acquainted with her brand new album this week, so let's talk about those and get to the music.

Some Hearts (2005)

Underwood's debut country/country pop album was released November 15th, 2005 by Arista Nashville/19. With a run time of 50:19, it produced 5 singles: Jesus Take the Wheel (10/3/05), Some Hearts (10/29/05), Don't Forget to Remember Me (3/13/06), Before He Cheats (8/19/06), and Wasted (2/6/07). Underwood took home three Grammys for this album: Best New Artist in 2007 and Best Female Country Vocal Performance for Jesus Take The Wheel in 2007 and Before He Cheats in 2008. She also took home the ACM for Album of the Year in 2007 as well as two CMA Singles of the Year for Jesus Take the Wheel in 2007 and Before He Cheats in 2008. The album has been certified 8x Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 7.45 million copies in the US. I do believe I received Some Hearts as a gift for my fourteenth birthday, so I've been listening to it for quite a while and had a really fun nostalgia trip listening to it this week. It's very mid-00's country and ended up being a great starting point for her career. My Top 3 was not super difficult to decide on here, so here they are below.

Track 3: Some Hearts (written by D. Warren)

The title track of this album has always been a favorite of mine. It has more of a pop feel than a country one which was interesting to hear from her at the time, but it's so fun and hopeful and light that you can't help but bob your head and sing along.

I’ve never been the kind that you’d call lucky/Always stumbling around in circles/But I must have stumbled into something/Look at me, am I really alone with you/I wake up feeling like my life’s worth living/Can’t recall when I last felt that way/I guess it must be all this love you’re giving/Never knew, never knew it could be like this/But I guess/Some hearts, they just get all the right breaks/Some hearts have the stars on their side/Some hearts, they just have it so easy/Some hearts just get lucky sometimes/Some hearts just get lucky, lucky sometimes

Track 7: Before He Cheats (written by J. Kear, C. Thompkins)

I remember getting into an actual argument with some friends in my Sunday School class for talking shit about Underwood singing a song that wasn't "family friendly" because honestly, I loved it. This song kicks ass and likely always will and I think it was a big help in making her into an icon instead of a possibly one or two hit wonder.

Right now, he’s probably slow dancing with a bleach blonde tramp and she’s probably getting frisky/Right now, he’s probably buying her some fruity little drink ‘cause she can’t shoot whiskey/Right now, he’s probably up behind her with a pool stick showing her how to shoot a combo/And he don’t know/I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up four-wheel drive/Carved my name into his leather seats/I took a Louisville Slugger to both headlights, slashed a hole in all four tires/Maybe next time, he’ll think before he cheats

Track 8: Starts with Goodbye (written by A. Petraglia, H. Lindsey)

This song was never released as a single, but it definitely would've been on my "I'm 14 and this is deep" playlist if I'd had one at the time. It's just one of multiple examples of strong non-single songs on the album (along with We're Young & Beautiful and Lessons Learned).

I was sitting on my doorstep/I hung up the phone and it fell out of my hand/But I knew I had to do it/And he wouldn’t understand/So hard to see myself without him/I felt a piece of my heart break/But when you’re standing at a crossroad/There’s a choice you gotta make/I guess it’s gonna have to hurt, I guess I’m gonna have to cry/And let go of some things I’ve loved to get to the other side/I guess it’s gonna break me down, like falling when I’m trying to fly/It’s sad, but sometimes moving on with the rest of your life starts with goodbye

Carnival Ride (2007)

Underwood's sophomore country album was released October 23rd, 2007 by Arista Nashville/19. With a run time of 50:07, it produced 5 singles: So Small (8/28/07), All-American Girl (12/18/07), Last Name (4/8/08), Just a Dream (7/21/08), and I Told You So (2/2/09). Underwood took home two Grammys for this album: Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2009 for Last Name and Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for I Told You So featuring Randy Travis in 2010. She also took home the AMA for Favorite Country Album in 2008. The album has been certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 4 million copies in the US. Carnival Ride is a lot of fun, but there are parts of it the kind of sounded like an almost redo of Some Hearts to me. It still has some really great music on it without a doubt, and again my Top 3 was not super difficult to figure out.

Track 4: Just a Dream (written by G. Sampson, H. Lindsey, S. McEwan)

Military ballads have long been a staple of country music, so it's not surprising that Underwood has one in her repertoire. This song is so sad, and while it's heartbreaking to watch it has one of the best music videos to go along with it.

The preacher man said, "Let us bow our heads and pray/Lord, please lift his soul and heal this hurt"/Then the congregation all stood up and sang/The saddest song that she’d ever heard/And then they handed her a folded up flag/And she held on to all she had left of him, oh, and what could have been/And then the guns rang one last shot/And it felt like a bullet in her heart/Baby, why’d you leave me, why’d you have to go/I was counting on forever, now I’ll never know/I can’t even breathe/It’s like I’m looking from a distance, standing in the background/Everybody’s saying he’s not coming home now/This can’t be happening to me, this is just a dream

Track 8: Last Name (written by C. Underwood, H. Lindsey, L. Laird)

As much as I love this song, it's not difficult to see that this was designed to be Carnival Ride's version of Before He Cheats. The music video is awesome though, and seeing Underwood's name on the writing credits is great, too.

We left the club right around three o’clock in the morning/His Pinto was sitting there in the parking lot, well that should’ve been a warning/I had no clue what I was getting into, so I blame it on the Cuervo/Oh, where did my manners go/And I don’t even know his last name/My mama would be so ashamed/It started off, "Hey cutie, where are you from" and then it turned into, "Oh no, what have I done"/And I don’t even know his last name

Track 10: I Told You So (written by J. Davis, R. Davis, R. Griffin)

I grew up on classic country thanks to my mom, so I love this cover of a Randy Travis song. The duet version she does with Travis is every bit as good as the solo version that's included on the album, so give them both a listen.

Suppose I called you up tonight and told you that I love you/And suppose I said I wanna come back home/And suppose I cried and said I think I’ve finally learned my lesson/And I’m tired of spending all my time alone/If I told you that I realized you’re all I ever wanted/And it’s killing me to be so far away/Would you tell me that you loved me too, and would we cry together/Or would you simply laugh at me and say/I told you so, oh I told you so/I told you someday you’d come crawling back and asking me to take you in/I told you so, but you had to go/And now I’ve found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again

Play On (2009)

Underwood's third country album was released November 3rd, 2009 by Arista Nashville/19. With a run time of 48:20, it produced 4 singles: Cowboy Casanova (9/14/09), Temporary Home (12/14/09), Undo It (5/24/10), and Mama's Song (9/13/10). Underwood took home the AMA for Favorite Country Album in 2010, and Play On has been certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 2.3 million copies in the US. This album has a different sound from her first two and it really paid off. All of the songs were really good whether or not they were released as singles, and this was the first album I had kind of a hard time picking my Top 3.

Track 1: Cowboy Casanova (written by B. James, C. Underwood, M. Elizondo)

This is one of my top 3 favorite Carrie Underwood songs of all time, and it has another music video that I love as well. It's got a great beat, it shows off her vocals in a really great way, and start off the album really strongly.

You better take it from me/That boy is like a disease/You’re running, you’re tired, you’re trying to hide and you’re wondering why you can’t get free/He’s like a curse, he’s like a drug/You’ll get addicted to his love/You wanna get out but he’s holding you down ‘cause you can’t live without one more touch/He’s a good time Cowboy Casanova, leaning up against the record machine/Looks like a cool drink of water, but he’s candy coated misery/He’s the devil in disguise, a snake with blue eyes and he only comes out at night/Gives you feelings that you don’t wanna fight, you better run for your life

Track 2: Quitter (written by J. Schuster, M. Martin, S. Kotecha)

This is such a fun, sweet song and I've loved it since the album came out, but I was stuck between this one, Someday When I Stop Loving You, and Songs Like This. It's hopeful and light and a total bop.

Here’s how it goes, boy meets girl, girl leaves boy/That’s all I know, all I’ve done all my life/‘Cause throughout my history, I’ve only been with jerks who couldn’t take it/But you see the picket fence, a swing on the front porch with us two on it/When I believe that nothing lasts forever/You stay with me, keeping us together/And make me feel like I never, ever wanna give you up/’Til now, I’ve always been a quitter

Track 12: What Can I Say ft. Sons of Sylvia (written by C. Underwood, D. Hodges, S. McEwan)

Sons of Sylvia was a country trio comprised of brothers Adam, Ashley, and Austin Clark. Ashley was Underwood's fiddle player on tour, so they recorded this duet for Play On and it's one of my favorite tracks in her repertoire.

Piercing words, eyes are red, watched the taillights in the rain/Empty heart filled with regret, I know we were both to blame/And I’m not sorry that it’s over, but for the way we let it end/So I said all I had to say in letters that I threw away/And you should know, please believe me/I’ve picked up the phone a thousand times and tried to dial your number/But it’s been so long, it’s never easy/it’s like trying to spin the world the other way, what can I say

Blown Away (2012)

Underwood's fourth country/country rock album was released May 1st, 2012 by Arista Nashville/19. With a run time of 55:20, it produced 4 singles: Good Girl (2/23/12), Blown Away (7/9/12), Two Black Cadillacs (11/18/12), and See You Again (4/15/13). Underwood took home two Grammys in 2013: Best Country solo Performance and Best Country Song, both for Blown Away. She also won the 2013 AMA Favorite Country Album, and Blown Away has been certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 3 million copies in the US. This album has a heavier sound from her first two while still maintaining her classic belting style, and I would definitely call this her most dramatic album to date. Again, most of the songs on this album are great and picking my Top 3 was fairly easy here.

Track 1: Good Girl (written by A. Gorley, C. Underwood, C. DeStefano)

I love this song - it's a total banger and it's so much fun. It does give off a similar vibe to Cowboy Casanova, and it similarly also sets the tone for the album perfectly.

Hey good girl with your head in the clouds/I bet you I can tell you what you’re thinking about/You’ll see a good boy, gonna give you the world/But he’s gonna leave you crying with your heart in the dirt/His lips are dripping honey but he’ll sting you like a bee/So lock up all your loving, go and throw away the key/Hey good girl, get out while you can/I know you think you got a good man/Why, why you gotta be so blind/Won’t you open up your eyes, just a matter of time ’til you find/He’s no good, girl, no good for you/You better get to getting on your goodbye shoes/And go, go, go/Better listen to me, he’s low, low, low

Track 3: Two Black Cadillacs (written by C. Underwood, H. Lindsey, J. Kear)

This is another one of my Top 3 All Time Carrie Underwood Songs. It's so dark and angsty and it's an excellent example of storytelling lyricism.

Two months ago, his wife called the number on his phone/Turns out he’d been lying to both of them for oh so long/They decided then he’d never get away with doing this to them/Two black Cadillacs, waiting for the right time, the right time/And the preacher said he was a good man, and his brother said he was a good friend/But the women in the two black veils didn’t bother to cry/Yeah, yeah, they took turns laying a rose down, threw a handful of dirt into the deep ground/He’s not the only one who had a secret to hide, bye bye, bye bye, bye bye

Track 7: Nobody Ever Told You (written by C. Underwood, H. Lindsey, L. Laird)

This cute little bop is so inspiring and fun to listen to. It's got uplifting lyrics, a really fun beat, and stellar vocals.

Take off all the makeup girl, shine your light, show the world/Don’t be shy, don’t be scared, you don’t have to hide under there/Let’s throw away all the magazines, turn off the static on the TV/Wish you could see yourself the way I do/Nobody ever told you/Nobody ever told you/You shine like a diamond, glitter like gold/And you need to know what nobody ever told you

Storyteller (2015)

Underwood's fifth country/country rock/soft rock album was released October 23rd, 2015 by Arista Nashville/19. With a run time of 46:12, it produced 4 singles: Smoke Break (8/21/15), Heartbeat (11/30/15), Church Bells (4/11/16), and Dirty Laundry (9/5/16). She won the 2016 AMA Favorite Country Album, and Storyteller has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 1 million copies in the US. This album has a lot of really excellent songwriting on here, most of it in a storytelling format which makes it different from her previous albums in a great way. I ended up changing out my Top 3 a little bit here, but I've got three awesome picks here for ya'll.

Track 2: Dirty Laundry (written by A. Gorley, H. Lindsey, Z. Crowell)

This clapback anthem is SO much fun. It's in your face, it's got a killer beat, and the lyrics are clever and witty.

That lipstick on your collar, well it ain’t my shade of pink/And I can tell by the smell of that perfume, it’s like forty dollars too cheap/And there’s a little wine stain on the pocket of your white cotton thread/Well, you drink beer and whiskey, boy, and you know I don’t drink red/Found it over in the corner, wadded up on the bedroom floor/You shoulda hid it in a closet, you shoulda burned it, you shoulda lost it/Now Imma have to hang you out to dry, dry, dry/Clothespin all your secrets to the line, line, line/Leave ‘em blowing in the wind to say goodbye to you/All those midnights sneaking in, I’m late again, oh I’m so sorry/All the Ajax in the world ain’t gonna clean your dirty laundry

Track 3: Church Bells (written by B. James, H. Lindsey, Z. Crowell)

This is another darker toned song like Two Black Cadillacs that tells another really compelling story. Touching on the topic of domestic abuse, this powerful song is intense from start to finish and an absolute banger.

Jenny grew up wild like a Blackfoot daisy out in the shack with a blue tick hound/Broke as hell but blessed with beauty, the kind that a rich man can’t turn down/She caught the eye of an oil man dancing one summer night in a dime store dress/She had the looks, he had the mansion, and you can figure out the rest/It was all roses, dripping in diamonds, sipping on champagne/She was all uptown, wearing that white gown, taking his last name/She could hear those church bells ringing, ringing/And up in the loft, that whole choir singing, singing/Fold your hands and close your eyes, yeah it’s all gonna be alright/And just listen to the church bells ringing, ringing, yeah, they’re ringing

Track 11: The Girl You Think I Am (written by C. Underwood, D. Hodges, H. Lindsey)

I had another conundrum about choosing a third song for this album (other contenders included Heartbeat, Choctaw County Affair, and Like I'll Never Love You Again), but this song just about had me in tears. Inspired by Underwood's father, it's the sweetest little song and I just love it.

Front row center in that little white church/I was singing at a baby laying in a manger/Eight years old, wearing angel wings/Yeah, and to this day, that’s what you see/I’ve been daddy’s little girl since my first cry/And it was hard turning eighteen, saying goodbye/You told me I was gonna take the world by storm/And Mama said you cried all the way home/You think I’m strong, you think I’m fearless/Even when I’m, I’m at my weakest/You always see the best in me when I can’t/I wanna be the girl you think I am

Cry Pretty (2018)

Underwood's sixth country pop/R&B album was released September 14th, 2018 by Capitol Nashville. With a run time of 50:26, it produced 4 singles: Cry Pretty (4/11/18), Love Wins (8/31/18), Southbound (4/29/19), and Drinking Alone (11/4/19). She won the 2019 AMA Favorite Country Album, making Underwood the only artist to have received that award for every album released at that time. Cry Pretty has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 1 million copies in the US. This album feels a lot more grown up than the others, and that's sort of the reason I like it so much - it's just nice to hear a more mature tonal shift in her music. My Top 3 is pretty strong here, but the entire album is really great.

Track 1: Cry Pretty (written by C. Underwood, H. Lindsey, L. Rose, L. McKenna)

The title track for this album is the third of my Top 3 All Time Faves. It's so relatable and comforting to hear words that a lot of us have thought at some time or another.

I’m sorry, but I’m just a girl/Not usually the kind to show my heart to the world/I’m pretty good at keeping it together/I hold my composure for worse or for better/So I apologize if you don’t like what you see/But sometimes, my emotions get the best of me/And falling apart is as human as it gets/You can’t hide it, you can’t fight it, but the truth is/You can pretty lie and say it’s okay/You can pretty smile and just walk away/Pretty much fake your way through anything/But you can’t cry pretty

Track 4: Backsliding (written by C. Underwood, D. Garcia, H. Lindsey)

This emotional track is really good, along with several other non-single tracks (shout out to That Song That We Used To Make Love To and Kingdom). It deals with the complicated feelings after a breakup with someone that you truly care about and really makes you feel for the narrator and what she's going through.

I’m not supposed to be thinking ‘bout you, lying here in this bed/Too much has gone wrong and we should move on, that’s what we both said/There’s a million reasons why we said goodbye/Why we couldn’t try, couldn’t fight for it anymore/Put your ring in the back of the dresser drawer/And we close that door, so why am I/Two a.m. picking up my phone and you’re standing in my porch light, backsliding/Wearing your old t-shirt in the morning, it feels so right backsliding/We say we won’t, but then we do/The same old thing, falling right back in, say it’s gonna be the last time backsliding/I’m backsliding/Backsliding/I’m backsliding

Track 11: End Up With You (written by H. Lindsey, B. McLaughlin, W. Weatherly)

This bop near the end of the record is so fun, and the lyrics make me think about my relationship with my husband. It just proves that you count out songs near the end of albums - lots of times there are bangers there, too.

I don’t really care ‘bout making any plans/Leave it up in the air, give it up to chance/Seeing where it goes, seeing where it lands/I just wanna go as fast as we can/And we could end up broke down on some back road, loving in the backseat to the radio/Wouldn’t be the worse scenario ‘cause all I wanna do is end up with you/Get home and we’re locked out, middle of the backyard laying down/Last thing that I’d worry about ‘cause all I wanna do is end up with you/Yeah, all I wanna do is end up with you

My Savior (2021)

Underwood's most recent country/gospel album was released March 26th, 2021 by Capitol Nashville. With a run time of 48:47, it hasn't been out long enough to win any awards yet. I firmly believe that THIS is the type of music Underwood was meant to make. Her voice is PERFECT for gospel music, especially with these old school hymns. My Top 3 is pretty solid, but the entire album is phenomenal and worth a full listen through.

Track 2: Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus (written by R. Lowry)

I love this song - it was the first hymn I ever learned to play on the piano, so I've always had a soft spot for it. I love the quick paced country feel she spins it with.

What can wash away my sin/Nothing but the blood of Jesus/What can make me whole again/Nothing but the blood of Jesus/Oh, precious is the flow/That makes me white as snow/No other fount I know/Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Track 8: How Great Thou Art (written by C. Boberg, S. Hine)

I know I've discussed this with other versions of this song, but this is my favorite hymn probably ever. Her vocals just soar with this song and just give it a really glorious feeling.

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing/Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in/That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing/He bled and died to take away my sin/Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee/How great Thou art, how great Thou art/Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee/How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Track 10: The Old Rugged Cross (written by G. Bennard)

The hymn is another favorite of mine, and Underwood again knocks it out of the park. She's such a wonderful with gospel music and I hope it's not the last we hear of it from her.

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross/The emblem of suffering and shame/And I love that old cross, where the dearest and best/For a world of lost sinners was slain/So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross/’Til my trophies at last I lay down/I will cling to the old rugged cross/And exchange it someday for a crown

I hope you have fun checking out Carrie Underwood's music after this post! Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!