Carrie Underwood's Emotional New Album, "Cry Pretty"

Carrie Underwood's upcoming album, Cry Pretty, finally comes out September 14 (pre-order it now!). The country star, who recently revealed she's pregnant with her second child with husband Mike Fisher, has hinted that a lot of the songs are based on real emotional experiences. Cry Pretty is the singer's sixth album, but it will be the first since her accident last fall, in which she fell on steps and required 40 to 50 stitches in her face. Here's everything else we know about the new album so far:

The new album features 13 songs. Underwood released the track list on Instagram. It includes the single "Cry Pretty" and her duet with Ludacris, "The Champion." 1. "Cry Pretty" 2. "Ghosts on the Stereo" 3. "Low" 4. "Backsliding" 5. "That Song That We Used to Make Love To" 6. "The Bullet" 7. "Southbound" 8. "Drinking Alone" 9. "Spinning Bottles" 10. "Love Wins" 11. "End Up With You" 12. "Kingdom" 13. "The Champion" (Feat. Ludacris)

Carrie Underwood is no longer afraid of social media

Carrie Underwood was slow to warm up to social media, but now that she's on Twitter, she's not afraid to express her opinions. Not long ago, she tweeted her opposition to the "ag gag" bill -- a measure that would have affected investigations into animal abuse on farms -- and got the attention of Tennessee's governor, who vetoed the bill. Carrie says, "I'm not a political person at all. I doubt anyone can tell you what party I mostly affiliate myself with. But that was just something that was in my backyard." And she's not afraid of Internet trolls, either. Underwood tells the Tennessean, "Most of the comments I get back on anything are positive. There's the occasional negative one, but I enjoy blocking that person." Click here to follow Underwood on Twitter Click here to follow Underwood on Instagram Click here to follow us on Facebook

Pictures of Carrie Underwood

Click here for Carrie Underwood's Pictures

That's what she said: Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood last week received CMA nominations for album and female vocalist of the year, and she’s scheduled to play in Topeka at the end of this month. She recently talked to the Denver Post about her crazy life as the new queen of country music.

•“Right after I came off ‘American Idol’ I used every single opportunity that I could to prove myself. I consider every vocal performance and every award show the same way.”

•“You might hate me. You might not like the songs that I choose. But hopefully you’re going to be able to say, ‘OK, she’s trying really hard. She’s giving it all she’s got.’ ”

•“I don’t think there’s any one thing that I’m reaching for. I’m just kind of going with it. I’ve gotten so lucky thus far so I’d feel guilty wanting more.”

•“I would love to spend more time songwriting. But I’m not one of those artists that says my songs must be on my album. If they’re good enough they’ll be on there, and if they’re not, they’re not.”

•“I need constant reassurance (that) what I’m doing is good. Ultimately things are my decision, but you also need people that are in touch with the outside world. I live in a bubble, as much as I fight it. And I feel like the more I have others’ opinions around me, the more things will be all right.”

CARRIE UNDERWOOD AMONG STAR-STUDDED LINE-UP FOR “STAND UP TO CANCER” CHARITY SINGLE AND TV BROADCAST

Nashville- (Sept. 3, 2008) Three-time Grammy winner Carrie Underwood has joined Mariah Carey, Beyoncé , Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, and more, in recording the charity single “Just Stand Up,” with all proceeds from the single being donated to the Stand Up To Cancer charity effort. The all-star line-up of female artists will debut “Just Stand Up” for television audiences during the Sept. 5th “Stand Up To Cancer” fund-raising event. The one-hour commercial-free special will be broadcast simultaneously on ABC, CBS and NBC networks.

“It seems that everyone has been touched by cancer these days, whether it be a personal experience, a family member or friend, or their families,” says Underwood. “If by participating in this charity effort I entice just one person to give funds for cancer research, then it will be so worthwhile.”

The “Just Stand Up” single is available for purchase exclusively on the iTunes Store and was produced by Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Antonio “L.A.” Reid.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD AMONG STAR-STUDDED LINE-UP
FOR “STAND UP TO CANCER” CHARITY SINGLE AND TV BROADCAST

ABC, CBS & NBC SIMUL-CAST THIS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

Carrie Rides Carnival Straight to No. 1

Carrie Underwood's new single might be "So Small," but her new album is big, big, big!

With the 41st Country Music Awards less than a week away, several country artists debuted new albums, but it was the season-four American Idol champ who ultimately ruled the rodeo, selling 527,000 copies of Carnival Ride, according to Nielsen SoundScan numbers released today.

In addition to topping the charts, Underwood scored the best first-week sales of any female artist in 2007. Norah Jones' Not Too Late held the previous mark with 405,000 during its opening week back in February. Carnival Ride is the year's sixth-best bow overall, following albums by Kanye West, 50 Cent, Linkin Park, the High School Musical 2 cast and Rascal Flatts.

Carnival Ride also makes Underwood the first American Idol champ to top the charts since Ruben Studdard's Soulful debut four years ago. Follow-up albums by Kelly Clarkson and Studdard, the only other champs to top the chart, failed to repeat. Likewise, debut albums by Fantasia and Taylor Hicks never made it to the top, entering the charts at eight and two, respectively. In fact, Chris Daughtry, the fourth-place finisher from season five, is the only other former contestant to hit number one in recent years, though season-six champ Jordin Sparks will get her chance Nov. 20, when her self-titled debut drops.

Meanwhile, Underwood's debut disc, Some Hearts, remains in the Billboard 200. The 2005 album, which debuted at number two, entered its 102nd week at 60, up 21 spots, bringing its two-year tally to nearly 6 million.

It was a busy week with six top 10 debuts, enough to send last week's chart-topper, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Magic, down 11 spots to number 12.

Among the other new debuts, the odd coupling of Zeppelin rocker Robert Plant and bluegrass songbird Alison Krauss was good enough for a second-place debut as Raising Sand sold 112,000 copies for the week ended Sunday. Another country crooner, Gary Allan, sold 69,000 copies of Living Hard to follow at three.

Remarkably, this is the first time in Billboard 200 history that three country albums debuted in the top three spots.

A trio of rock releases made up the rest of the top 10 bows. System of a Down screamer Serj Tankian sold 66,000 copies of his solo album Elect the Dead for a number four finish. Sci-fi prog-rockers Coheed & Cambria followed at six, selling 62,000 copies of No World for Tomorrow. Seether, powered by the top 10 rock hit "Fake It," nabbed the nine spot, moving 62,000 copies of Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces.

The week's top 10 holdovers were Josh Groban's Noël at five, Kid Rock's Rock N Roll Jesus at seven, Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good at eight and the High School Musical 2 soundtrack at 10. With the exception of Groban, each of these albums originally debuted at number one.

A pair of rockers just missed the top 10. Neil Young's Chrome Dreams II sold nearly 54,000 copies at 11. Colombian superstar Juanes, who's often called the Latin Bono for his exceptional humanitarian efforts, sold 47,000 of La Vida...Es un Ratico at 13.

Further down the chart, Hurricane Chris' 5150 Ratchet sold 26,000 copies at 24, while Say Anything's In Defense of the Genre debuted at 27, with 25,000.

Other noteworthy entries included Ryan Adams & the Cardinals' Follow the Lights EP at 40, Dwight Yoakam's Dwight Sings Buck at 42, Steven Curtis Chapman's This Moment at 47, Shooter Jennings' The Wolf at 52, Rob Zombie's Zombie Live at 57, Ween's La Cucaracha at 69 and Cobra Starship's Viva La Cobra! at 80.

Overall, there was a 5 percent uptick from last week's glacial sales, though the figures were still down 17 percent compared to the same week in 2006.

Here's a recap of the Top 10 albums:

1. Carnival Ride, Carrie Underwood
2. Raising Sand, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
3. Living Hard, Gary Allan
4. Elect the Dead, Serj Tankian
5. Noël, Josh Groban
6. No World for Tomorrow, Coheed & Cambria
7. Rock N Roll Jesus, Kid Rock
8. Still Feels Good, Rascal Flatts
9. Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces, Seether
10. High School Musical 2 soundtrack, various

Carrie Underwood sings

Carrie Underwood sings the national anthem before Game 3 between the Rockies and Red Sox Saturday at Coors Field in Denver.

Carrie Underwood to Exes: You Should Have Stuck Around

Carrie Underwood may sing about letting go of all the small stuff on her new single "So Small" – but she's not always able to do that herself.

Underwood, 24, also plays it cool when it comes Chace Crawford, the guy she's been hanging close to recently. "He's a nice guy," she says, when pressed, with a laugh. (She does tune into his show, Gossip Girl. "I love the drama," she says.) But Underwood has plenty to say about stepping up as a songwriter on her new album, Carnival Ride, as she chats from Nashville about her new music – and, okay, boys too.

You had a hit with 'Before He Cheats.' Do you still keep in touch with your exes?
Not really because most of my exes are pre-Idol, so, yeah, I don't really. [It's like,] "Well, you wish you would have stayed with me, huh?" [Laughs]

Do you listen to talk about your looks or consider yourself a sex symbol?
No. If I didn't do what I do, nobody would ever look twice at me. I'm a blender – and the only reason anybody, if they do think of me in that way, it's just because I do what I do. I'm okay. But I'm not, like, anything special.

You're very humble.
I just tell it like I see it. [Laughs]

What motivated you to write some songs on your new album?
It's definitely a plus when you can write your own stuff. It's coming from a personal place – and it's just more to be proud of. I just wanted to see if I had the talent and just try. It wasn't a huge deal like, "every song on the album must be mine," because there are so many talented writers.

As a songwriter, do you think you'll get more respect in the Nashville community?
I'm sure it just comes with the territory. People know I have more to do with my songs. I think some people think everybody makes all the decisions for me and I don't really get to have a say in anything. And that's completely not true.

Carrie Underwood Pictures

Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride Review

Things kick off with the opening bravado of "Flat On The Floor," a balls-to-the-wall country rocker that takes fiddle and aggressive guitar to pump up Underwood's impassioned growl. There's a lot of innuendo bubbling through the song, but when it's all stripped away it's a song about a woman scorned, hiding on her floor until the maelstrom of her most recent relationship has subsided. It's a strange number indeed, breathing fire musically, but laying down lyrics that have her "hiding from the storm till the damage gets done." An interesting juxtaposition, to be sure.

The slick country rock vibe continues, albeit in a more stripped down manner, on "All-American Girl." This is a tale about a man and woman who get married and then have a kid. The man hopes for a boy, but ends up with a girl instead. "So Small" drifts away from the pure country intonations, adding pulsating strings and a more emphatic power ballad slant to the mix. Acoustic guitar, wailing fiddle, and syncopated rhythms wrap around the down-tempo "Just A Dream," a tale about a woman getting married. In contrast "Get Out Of This Town" is about escaping your current circumstances, a pretty routine subject that just about everybody can relate to.

"Crazy Dreams" again goes for the overly slick country rock embellishment, though it sounds a wee bit like a long lost Alanis Morissette number from Jagged Little Pill, albeit filtered through heavy Nashville ambiance. Underwood's vocal intonations on this track are the best on the entire album, floating, driving, and energetic in cadence and fluctuation. The domination of banjo on the track helps, too. With "I Know You Won't'" she returns to ballad terrain, this time backed by syncopated snare rhythms and piano, allowing Underwood to display the power of her voice when it's turned down a notch. Devoid of all the slick trappings it's quite beautiful. This track proves that less is more, although the chorus does drift a bit into the melodramatic.

Crunching guitars and banjo plucking combined with aggressive fiddle turn "Last Name" into a barroom blitz. It's also one of the few songs that has Underwood getting a little risqu¿, dishing out lyrics like "Last night I got served a little bit too much of that poison, baby/last night I did things I'm not proud of and I got a little crazy/last night I met a guy on the dance floor and I let him call me baby/and I don't even know his last name/my mama would be so ashamed..." It's nice to hear Underwood letting down her hair a bit, that's for sure.

Things kick off with the opening bravado of "Flat On The Floor," a balls-to-the-wall country rocker that takes fiddle and aggressive guitar to pump up Underwood's impassioned growl. There's a lot of innuendo bubbling through the song, but when it's all stripped away it's a song about a woman scorned, hiding on her floor until the maelstrom of her most recent relationship has subsided. It's a strange number indeed, breathing fire musically, but laying down lyrics that have her "hiding from the storm till the damage gets done." An interesting juxtaposition, to be sure.

The slick country rock vibe continues, albeit in a more stripped down manner, on "All-American Girl." This is a tale about a man and woman who get married and then have a kid. The man hopes for a boy, but ends up with a girl instead. "So Small" drifts away from the pure country intonations, adding pulsating strings and a more emphatic power ballad slant to the mix. Acoustic guitar, wailing fiddle, and syncopated rhythms wrap around the down-tempo "Just A Dream," a tale about a woman getting married. In contrast "Get Out Of This Town" is about escaping your current circumstances, a pretty routine subject that just about everybody can relate to.

"Crazy Dreams" again goes for the overly slick country rock embellishment, though it sounds a wee bit like a long lost Alanis Morissette number from Jagged Little Pill, albeit filtered through heavy Nashville ambiance. Underwood's vocal intonations on this track are the best on the entire album, floating, driving, and energetic in cadence and fluctuation. The domination of banjo on the track helps, too. With "I Know You Won't'" she returns to ballad terrain, this time backed by syncopated snare rhythms and piano, allowing Underwood to display the power of her voice when it's turned down a notch. Devoid of all the slick trappings it's quite beautiful. This track proves that less is more, although the chorus does drift a bit into the melodramatic.

Crunching guitars and banjo plucking combined with aggressive fiddle turn "Last Name" into a barroom blitz. It's also one of the few songs that has Underwood getting a little risqu¿, dishing out lyrics like "Last night I got served a little bit too much of that poison, baby/last night I did things I'm not proud of and I got a little crazy/last night I met a guy on the dance floor and I let him call me baby/and I don't even know his last name/my mama would be so ashamed..." It's nice to hear Underwood letting down her hair a bit, that's for sure.

Chace Crawford confirms Carrie Underwood romance

Chace Crawford has confirmed he and Carrie Underwood are dating, but refuses to call them a couple yet. The ‘Gossip Girl’ star and country music singer sparked rumors they were dating after they were spotted out together on several occasions.

“We’re just hanging, having a good time, dating around. It’s good,” he says. “I love country music and she’s very classy.”



Underwood recently said although she is not ready for marriage, she is ready for a serious relationship. The 24-year-old singer previously dated Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. She and Romo split in May, but Underwood insists they are still good friends.

Carrie Underwood Schedule to perform at Movies Rock Television Special

Carrie Underwood will perform the title song from The Sound of Music when the Television special, Movies Rock is taped on December 2, 2007 in Los Angeles California.



The two hour special will air December 7, 2007 on CBS.



Other performers include Beyoncé, Elton John, Mary J. Blige and John Legend.



The country singer also recently confirmed that she is dating ‘The Gossip Girl’ star Chase Crawford.



Carrie Underwood released her sophomore album entitled ‘Carnival Ride’ on October 23, 2007.

Carrie Underwood, “Carnival Ride”

After a debut album that sold 6 million-plus copies, Carrie Underwood is under significant pressure to keep the momentum going. The Oklahoman delivers in spades on her sophomore effort, on which she was much more involved in the creative process. First single “So Small,” No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, is a soaring song about the important things in life. “Just a Dream” is the tale of the death of a young soldier from the perspective of his girl back home, while “Last Name,” about a drunken flirtation that turns into a Vegas marriage, is a fun diversion. Underwood provides a growling and gritty vocal on the defiant “Flat on the Floor” and convincingly covers Randy Travis’ 1988 hit “I Told You So,” which has long deserved a second life.

Underwood's second album a step down - but it'll still sell

She loves Jesus and Jack Daniel's, the Rolling Stones and Rascal Flatts. She's the farmgirl-next-door from the great state of Oklahoma; she's the legs-aplenty champ from American Idol. She sings for the single city gals; she sympathizes with the house fraus. She plays state fairs and stadiums, working multiculti crowds with a politician's precision and a bombshell smile.

Country star Carrie Underwood is all things to all people, which is one heck of a trick for a 24-year-old. Seriously, Willie Mays didn't cover the bases like Underwood does. As a result, the blond looker is one of the bestselling musicians of the past three years, her 2005 debut, Some Hearts, having sold more than 6 million copies. Hit singles ranged from religious plea Jesus, Take the Wheel to besotted revenge fantasy Before He Cheats. Each song had just enough butter-knife edge to separate them from the other pop-country dreck.

Not that content mattered that much. At a time when selling albums is a Herculean task, Underwood is a marketing marvel, a product of Simon Fuller, Clive Davis and the rest of the Idol star-making machine. She was born on television, raised on radio and nurtured by a widespread country fan base that believes in brand loyalty. As to the real Carrie Underwood, who the heck knows? She might as well be a Disney princess, which is entirely the point.

With her new album, Carnival Ride, Underwood could wind up being the top seller of 2007, too. Never mind that her second disc lacks the pop punch of the first album. Never mind that it's not very clever. Never mind that it's actually pretty dull. Underwood keeps her nose clean, dates Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks and does whatever her handlers tell her. And for that reason alone, she'll remain the pop star to beat.

Along with Kelly Clarkson. Chris Daughtry and Fantasia Barrino, Underwood is one of the more skilled alums to come out of American Idol. She has a sturdy voice that ranges from a pop-rock smolder to a high-soaring Nashville wail. She can hit and hold her notes. She also believes the words she's singing, which made her cover of the Pretenders' I'll Stand by You the best thing she's done so far.

But Underwood, who takes a co-writer credit on four out of the 13 new tracks, doesn't have much to work with here. With song titles such as All-American Girl, Just a Dream, Crazy Dreams and Get Out of This Town, it's obvious that Team Underwood is trying to reinforce her aw-shucks, just-out-of-Checotah persona. Never mind her million-dollar bank account: She's just like you, flipping fries, punching numbers, driving a hatchback. Of course, that hokum is a lot easier to swallow when the songs aren't as cliched as the titles.

Producer Mark Bright, who also helmed Some Hearts, uses more fiddle and twang on this one. But for the most part, it was miles better the first time around. Syrup-smothered first single So Small ("Don't run out on your faith . . .") is basically Jesus, Take the Wheel without the catchy chorus. Last Name ("Last night I got served a little bit much of that poison, baby") is a knockoff of Before He Cheats, but without the tipsy 'tude. If you're looking for a singer who really knows how to wield a pool cue, check out Underwood's evil twin, Miranda Lambert.

Underwood gives each song her plucky cheerleader all, of course. And sometimes, but not very often, she's able to pull a track out of the dumper. A sexy, growly vocal gives opening done-me-wrong song Flat on the Floor true Southern-rock grit. And she turns ho-hum breakupper I Know You Won't into a torch song doozie reminiscent of Elton John's 1970s balladry.

But with the exception of a few shimmering moments, Underwood suffers a sophomore creative slump. If this is a Carnival Ride, we're definitely talking the Tilt-a-Whirl. But alas, this is Underwood World we're talking about here, a profitable fantasyland for sure. So don't be surprised when the line for this Ride, no matter how crummy, goes on forever.

Carrie Underwood

Carnival Ride

Carrie Underwood: Her New Guy Chace Crawford Speaks Out

Just how steamy are Chace Crawford and Carrie Underwood? The actor confirms that he and the country music star are dating, but he refuses to call them a couple just yet. It appears there won't be any kiss and tell from The "Gossip Girl" star just yet. He's keeping everything classy as he spills just a little on his adorable blonde "friend."

Reports that they were dating after they were spotted out together on several occasions began to surface and now the handsome hunk is speaking out. "We’re just hanging, having a good time, dating around. It’s good," he says. "I love country music and she’s very classy."

Indeed she is. According to an Us Weekly Magazine inside source they met in May when Crawford, 22, introduced himself to the 24-year-old singer (her album Carnival Ride drops October 23) at West Hollywood's Hyde. After she and Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo split in July, things turned serious: text messages and dates in L.A. and Nashville. “He is a country fan, and she thinks he is so funny and sweet,” says the source. “It’s total love.”

Underwood recently said although she is not ready for marriage, she is ready for a serious relationship.