NashvilleGab - Carrie Underwood: From Small Town Girl to Country Queen (Rise to Fame)

Carrie Underwood is a multi-platinum and award-winning country/pop superstar whose powerful voice has been capturing audiences and capturing the stage for well over two decades.

Her journey from small-town Oklahoma to world-renowned music superstar is a testament that the saying about talent, hard work, and dedication is true.

With a career ranging from hit albums and singles to a huge number of awards, Carrie Underwood has built a loyal fan base and is certainly one of the all-time most successful country artists.

Keep reading to know more about her.

Carrie’s American Idol Win

Carrie Underwood’s musical path soared after her audition for American Idol Season 4 in 2005.

The judges marveled at her powerful vocals and engaging presence. She progressed steadily, reaching the Top 12, then the win on May 25, 2005.

“Inside Your Heaven,” her debut single, rocketed to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, selling over a million copies its first week.

Underwood showcased her versatility, consistently delivering outstanding performances throughout American Idol.

The two songs that stood out were “Bless the Broken Road” and “Alone,” to which she even managed a standing ovation from the judges and the audience hailing her as a top favorite in the competition.

Carrie’s “Some Hearts”

After winning American Idol, Carrie Underwood put out her first album, “Some Hearts,” November 15, 2005.

A huge hit, it topped Country charts and hit #2 overall. Over 7 million copies sold stateside, earning 7x Platinum status.

Key singles:

Inside Your Heaven (Topped #1)
“Jesus, Take the Wheel” (Country #1)-
“Don’t Forget to Remember Me” (Country #2)-
“Before He Cheats” (Country #1, Pop #8)
“Wasted” (Country #1)

Carrie Underwood some hearts success — Source: Biography

Carrie’s Awards for “Some Hearts”

Carrie Underwood’s Some Hearts album brought major recognition.

Awards included:

2 Grammy Awards (Best New Artist, Best Female Country Vocal for “Jesus, Take the Wheel”).
ACM Awards bestowed Top New Female Vocalist, Single of the Year (“Jesus, Take the Wheel”).
CMT Music Awards honored her too – Breakthrough Video, Female Video, Video of the Year (“Before He Cheats”).
Plus, 2 American Music Awards arrived (Favorite New Breakthrough Artist, Favorite Country Female Artist).

“Carnival Ride” Tour

Carrie Underwood’s first headline tour happened in April 2006, called “Carrie Underwood: Live 2006,” touring North America.

It supported her “Some Hearts” album, featuring Keith Urban and Brad Paisley as special guests.

Over 60 dates comprised this tour, playing sold-out shows praised by critics. Then, backing her second album “Carnival Ride,” she launched the “Carnival Ride Tour” in 2008.

Visiting North America, Australia, and the UK, it featured openers like Keith Urban, George Strait, and Little Big Town.

Commercially successful with many sold-out concerts, fans, and critics applauded it.

These early tours and awards cemented Carrie Underwood’s rising star status in country music.

Paving the way for future triumphs, it solidified her talent and influence in the industry.

Grand Ole Opry Induction

On March 15, 2008, Randy Travis inducted Carrie Underwood into the most elite club in country music, The Grand Ole Opry, for her outstanding talent and dedication to country music.

The way she performed on the night of her induction on “How Great Thou Art” proved she was a singer to take notice of; she left a mark on everyone watching.

Colleagues and admirers of country music would pay tribute to her great talent, her humility, and her ardor for the genre.

Carrie’s Greatest Albums and Hits

“Play On” Album

Underwood’s third studio album, Play On, hit the streets in 2009 and went directly to Number 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts; it sold more than 318,000 copies in its initial seven days.

Its singles included the smash “Cowboy Casanova,” “Temporary Home,” “Undo It,” and “Mama’s Song,” bringing a pop shade to a more reflective country sound.

Critics and fans all agreed and signed off the album. Carrie Underwood could do it all; her success was only further solidified in country music stardom.

She was the artist able to make hit music, connect with the people, and earn her rightful respect.

Those further accomplishments, as a result, for sure, solidified Carrie Underwood as a country music star, thus proving she can do hit music.

Her music relate with her fans, and even be respected by the ones within her genre. Play On is the third studio album by Carrie Underwood, released on November 3, 2009.

The album entered the Billboard 200 at Number 1 with over 318,000 copies sold in the first week.

“Blown Away”

Later Album Blown Away (2012) further defined the country-pop diva’s icon status.

Her fourth studio album, Blown Away (2012), went to number one on the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums and contained the number one singles “Good Girl” and the title track “Blown Away“.

Greatest Hits: Decade #1

(2014) was an exemplary album that showed a great career journey by Carrie Underwood.

The album consists of 18 most loved songs of hers, including “Before He Cheats“, “Cry Pretty“, “Carnival Ride“, and “Jesus, Take the Wheel“.

While two new tracks, “Something in the Water” and “Little Toy Guns“, portray a continuously creative singer growing with time.

Carrie Underwood album — Source: Carrie Underwood

That album marked a sustained stardom and the ability to appeal to fans with music.

Storyteller (2015)

Storyteller was a creative rebirth, as Underwood co-wrote and co-produced the whole album.

The album’s theme of storytelling found resonance with fans, producing hits like “Smoke Break” and “Church Bells“.

This is the album where Carrie starts to branch out in sounds and themes, mixing far more pop and rock into her country roots.

Listen to the Carrie Underwood’s Song “Church Bells”.

My Savior (2022)

Her eighth studio album, My Savior, was a stylistic departure; comprising gospel hymns and classics of the Christian faith.

Carrie was the first country artist to ever release an album in the genre. Many praised the album.

In 2022 it earned Carrie a Grammy for Best Gospel Album, proving that Carrie could pretty much sing any genre with feeling and persuasion.

Though My Savior was somewhat of a divergent direction for Carrie’s music, being that it mainly focused on her powerhouse vocals and emotional delivery.

Conclusion

Carrie Underwood is a living example of dedication, passion, and persistence.
From a budding start in Oklahoma, she has surged forth and turned into a country-pop superstar who’s setting all sorts of records and thrilling fans across the globe.
So many awards, accolades, and chart-topping albums later, Carrie has proven that she is a country-pop icon.
She could make songs relatable and catchy, coupled with her very powerful voice, which made her such a loved artist by many.
Great music and a life of philanthropy inspires Carrie not only to think but also to have a lot of fun, leaving a truly memorable mark on the music industry.