Carrie Underwood — Biography
Carrie Marie Underwood is a renowned American country singer and songwriter. She gained fame after clinching victory in the fourth season of American Idol in 2005 and returned to the show as a judge for its twenty-third season. Underwood's debut single, "Inside Your Heaven" (2005), marked her as the first country artist to launch at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and the only solo country performer in the 2000s with a top song on that chart. Her career was propelled further with crossover hits like "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Before He Cheats." Her debut album, Some Hearts (2005), became the highest-selling debut album ever by a female solo country artist, was named the best country album of the 2000s by Billboard, and earned her three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist.
She followed up with Carnival Ride (2007), which surpassed half a million in sales in its initial week and garnered two Grammy Awards. Her third album, Play On (2009), gave rise to the hit single "Cowboy Casanova." In 2012, Underwood released her fourth album, Blown Away, which became the second best-selling album by a female country artist that year and won her a Grammy Award. Her compilation album, Greatest Hits: Decade #1 (2014), set numerous chart and sales records and featured the Grammy-winning crossover single "Something in the Water." With her fifth album, Storyteller (2015), she made history as the only country artist whose first five studio albums reached the top two positions on the Billboard 200 chart. Her sixth album, Cry Pretty (2018), made her the only woman to have four country studio albums peak at number one on the Billboard 200, achieving the highest sales week for a female album that year.
In the 2020s, she released her first Christmas album, My Gift (2020), won a Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album with My Savior (2021), and solidified her country pop persona with her 2022 album, Denim & Rhinestones. Underwood is among the best-selling music artists ever, with over 42 million singles and 18 million albums sold globally. She holds the title of the highest-certified female country artist in digital singles and ranks among the 15 top-certified female artists overall, as well as being the female artist with the most number-one singles (16) on the US Country Airplay chart. Billboard recognized her as the leading female country artist of the 2000s and 2010s, while Pollstar included her among the top 15 highest-grossing female touring artists over the last four decades.
Her list of accolades includes eight Grammy Awards, the highest total of Billboard Music Awards (12), American Music Awards (17), and Guinness World Records (5) for female country artists, along with honors such as induction into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Grand Ole Opr
She followed up with Carnival Ride (2007), which surpassed half a million in sales in its initial week and garnered two Grammy Awards. Her third album, Play On (2009), gave rise to the hit single "Cowboy Casanova." In 2012, Underwood released her fourth album, Blown Away, which became the second best-selling album by a female country artist that year and won her a Grammy Award. Her compilation album, Greatest Hits: Decade #1 (2014), set numerous chart and sales records and featured the Grammy-winning crossover single "Something in the Water." With her fifth album, Storyteller (2015), she made history as the only country artist whose first five studio albums reached the top two positions on the Billboard 200 chart. Her sixth album, Cry Pretty (2018), made her the only woman to have four country studio albums peak at number one on the Billboard 200, achieving the highest sales week for a female album that year.
In the 2020s, she released her first Christmas album, My Gift (2020), won a Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album with My Savior (2021), and solidified her country pop persona with her 2022 album, Denim & Rhinestones. Underwood is among the best-selling music artists ever, with over 42 million singles and 18 million albums sold globally. She holds the title of the highest-certified female country artist in digital singles and ranks among the 15 top-certified female artists overall, as well as being the female artist with the most number-one singles (16) on the US Country Airplay chart. Billboard recognized her as the leading female country artist of the 2000s and 2010s, while Pollstar included her among the top 15 highest-grossing female touring artists over the last four decades.
Her list of accolades includes eight Grammy Awards, the highest total of Billboard Music Awards (12), American Music Awards (17), and Guinness World Records (5) for female country artists, along with honors such as induction into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Grand Ole Opr
