Carrie Underwood

Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer and songwriter. Known for her vocal range and dynamic stage presence, Underwood is recognized as a pivotal figure in 21st century country music. She has revitalized and sustained the presence of female country artists in popular culture since winning the fourth season of American Idol in 2005.

Her first single, "Inside Your Heaven" in 2005, made her the first-ever country artist to debut atop the US Billboard Hot 100 and the only solo country artist to top the Hot 100 in the 2000s. Led by crossover singles "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Before He Cheats", her first album, Some Hearts (2005), became the best-selling debut album of all time by a solo female country artist, was ranked by Billboard as the top country album of the 2000s, and won her three Grammy Awards—including Best New Artist.

Thereafter, Carnival Ride (2007) sold over half a million copies first-week and won two Grammy Awards, while Play On (2009) made her the only woman ever to have eleven consecutive top-two singles and the first since the 1980s to attain ten number-ones at country radio. She achieved the second-best selling female album released in 2012 and won a Grammy Award with Blown Away. A commercial success in 2014, her compilation album spawned the Grammy-winning crossover single "Something in the Water".