Word: underwoods
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...Carrie Underwood was making her seemingly untrammeled run to victory on the fourth season of “American Idol,” judge Simon Cowell famously predicted that not only would Underwood go on to win the competition, but she would also outsell all previous “Idol” winners. The next three years made Cowell appear remarkably astute. As Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino fell by the wayside, and Kelly Clarkson grappled with artistic—and perhaps just general—confusion, Underwood’s first two albums established her as Nashville?...
...past two years have seen that narrative interrupted, not so much by missteps on Underwood’s part but, rather, by the emergence of rivals: Miranda Lambert, whose fiery country-rock made Underwood seem tame by comparison, and, above all, Taylor Swift, a true singer-songwriter whose undeniable hooks, felt lyrics and incandescent enthusiasm have propelled her to a level of national stardom far above Underwood. It is no coincidence, then, that in the same week that Swift has a Springsteen-esque seven singles simultaneously in the Top 50 (pop, not country), Carrie Underwood released an album that from...
...first song, “Cowboy Casanova,” despite its title, is a distinct break from Underwood’s earlier work. It affects a Lambert-lite stomp and swagger, but Underwood is no rockstar. She sings in perfect pitch, but there is no feeling; in a market where the pop audience demands sincerity, or at least heart, Underwood can provide neither. Worst of all, the song lacks recognizable hooks or an engaging melody. It’s all bluster, no substance...
...fact, the most plausible explanation for this excrescence of an album is that Underwood and her handlers have decided that the best way to crossover from country to pop is to make an album in the tradition of the television show that launched her career. As any follower of “Idol” will know, its judges and producers have always maintained a healthy distaste for melody or, indeed, music in general, preferring to applaud and highlight performances of vocal excess, culminating most often in “glory notes.” It is an aesthetic comprehensively...
...Ride” showed, she can sing country—and ballads in particular—with verve and gusto. But on those albums she sang the songs; here, she overpowers them, such as they are, with pyrotechnics. The result is impressive, perhaps, but certainly not enjoyable. Nor can Underwood be excused for the poor quality of the songs, as she is credited as a co-writer on seven of them. The album is a continuous lyrical train wreck, befouling every subject it touches, from love—“He is good, so good / And he treats your...