Global superstar Carrie Underwood celebrated the RIAA Platinum certification of her latest album, Cry Pretty, as well as four certified singles from the album this past Friday in Nashville. Following her CRS (Country Radio Seminar) Artist Interview at the Omni Hotel, Underwood was surprised onstage with a Platinum plaque from UMG Nashville CEO & Chairman, Mike Dungan, and President, Cindy Mabe, for her sixth studio album and the first she co-produced alongside David Garcia.
"Cry Pretty is an album of risk and boundary pushing," shares Cindy Mabe. "Carrie put her whole heart, raw emotion and personal story into writing, producing and releasing the music from this album for the world to see behind the curtains. Cry Pretty is Carrie's artistic evolution and provides a chance for fans to see her at her most vulnerable and raw, so celebrating Platinum status is such an incredible gift that proves big risk gives way to big reward."
When surprised with the Platinum plaque by Dungan and Mabe, Underwood said, "This means a lot, because I feel like this is the project that I've done, and the album that I've done, that is the most 'me.' I'm honored and I'm humbled, and God is good."
The critically-acclaimed album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, cementing her place in history as the only woman to land four country albums at the top of the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. The album was the best-selling all-genre female debut in 2018 and she continues to hold the record as RIAA's #1 certified female artist for Digital Singles. Four singles from Cry Pretty have also been certified by the RIAA including the Platinum-certified "The Champion" and the Gold-certified "Cry Pretty," "Love Wins" and "Southbound."
NPR declared that Cry Pretty "...pushes her creative boundaries and leans into modern R&B, while retaining the Oklahoma singer-songwriter's country roots," while Rolling Stone lauded Underwood as "Arena country's mightiest voice, as Cry Pretty reaffirms." Entertainment Weekly called the album, "Her most emotionally accessible work to date" and USA Today stated, "she has never sounded better than on Cry Pretty."
On March 3, HarperCollins/Dey Street Books will publish Carrie's first book, FIND YOUR PATH: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, and Get Strong with the Fit52 Life, a fitness lifestyle book in which she shares her belief that fitness is a lifelong journey. Underwood's goal is to provide a common-sense approach to staying active, eating well, and looking as beautiful as you feel, 52 weeks a year.
Carrie Underwood emerged from the promise of her 2005 American Idol win to become a true multi-format, multi-media superstar, spanning achievements in music, television, and film. A seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner, she has sold more than 64 million records worldwide and recorded 27 #1 singles, 14 of which she co-wrote. She released her sixth studio album in 2018, the Platinum-certified Cry Pretty, marking the first time she has co-produced her own album. The title track and lead single, co-written and co-produced by Carrie, topped the iTunes Top Songs charts in 12 countries. The album also includes the hit event anthem she co-wrote, "The Champion" featuring Ludacris, which opened NBC's Super Bowl LII and was incorporated into the network's coverage of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. In 2013, Carrie starred as Maria von Trapp in NBC's three-hour holiday blockbuster, the Emmy®-winning The Sound of Music Live! whose airings attracted 44 million viewers. She is founder and lead designer for her fitness and lifestyle brand, CALIA by Carrie Underwood, which launched in 2015 and is exclusively available at DICK'S Sporting Goods nationwide and online at calia.com. In 2019, Carrie celebrated her 11th anniversary as a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry. She returned last Fall for her seventh season as the voice of primetime television's #1 program, NBC's Sunday Night Football. In October 2019, Carrie wrapped The Cry Pretty Tour 360 featuring an all-female line-up with Maddie & Tae and Runaway June and many sold-out shows including New York's Madison Square Garden, Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, and L.A.'s Staples Center. In November, she hosted the CMA Awards for the 12th consecutive year, joined by special guest hosts Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire. In 2019, she extended her record for most CMT Music Awards won by any artist and won the Billboard Music Award for Top Female Country Artist. She ended 2019 winning her 14th and 15th American Music Awards, celebrating her 7th win for Favorite Female Artist - Country and 6th win for Favorite Country Album for Cry Pretty, breaking the AMA record for Most Wins in the Favorite Country Album Category. On March 3, HarperCollins/Dey Street books will publish Carrie's first book, FIND YOUR PATH: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, and Get Strong with the Fit52 Life, a fitness lifestyle book in which she shares her belief that fitness is a lifelong journey, providing a common-sense approach to staying active, eating well, and looking as beautiful as you feel, 52 weeks a year.
Photo Credit: Country Radio Seminar 2020/Kayla Schoen
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