Carrie Underwood: ‘Cry Pretty’ Single Review

On April 11th, Carrie Underwood released her latest single ‘Cry Pretty’. It is the first song to be included on her upcoming album of the same name, which is slated to be released on September 14th. With an accomplished career as the woman with the most number one hits on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart, Carrie’s success is not an accident. She consistently wows the country audience with her powerful vocals, passionate delivery, and relatability. This song is no different. It is clear why the singer has chosen this track as a leading single and seems very natural to say that Carrie has done it again. The power ballad was written by Carrie Underwood, Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose, and Lori McKenna and sends an empowering message.

The lyrics, You can pretty lie and say it’s okay, You can pretty smile and just walk away, Pretty much fake your way through anything, But you can’t cry pretty, are intensely delivered by Carrie in the single’s slow, but catchy chorus. One listen to the captivating song will have you humming along to its passionate melody. Carrie’s knockout delivery takes the forefront in this single, as with many of her previous hits. Her voice reflects a vulnerability that makes it clear that she identifies with the song’s message. Set to a slow, but enthralling instrumental, the words the all women group of songwriters chose are emotional, honest, and empowering. The entirety of the song is very relatable for anyone who has struggled to keep their composure while holding back emotions; You can’t turn off the flood when the dam breaks. Carrie wrote in a letter to her fans, “It really speaks to a lot of things that have happened in the past year and I hope when you hear it, you can relate those feelings to those times in your life. It’s emotional. It’s real. And it ROCKS!

The world television debut performance of ‘Cry Pretty’ was delivered by Underwood during the ACM Awards. Carrie sported glitter tears as part of her makeup to match the look she revealed in the songs promotional photos. This was her first public appearance after a horrific fall in November that left her with a broken wrist and the need for more than 40 stitches on her face. Much of the buzz around this performance is about if anyone can see a difference in her appearance, but what we should be recognizing is that she absolutely killed the performance. While belting out the ballad, the thought of the song’s relevance to her situation recovering from the accident was apparent; she received a heartfelt and well-deserved standing ovation from the audience. We are happy to see that Carrie is doing well and getting back out on stage. She has even hinted that a tour is on the horizon soon. She has no New England show dates planned yet, but you can keep up with Carrie on her Website, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

You can purchase ‘Cry Pretty’ on iTunes here.

Favorite Lyrics: But sometimes my emotions get the best of me, And falling apart is as human as it gets.