Carrie Underwood - “I’m Gonna Love You” #1 All-Genre iTunes

[soulfulwings]

How lovely is Faster?!...she doesn't do them often but when she does she really does beautiful ballads.

[missy1993]

Vocally, it's her most underwhelming release by a long shot. No big or ambitious vocals on any track, really. If this were my first time hearing her, I never would have guessed she was even a power or rangey type of singer. I suppose she's kind of already peaked in that department.

[schnetzka]

Jun 11, 2022 7:46:37 GMT -5 zdm1998 said:

Burn is giving me major Chaser vibes. Maybe that’s why I love it so much.

See "Chaser" is my favorite song from 'Storyteller' while so far "Burn" is my least favorite from 'Denim & Rhinestones". Weird how that works lol.

[Ivy Leegue™]

It's so weird that when you try to play Hate My Heart on Apple Music, it plays Ghost Story instead.

[carriefan15]

Jun 11, 2022 13:42:01 GMT -5 Ivy Leegue™ said:

It's so weird that when you try to play Hate My Heart on Apple Music, it plays Ghost Story instead.

👻👻👻

[musicfan134]

Maybe on repeated listens this will click better for me, but...all of the songs sound the same to me tbh. I'm giving it a second listen today but none of the songs stood out to me one way or another on the initial listen.

[14887fan]

She’ll be in UK at the end of the month. Just announced a fan event in London on 6/29.

[schnetzka]

The album still doesn't have any Metacritic reviews which I feel is unusual.

[Typo]

Named Album of the Week (4/5 Stars) by UK publication the I.

This is the sister paper to The Independent which is notoriously snarky.

[realityBITES]

Man, after seeing Velvet Heartbreak on GMA, I could easily see that being a single. There’s so many single choices here. Just my opinion, but I don’t really care if she has songs that “test” her range. We know what she can do already. A good song isn’t always about how high or loud she can sing.

[misterscribbs]

I’ve had this thought since listening to the album a few times, I wonder if Carrie is making new songs that aren’t so difficult to sing. While she’s still young, she’s only going to get older and her catalogue is gonna be even more difficult to sing while taking care of her voice. I know that she’s still in her prime vocally, but can you imagine singing songs like SITW 20 years from now (because let’s face it, she’s got that left in her career)? I feel like now is the time to create new hits in her catalogue that she can change up her set list to give her voice a break without straining it 90 minutes a night. Maybe I’m crazy. Just a thought. That being said though….I love her more understated songs just as much as I love when she belts to the moon and back. So I’m here for it either way.

[missy1993]

I'm thinking that "Blown Away" will, at least for me, remain Carrie's greatest artistic output and era by billions upon billions of degrees of separation from all others- past, certainly present, and almost all but guaranteed - future.

[desertfloods]

Jun 11, 2022 17:28:36 GMT -5 realityBITES said:

Man, after seeing Velvet Heartbreak on GMA, I could easily see that being a single. There’s so many single choices here. Just my opinion, but I don’t really care if she has songs that “test” her range. We know what she can do already. A good song isn’t always about how high or loud she can sing.

Also, give this woman some vocal break.

Tour and live shows is where the money is. She is approaching 40 soon. I think she is being smart here toning down the vocal acrobatics. If she's going to tour for many years and decades to come, her whole catalog can't be just filled with power vocal songs.
I distinctly remember a comment she made about Mark Bright always trying to make her go higher.


ETA: LOL. Literally commented without seeing that misterscribbs said the same earlier.

[missy1993]

Jun 11, 2022 18:14:05 GMT -5 desertfloods said:

Jun 11, 2022 17:28:36 GMT -5 realityBITES said:

Man, after seeing Velvet Heartbreak on GMA, I could easily see that being a single. There’s so many single choices here. Just my opinion, but I don’t really care if she has songs that “test” her range. We know what she can do already. A good song isn’t always about how high or loud she can sing.

Also, give this woman some vocal break.

Tour and live shows is where the money is. She is approaching 40 soon. I think she is being smart here toning down the vocal acrobatics. If she's going to tour for many years and decades to come, her whole catalog can't be just filled with power vocal songs.
I distinctly remember a comment she made about Mark Bright always trying to make her go higher.


ETA: LOL. Literally commented without seeing that misterscribbs said the same earlier.

I recall that as well, and it made me seriously ponder why she still to this very day remains so pridefully adamant against the idea of consulting with a vocal coach to assist her with developing techniques that would allow her to not only elevate her range to heights that she may have previously believed to be unreachable, but that would also allow her to circumvent and slow down the natural aging process of the vocal cords. I remember she described a particular note in question that she was asked to hold out as being "just a hair under" on most of her attempts at it in the recording studio, and that's a direct result of a specific shortfall in her technique that has been present since the beginning of her career, and has sadly yet to have ever been addressed. Developing a proper mix to relieve the tension around the transition/passage points in her range. Everyone has them. Some learn how to sing through them and effectively "bridge" or smooth out those areas, while others just end up settling for less than what they're capable of. Kelly Clarkson is an example of the former. She already is 40. 40 is young to lose range, btw. At least for a technical singer, anyway.

[missy1993]

There are tons of singers that are more ambitious in the studio and record vocals that they know they wouldn't be able to deliver live, or at least not consistently. Even Mariah Carey. There are certain songs and/or specific notes that she has never done live, even back when she was in her prime. Same with Christina Aguilera. Whitney Houston, as well. Carrie could just choose to not sing that particular song live all the time.

[zdm1998]

As unpopular opinion as it is I really hope she sits Cry Pretty (song) out for tour. While it's very impressive hearing her sing it, I almost feel like it can't be good for her voice to be belting and doing the runs it has during the last 1.5 minutes of the song. Hope she also reconsiders not changing keys for her older more difficult songs. We know you are the best vocalist of your generation. You don't have anything to prove anymore. 

The last thing we need for her to do is to ruin her voice like Martina did.

[schnetzka]

While I don't necessarily want her to take "Cry Pretty" off of her setlist (I absolutely love the song), I want her to be careful so that she doesn't end up doing irreversible damage like Martina has done. I know people say Martina's voice has improved but recent performances have proven otherwise.

[missy1993]

Jun 11, 2022 19:22:13 GMT -5 zdm1998 said:

As unpopular opinion as it is I really hope she sits Cry Pretty (song) out for tour. While it's very impressive hearing her sing it, I almost feel like it can't be good for her voice to be belting and doing the runs it has during the last 1.5 minutes of the song. Hope she also reconsiders not changing keys for her older more difficult songs. We know you are the best vocalist of your generation mama. You don't have anything to prove anymore. 

The last thing we need for her to do is to ruin her voice like Martina did.

All those notes are right in her mid-range wheelhouse, and not at all likely to damage her voice. I actually feel that she performs it better now than she did during the actual CP era. Particularly on that final sustained note. It's always squarely on point now, never under the pitch. I'm hoping she never retires it.

[carriefan15]

My friend and I did a track by track review and included our thoughts about singles so I’m just gonna post it here too! Warning: long post.

Denim & Rhinestones- I love the 80s sound to it (especially at the very beginning when the song starts) and the lyrics, but something about it all just gets a little lost by the end of the song. Still like it a lot but just not super crazy about it. It does get stuck in my head a lot though. B

Velvet Heartbreak- This one sounds super country! And yet something about the chorus reminds me of Taylor’s Cruel Summer lol This one also reminds me a lot of her earlier stuff..like Carnival Ride and Play On kinda sound. I like it a lot! Ok after listening again I love it! It’s so catchy. A

Ghost Story- I never find myself wanting to play this one, but every time I do hear it, I like it more and more. Still not too sure it should have been the lead single but apparently its callout scores at radio have been really good so at least it seems to be doing well. B-

Hate My Heart- This one also sounds very country. Actually sounds like a Miranda song…Also reminds me of Lady A and Lauren Alaina…like a mixture of everything you’d hear at a country bar haha
This is one I like a little less on multiple listens and I think it would be my least favorite right now. C+

Burn- This one would fit perfectly on Storyteller…actually it would fit perfectly on any of her albums! lol it’s like all the albums melded into one song. So far I think this is my favorite! It’s like the quintessential Carrie song! For sure needs to be a single…I just don’t know how it couldn’t be one. A+

Crazy Angels- I have loved this one since the first time I heard it! This one also has to be a single. It’s the perfect song to dance to at the bar or sing to in the car. Everything about it is perfect. My only small complaint would be that it’s a little tiny bit generic lol but at the same time it works well for the song and country radio. A

Faster- hmm not too crazy about this one. I like hearing the different sound from Carrie (almost like a 90s pop song or Selena kinda song???) but I don’t think I’ll revisit this one too much. It’s a nice easy listen though. B-

Pink Champagne- Carrie seems to really like this one and is already putting more promotion into it so a lot of fans think it will be a single. It’s definitely catchy but I don’t think it’s strong enough to be a single. To me, it’s kind of like a One Way Ticket/Southbound kinda song and we already got Southbound as a single. The production is a little busy too. Ok on 2nd listen I do like it more and find it even more catchy. Still prefer Crazy Angels though B-

Wanted Woman- I actually think this one would do really well on Adult Contemporary like 99.9 and those stations. And at the same time it sounds like old-school country…like something from Conway Twitty. Definitely don’t see it as a country single but it’s a good album track. B-

Poor Everybody Else- This one will be the Flat On The Floor of the album…won’t be a single but she’ll perform it on every tour for sure. Really good stadium song. It would be good mashed up with Something Bad. B

She Don’t Know- This is such a stand-out song on the album, and I would love it if it was a single! It’s like the prequel to Two Black Cadillacs! lol it’s so catchy! It would be a perfect fall/winter single with a really good video! It has to be a single!! A

Garden- I love this one. It’s so simple but really powerful. Definitely a good album closer. But definitely would not be a good single choice lol it’s just so relaxing though. A-

If the singles were up to me, it would be:

2. Crazy Angels (fall/winter)
3. Burn (spring/summer)
4. She Don’t Know (fall/winter)
5. Velvet Heartbreak (spring/summer)

But I think it will probably be Pink Champagne instead of She Don’t Know and no 5th single :( Crazy Angels will 100% be the next single though (I will ignore any rumors or signs that point to Pink Champagne lol) And I just really hope Burn gets to be one too!

Overall I’d give the album an A-. I don’t like it quite as much as Carnival Ride, Play On, Storyteller, and Blown Away, but I do like it more than Cry Pretty (even though Ghosts On The Stereo alone makes it very hard to top for me) and Some Hearts overall

[adwem]

USA Radio Updater
@usaradioupdater

@carrieunderwood's “Ghost Story” will officially impact US Hot AC Radio on July 11th and US Pop Radio on July 12th.

If the adds date is not retracted, it will be her first Pop Radio single since "Before She Cheats".

Interesting to see if they follow through with it

[taylor is terrified]

Crossover smash incoming!!!

[zdm1998]

It’s a false announcement guys that was a fake account, not the real one. The owners of the real account confirmed it wasn’t true.

[Ivy Leegue™]

LOL I had to give up on the dream of Amazon delivering my CD after 2 days of straight failure. Despite being buzzed, stoned, and taking shrooms, I rode my electric scooter to Target right before close and prayed on the way they would have copies. I got it!

Also...had friends over and we watched the Amazon concert. Something was off but we weren't sure what. Maybe all the high octane songs up front winded her? It was entertaining, at least.

[Ivy Leegue™]

And to be.clear, it wasn't a bad performance, per se. Though, there was one song where I remember being in the other room and I could hear the ending and thought, "Ohh...that was noticeably rough," but hey, they kept it in to show that even a powerhouse, supreme level vocalist like Carrie is human. The most I listen to this album, the more I love it. It really will slap live. Pink Champagne was probably my highlight of the Amazon show. Her energy and confidence, while delivering the vocals, was palpable. Actually, my friends and I were both saying how mature and seasoned she is as a performer now. Sooo much swag and confidence but she kinda had a little baby swag on Idol once she got going. She really shines in arena-rock type moments. Too bad she can't reach out to Mutt Lange but she would EAT his productions up vocally. Shania x Mutt was a perfect match, so I would never take away from that, but I know Carrie can do the real rock lane.

[bornfearless2000]

D&R rose to #1 on itunes Australia !!

Rise queen rise

[schnetzka]

Jun 12, 2022 0:30:06 GMT -5 Ivy Leegue™ said:

And to be.clear, it wasn't a bad performance, per se. Though, there was one song where I remember being in the other room and I could hear the ending and thought, "Ohh...that was noticeably rough," but hey, they kept it in to show that even a powerhouse, supreme level vocalist like Carrie is human. The most I listen to this album, the more I love it. It really will slap live. Pink Champagne was probably my highlight of the Amazon show. Her energy and confidence, while delivering the vocals, was palpable. Actually, my friends and I were both saying how mature and seasoned she is as a performer now. Sooo much swag and confidence but she kinda had a little baby swag on Idol once she got going. She really shines in arena-rock type moments. Too bad she can't reach out to Mutt Lange but she would EAT his productions up vocally. Shania x Mutt was a perfect match, so I would never take away from that, but I know Carrie can do the real rock lane.

To be fair, Mutt Lange wrote "Who Are You" from 'Blown Away'. I don't know if Carrie worked with him specifically or was just sent the song but she has performed a song attached to his name.

[soulfulwings]

This album has really grown on me after a few listens. It's still not her best album but there are some bops on it, like Pink Champagne and Velvet Heartbreak. I just wish she would've used her range on this album, I miss those high notes.

[Ivy Leegue™]

Jun 12, 2022 11:38:05 GMT -5 soulfulwings said:

This album has really grown on me after a few listens. It's still not her best album but there are some bops on it, like Pink Champagne and Velvet Heartbreak. I just wish she would've used her range on this album, I miss those high notes.

There are definitely high notes but sometimes, they are in the background or just not that prominent in the mix. IMO, her vocals are perfect and do what they need to do in service of the song (and not the other way around.)

[oboeadam]

Jun 11, 2022 18:39:39 GMT -5 missy1993 said:

Jun 11, 2022 18:14:05 GMT -5 desertfloods said:

Also, give this woman some vocal break.

Tour and live shows is where the money is. She is approaching 40 soon. I think she is being smart here toning down the vocal acrobatics. If she's going to tour for many years and decades to come, her whole catalog can't be just filled with power vocal songs.
I distinctly remember a comment she made about Mark Bright always trying to make her go higher.


ETA: LOL. Literally commented without seeing that misterscribbs said the same earlier.

I recall that as well, and it made me seriously ponder why she still to this very day remains so pridefully adamant against the idea of consulting with a vocal coach to assist her with developing techniques that would allow her to not only elevate her range to heights that she may have previously believed to be unreachable, but that would also allow her to circumvent and slow down the natural aging process of the vocal cords. I remember she described a particular note in question that she was asked to hold out as being "just a hair under" on most of her attempts at it in the recording studio, and that's a direct result of a specific shortfall in her technique that has been present since the beginning of her career, and has sadly yet to have ever been addressed. Developing a proper mix to relieve the tension around the transition/passage points in her range. Everyone has them. Some learn how to sing through them and effectively "bridge" or smooth out those areas, while others just end up settling for less than what they're capable of. Kelly Clarkson is an example of the former. She already is 40. 40 is young to lose range, btw. At least for a technical singer, anyway.

Totally agree with this. I actually remember a time when Kelly's voice was starting to show wear, most notably back during her promotion of the single "Never Again", but she quickly did work with a vocal coach and learned how to sing her catalog in a much healthier way rather than relying on her (VERY) obvious talent alone. She now sounds consistently incredible on everything that she sings. I honestly can't remember a performance of hers in the last 10+ years where she sounds anything less than stellar.

Carrie has an incredible and natural vocal talent and it's impressive that she's been able to navigate extremely difficult songs for so many years on that alone. That said, I did find her pitchiness and strain were showing more often pre-pandemic. Post-pandemic, however, she has sounded more amazing than ever which I suspect is in part due to having a sizeable break from intense touring and/or live performances that gave her the rest she needed. I just wonder how much longer it will last if she doesn't get the training you talk about, because if she were to do that, I honestly think she'd be unstoppable for years to come.

[missy1993]

Jun 12, 2022 12:46:03 GMT -5 oboeadam said:

Jun 11, 2022 18:39:39 GMT -5 missy1993 said:

I recall that as well, and it made me seriously ponder why she still to this very day remains so pridefully adamant against the idea of consulting with a vocal coach to assist her with developing techniques that would allow her to not only elevate her range to heights that she may have previously believed to be unreachable, but that would also allow her to circumvent and slow down the natural aging process of the vocal cords. I remember she described a particular note in question that she was asked to hold out as being "just a hair under" on most of her attempts at it in the recording studio, and that's a direct result of a specific shortfall in her technique that has been present since the beginning of her career, and has sadly yet to have ever been addressed. Developing a proper mix to relieve the tension around the transition/passage points in her range. Everyone has them. Some learn how to sing through them and effectively "bridge" or smooth out those areas, while others just end up settling for less than what they're capable of. Kelly Clarkson is an example of the former. She already is 40. 40 is young to lose range, btw. At least for a technical singer, anyway.

Totally agree with this. I actually remember a time when Kelly's voice was starting to show wear, most notably back during her promotion of the single "Never Again", but she quickly did work with a vocal coach and learned how to sing her catalog in a much healthier way rather than relying on her (VERY) obvious talent alone. She now sounds consistently incredible on everything that she sings. I honestly can't remember a performance of hers in the last 10+ years where she sounds anything less than stellar.

Carrie has an incredible and natural vocal talent and it's impressive that she's been able to navigate extremely difficult songs for so many years on that alone. That said, I did find her pitchiness and strain were showing more often pre-pandemic. Post-pandemic, however, she has sounded more amazing than ever which I suspect is in part due to having a sizeable break from intense touring and/or live performances that gave her the rest she needed. I just wonder how much longer it will last if she doesn't get the training you talk about, because if she were to do that, I honestly think she'd be unstoppable for years to come.

Yesss, all of this 1000%. That's why I said, she actually sounds better performing "Cry Pretty" NOW than she did during the actual promo era and CP 360 Tour 3-4 years ago. I recall the sustained note at the end being almost a full step below the target pitch in several of the 2018-2019 performances. In Vegas, she's nailed it every single time, however. I feel that her vocal on HGTA has also been smoother, more powerful, and more consistent than ever before. She's honestly been slaying for the past 2 years in general, which is why I was disappointed in the lack of ambitious vocals on this current release. It's like all of the songs were written for Miranda Lambert and her vocal range. Carrie is known for being a powerful, rangey singer, and for someone that initially became a fan of hers for that very reason, it's just a little disconcerting to not really hear any of that on a full album.