Carrie Underwood is speaking out about her latest accomplishment. Underwood just became the highest RIAA-certified female artist of all time, of any genre, with a total of over 95 million units sold.
“I am so just humbled, and I’m so grateful of this recognition that is 20 years in the making,” Underwood says. “It not only represents my part of this career, but of course all of the songwriters and producers and musicians, and all of the audio engineers, and the band that plays it every night on stage with me. Hundreds of people that were involved every step of the way in making this music. And of course, none of it would be possible without fans from everywhere that have been with me for the past 20 years, just supporting and listening to, coming to the shows and buying the records and streaming and downloading and all that stuff.
“And of course, continue to support me today,” she adds. “Again, I’m just so amazed and blown away and blessed above all. So thank you. Thank you, everybody. This is incredible.”
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Carrie Underwood Celebrates Milestone Anniversary of Debut Country Single
Shortly after winning Season 4 of American Idol in 2005, Underwood released “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” the first single from her freshman Some Hearts album. It’s the song that Underwood says changed everything for her.
“Today marks the 20th Anniversary of releasing ‘Jesus, Take the Wheel,’ written by the most amazingly talented songwriters – Brett James, Hillary Lindsey, and Gordie Sampson, and produced by the incredible Mark Bright,” Underwood writes on October 18. “This song changed my life and has meant so much to me over the years. I’m truly blessed to be able to continue singing this beautiful song.”
The song might be two decades old, but it’s still Underwood’s favorite, and one she performs during all of her live shows.
“I just love that song so much,” Underwood says on The Ty Bentli Show. “I’ll come off stage and I’ll text my band. I’ll be like, ‘I felt Jesus in the room tonight.’ It’s just a constant reminder of how I need to do more of that in my life. Because I feel like my whole life is always … not worrying, but I stress myself out about things. And a lot of times it’s just because I want to do a good job at things. So I’m always thinking ahead.
“I’m always thinking about writing and what the next thing is, what the next project is, and that’s a great reminder to me constantly to just stop worrying,” she adds. “The doors are going to open, opportunities are going to come. Keep your eyes and ears open, and just let Jesus handle it.”
Carrie Underwood Returns to ‘American Idol’
20 years after winning American Idol, Underwood returned earlier this year, to serve as a judge alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. All three judges recently announced they will all reprise their roles as judges in 2026.
“I owe my career to American Idol,” Underwood told People ahead of her inaugural season. “It has been such an important part of my life, and I will always be grateful for that. Coming back as a judge 20 years later is such a special full-circle moment for me, and it’s meant a lot to share that journey with the people that have been there from the beginning, as well as a whole new generation of Idol fans.”
Photo Credit: Disney
Photo Credit: Disney