Carrie Underwood makes chart history with ‘Cry Pretty’

She tops Billboard’s Top 200 Album and Country Album charts

Carrie Underwood‘s new album, Cry Pretty, is the biggest all-genre debut by a female in 2018, topping Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy (April 6, 2018). The album debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Album Charts with 265,654 equivalent album units, making Underwood the only woman in history to land four country albums at the top of the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. The critically-acclaimed album is the best-selling country album debut of 2018, as well as the biggest country album debut since August 7, 2015 (Luke Bryan’s Kill The Lights) and the biggest female country album debut since October 22, 2012 (Taylor Swift’s Red). Cry Pretty’s debut week also marks the most first week streams by any female in country music. This is Underwood’s seventh consecutive album to debut at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart, representing all of her first seven albums including her Greatest Hits: Decade #1.

Cry Pretty was released on September 14th via Capitol Records Nashville, her sixth overall and first with her new label. The album includes the smash title track, which topped the iTunes Top Songs charts in 12 countries and quickly racked up over 1.3 million streams in the U.S. during the first few days of release in April. “The Champion,” her collaboration with Ludacris, will also be included. Underwood co-produced the album with David Garcia and also co-wrote nine of the songs making it one of her most personal albums to date.

In working as a producer with David, I feel like I learned so much about, obviously making music, but also about myself as an artist, myself as a writer and myself as a vocalist,” Underwood states. “I feel like previously in my career, I love being technically good. I love to sing. It’s what I love to do, and I take a lot of pride in working hard at being good at what I do. But I would go in with David and it would be time to record, put my vocals down. Like we’re doing this. I’m stepping up to the plate. Here we go. I’m going to hit a grand slam, and in my mind, that’s what I’m thinking. I’m going to sing every note perfectly. I’m going to be great. I’m talking myself up here, you know?”

Last month, Underwood announced the all female Cry Pretty Tour 360 featuring Maddie & Tae and Runaway June for 2019. Sponsored by CALIA, the new tour will kick off on May 1st in Greensboro, NC, and will play 55 arenas across the U.S. and Canada and be promoted by AEG Presents.

This November, Underwood will join Brad Paisley as hosts for the 11th time of The 52nd Annual CMA Awards. Country Music’s Biggest Night airs live from the Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 14th at 8/7 pm CT on the ABC.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com