American Idol & Country Music?
Carrie Underwood
American Idol is not only for aspiring pop singers any longer. This past seasons final episode -
which matched rocker Bo Bice against country and western singer
Carrie Underwood - is solid
validation that Americas Idol does not have to be the plain-old "pop" singer.
Upwards of 50 million devotees cast their votes for Bo and Carrie in American Idol's fourth
finale contest. In the end, viewers could not resist the
cute country singer from Oklahoma. She had even received the congratulations of Simon
Cowell, the English judge aknowledged more for his brutal critiques than his compliments.
All through the season, Cowell had pointedly said
American Idol was Carrie's
game to lose. When she was crowned America's Idol, Carrie assured her devotees she would
always sing in the musical style that had always been in her heart - country
music.
In fact,
Carrie
Underwood has oftentimes stated that her taking part in American Idol - rather
than the country competition
Nashville Star - was great for the viewing audience. "I think
it's really good for country music to have somebody advance as far as I have,
because maybe it opens some people's eyes that didn't like it before," she said to
USA Today before American Idol's conclusion.
Carrie - a 22-year-old college senior - beat out more than 100,000 original
participants and 22 semi-finalists to win
American Idol. Even American Idol's most brutal mud-slingers will agree that's rather a victory for anyone, but maybe an
even bigger feat for a country artist. Her first album Inside Your Heaven,
broke in mid-June, sold 130,000 copies and shot directly to the top of the
Billboard 100. Most of America loves Carrie Underwood, but what about the
country music fans?
Despite her declaration of her allegiance to country music, Carrie has not
exactly done the same as was planned: the country music lovers reception has been
halfhearted at best.
Inside Your Heaven may have been #1 on Billboard, but it
barely made a scratch on country music charts and has picked up almost zero airplay on
country music radio.
Still, Carrie was asked to - and performed at - the 2005
Nashville. She's
done at the Grand Ole
Opry, has her own mini-site on the
Country Music Network's website, and she's well on
the path to turning into an acknowledged
country star.
After her American Idol victory, Carrie signed a record contract with Arista Records.
Inside Your Heaven is conveniently just a small preview of carries future - her first CD will
come out this fall. however, a record contract is simply the beginning. Carrie has
also signed a lot of lucrative endorsement deals. She will be appearing in advertisements to promote
Hershey's candies and Sketchers sneakers. Furthermore, in an cyber opinion poll done by PETA,
voters identified Carrie the sexiest vegetarian alive matched with
Coldplay frontman
Chris Martin.
Right now, Carrie is on tour with the nine runners-up of
American Idol -
singing and bringing country music to people in cities across the United
States.
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