2019 ACM Awards: Carrie Underwood Takes Viewers 'Southbound'

Carrie Underwood took 2019 ACM Awards viewers "Southbound" on Sunday night (April 7). The country superstar shared the cut, from her newest album, Cry Pretty, live from Las Vegas, Nev.'s MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Underwood, who was rocking a short, multicolored glitter dress, mixed things up and started the tune by performing outside in the sun. Specifically, she performed poolside, as a bevy of revelers splashed and frolicked around her while sporting swimwear and their beach best.

Underwood then strutted inside the arena, with a small group of these festive dancers in tow--and paused her travels to smooch husband Mike Fisher before walking up onstage to continue the performance.

The summery, pop-leaning song provided a boost of energy as the show neared the two-hour mark, and served as a promising preview of Underwood's forthcoming arena tour.

In fact, the star looked like she was having a blast jumping around and singing the upbeat tune.

Underwood co-wrote "Southbound" with David Garcia and Josh Miller. Ahead of her performance, she confessed that the idea of venturing out into the crowd "stresses me out" -- but she was ready for the challenge.

"I watch performers like Keith Urban and Brad Paisley doing their thing going through the audience and I’m like, 'How do you do that?'" she admitted. But, Underwood added, "So much of awards shows is us standing onstage, and there’s this separation, and I want to get in there."

Underwood's live-on-television ACM Awards performance continues her bounce-back following a tough late 2017 and early 2018 for the country superstar. In November of 2017, Underwood suffered a fall at her Nashville-area home that left her with a broken wrist and stitches in her face. During that time frame, she also suffered a series of miscarriages before becoming pregnant with her second son, Jacob.

Underwood released Cry Pretty in September. Despite debuting atop the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, the record has failed to make much noise on the awards show circuit. Underwood’s lone nomination at the 2019 ACM Awards is for Female Artist of the Year.

Before Miranda Lambert began her ACM Female Artist of the Year category dominance in 2010, Underwood won the award three consecutive years, 2007-2009. Underwood also took home the ACM Entertainer of the Year trophy in 2009 and 2010.

2019 ACM Awards: Carrie Underwood Takes Viewers ‘Southbound’