Carrie Underwood to Mentor ‘American Idol’ Contestants on May 13
Carrie Underwood is headed back to American Idol! The country superstar will mentor the show's contestants on May 13.
Idol showrunners revealed the big news about Underwood's appearance on the show on Sunday night (May 6), when they narrowed down the field of contestants from seven singers to five. The remaining hopefuls will spend some time in Nashville this week, working with Underwood in preparation for their live performances on the 13th. During the episode, Underwood will also perform her newest single, "Cry Pretty."
"Cry Pretty" is the debut single from and title track of Underwood's forthcoming new album, due out on Sept. 14. It will be her first since she released Storyteller in 2015; she's co-producing the project with writer and producer David Garcia, whom she met in 2017.
"We hit it off in a big way," Underwood says. "I’ve always been lucky to have a voice in the writing and recording process, but this is the first time I am this involved in the production of my music. It’s been challenging and incredibly rewarding to be involved in every aspect from start to finish. David has been an amazing teacher and partner, and I’m so proud of what we have created."
After Storyteller came out, Underwood spent much of 2016 touring in support of the record, and then, for the most part, took 2017 off. Underwood's 2018 calendar is still largely open, though she will headline WE Fest 2018, in Detroit Lakes, Minn., in August. She admits that she and her team are "already talking about a tour," but hasn't yet shared any details.
Underwood won American Idol during the show's fourth season, in 2005, when the TV singing competition was still on Fox. In the decade-plus since, she's won seven Grammy Awards and numerous ACM and CMA Awards, sold 64 million albums and earned more than two dozen No. 1 singles.
American Idol is in its first season on ABC and airs on Sundays at 8PM ET; it was recently renewed for Season 2. Luke Bryan is one of the show's judges.
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