Carrie Underwood Revealing ‘More Than a Pretty Dress’

Since Carrie Underwood's 'American Idol' debut in 2005, the singer has handled her rise to fame like a seasoned pro. But the reserved Oklahoma beauty wasn't quite as prepared for the 'living-in-a-fishbowl' phenomenon of being a star. Though still careful about guarding her private life (including her romance with hockey player Mike Fisher), with her latest album, 'Play On,' Carrie is revealing more of her emotional self in her music.

"I get to sing from the heart, and I don't feel like I've ever really done that before," Carrie tells FOX News. "It's therapeutic -- not in a way like, 'me and my best friend had a fight and I write about it.' It's therapeutic in a way that I'm a private person [but] even in the songs that I picked that I didn't write, I feel like I do more than just scratch the surface ... and it's more than just blond hair and a pretty dress. It's kind of [from the heart]. So it makes me feel really good."

In addition to opening her heart on her CD (even gushing about her Ottawa Senators' sweetie -- "No. 12" -- in the album's liner notes), Carrie will be revealing even more of her personal life on her first network TV show, 'Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special,' airing Monday (Dec. 7). The two-hour program will highlight different facets of Carrie's past.

Joining Carrie on her special will be Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Ryan Seacrest, Kristin Chenoweth and fellow 'American Idol' champ David Cook. 'Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special' airs Monday at 8:00 PM ET on FOX.