Carrie Underwood's fourth album, "Blown Away" was released May 1, and like her previous CDs, the overall reception was positive. Billboard.com writes, "In an already impressive, multi-platinum career, 'Blown Away' is a landmark achievement." Underwood is known for her strong voice, yet gentle attitude. This combination makes her a country force to be reckoned with.
She lets the world hear her "American Idol"-winning voice loud and clear on her new 14-track album. "Good Girl," the album's first single, became an instant hit, a good sign for the whole album. The music video for this single reminds us ththat Carrie Underwood is definitely a good girl because she warns girls about men who may not be who they seem and she advises them to run before they get hurt. However, she is a grown-up, which "Blown Away" proves with the more adult storylines.
While some songs have a darker side to them, others are realistic and at times hopeful. In "Blown Away," the title track, Underwood sings about an unfortunate situation in which a child deals with an alcoholic father and the loss of her mother, but finds hope in a twister that is going to blow away all the sins and sadness of her home. Another song with a heartrending plot is "Two Black Cadillacs," in which two women kill a man because he was cheating on them at the same time. Their revenge is a theme Underwood seems to gravitate toward as heard in her early years with "Before He Cheats."
Songs like "See You Again," "Forever Changed" and "Who Are You" may sound more like the older and more familiar Underwood, because they are hopeful songs about love.
No matter what songs Carrie Underwood sings, her good-natured spirit and strength, is visible, and her Blown Away Tour this summer is sure to be a hit.
Catherine Chidiac can be reached at catherine.chidiac@student.shu.edu.
