Carrie Underwood Marks Empowering Return With New Single ‘Cry Pretty’

{Image Credit: UMG Nashville}

Touted one of the most anticipated releases of 2018, country megastar Carrie Underwood returns with “Cry Pretty,” her first solo single since 2016’s “Dirty Laundry.”

Arriving Wednesday morning, a week after the country star teased photos from the studio, along with a lengthy note to her fan club, the 35-year-old is more than excited about the new single off her forthcoming sixth studio album, a follow-up to 2016’s multi-platinum, Storyteller.

Written by three “incredible women,” Underwood reveals Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose and Lori McKenna wrote the first single, “Cry Pretty” under the name “Love Junkies.”

“I joined one of their writing sessions last year to see if we could come up with some magic…and we did!” she enthused. “The title refers to when emotions take over and you just can’t hold them back.”

{Image Credit: Instagram / @carrieunderwood}

With Underwood going on to write that the song “really speaks to a lot of things that have happened in the past year,” listeners can hear classic Underwood in every lyric.

The dramatic ballad that starts off slow and soft, is one full of force and conviction; empowering listeners through its words and truth with gravitas.

“Falling apart is as human as it gets,” Underwood sings. “You can’t hide it, can’t fight what the truth is/You can pretty lie and say it’s okay/You can pretty smile and just walk away/Pretty much make your way through anything/But you can’t cry pretty.”

While it’s unsure what the lyrics truly allude to and are perhaps about hardships she’s endured outside the public spotlight, the mother of one and wife to Nashville Predators player, Mike Fisher has had a rough couple of months.

In November, the former Idol winner revealed she suffered a “gruesome” fall outside her home in Nashville that left her with a broken wrist that required surgery. The traumatic accident was so bad, Underwood also injured her face and received 40 to 50 stitches.

“There is also another part of the story that I haven’t been ready to talk about since I have still been living it and there has been much uncertainty as to how things will end up,” Underwood wrote in a January fan club letter, as reported by CNN. “It’s crazy how a freak random accident can change your life.”

She continued: “In addition to breaking my wrist, I somehow managed to injure my face as well. I’ll spare you the gruesome details, but when I came out of surgery the night of my fall, the doctor told Mike that he had put between 40 and 50 stitches in.”

In her latest letter posted to her official website on Tuesday, Underwood provided an update telling fans that she is doing “pretty darn good these days.”

“My wrist is almost back to normal, about 90 percent there…and the [doctors] say that last 10 percent will come in time,” she wrote. “And my face has been healing pretty nicely as well. I definitely feel more like myself than I have in a while.”

Underwood adds that one of the silver linings in her healing process has been her chance to spend time with Fisher and their son, Isaiah, writing, “I’ve been calling it ‘forced relaxation.’ Sometimes I think things happen in order to make us slow down.”

{Image Credit: Instagram / @carrieunderwood}

Aside from the wellness update, Underwood goes on to reveal she has been busy making new music, “writing and singing a TON” and that “Cry Pretty” is just the tip of the good news.

“I’ve also been able to be creative in a way that I’ve never been before, which has been very fulfilling and empowering,” Underwood wrote, adding that through her writing sessions she was able to meet writer and producer, David Garcia.

“We hit it off in a big way and I’m excited to say that we are co-producing my album together,” she said. “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.”

Underwood goes on to share that Garcia has been “an amazing teacher and partner,” admitting she is “proud” of their creation.

Though the award-winning singer and songwriter has yet to announce a release date for her new record, she is “beyond excited” for the new album and everything that comes with it, adding that there is already talk of a tour.

The last time fans heard from Underwood was with her January hit, “The Champion,” an anthem for the Super Bowl that featured guest vocals from Ludacris.

Underwood will perform “Cry Pretty” at the 2018 ACM Awards this Sunday, April 15 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

What do you think of the new single? Let us know in the comments below.