Carrie Underwood Performs New Single ‘Cry Pretty’ at ACM Awards

Sunday night’s ACM Awards marked a major moment for Carrie Underwood, with the singer making her first public appearance since suffering a fall in November.

Now almost fully recovered from her injuries, Underwood looked as perfect as ever as she hit the stage to perform her new single, “Cry Pretty.”

Underwood took the stage solo, standing at a microphone wearing a short sparkling mini dress, with glitter under her eyes to mimic the single’s artwork.

As usual, her voice sounded flawless, and her face, after much speculation, looked the same. Blue and pink flashing lights lit the 35-year-old up as she delivered her powerful performance, her blonde hair flowing as she sang and her black and silver dress showing off her famous legs.

An emotional Underwood received a standing ovation from the crowd when she finished the song, with the singer taking in the applause with visible thanks on her face.

The star had previously opened up about the single in a letter to fans on her website, sharing that she co-wrote the track with writers Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose, and Lori McKenna, who also write under the name Love Junkies.

“The title refers to when emotions take over and you just can’t hold them back,” Underwood wrote. “It really speaks to a lot of things that have happened in the past year and I hope when you hear it, you can relate those feelings to those times in your life. It’s emotional. It’s real. And it ROCKS!”

The single is the first from the American Idol winner’s upcoming album, which she is co-producing with David Garcia.

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

Underwood was nominated for two awards at tonight’s ceremony and won one, for Vocal Event of the Year for “The Fighter” with Keith Urban.

Photo Credit: Getty / Ethan Miller