Carrie Underwood Became 'Completely Creative' With 'Cry Pretty' Album

Carrie Underwood's Cry Pretty album will be available on September 14, and the singer is revealing more information about the record in advance of its release. Underwood, who co-produced the album with David Garcia, and co-wrote nine of the 12 tracks, says she left more up to chance with Cry Pretty than she has with any of her previous projects.

"I always try to let the album kind of dictate what it wants and let the songs kind of dictate what they want," Underwood explains. "It's really hard to start a new project in saying, 'Man, I really want to write songs about this or make it sound like this.' So, we just kind of went in and I started writing with people and I was like, 'What's coming out?' instead of trying to force anything into any box.

"I just wanted to be completely creative to see what would happen," she continues. "I feel like some themes that kind of weave their way through the entire album are ones that are just very real and very much about life and very sincere and emotional and soulful. Of course, we have some fun songs on there too, but there's a lot of me on this album. I think when people listen to it, they'll definitely hear that."

From the powerful title track, to the provocative "The Bullet" and the anthemic "Kingdom," the Oklahoma native became more transparent with Cry Pretty than she has been with any of her previous five records.

"Sometimes you get together and you write a song, which is exactly what you're feeling in that moment, and that was 'Cry Pretty,' for me," Underwood says. "I think 'Cry Pretty' sets the tone for the rest of the album, because it's emotional, and it is real, but there's also just some incredible musical moments in the song, and I feel like those things are things that will go throughout the rest of the album.

"We have a lot of songs on there that are definitely emotional and kind of soulful and real and raw," she continues. "There's so much love and care and heart that has gone into writing these songs, putting music to these songs. Everything has been done in such a careful and loving way."

Underwood will kick off her Cry Pretty Tour 360 in May, after welcoming her second child, with Maddie & Tae and Runaway June serving as her opening acts. Find tour dates, and pre-order Cry Pretty, at CarrieUnderwoodOfficial.com.

Cry Pretty Track List:

1. Cry Pretty (Carrie Underwood, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose)
2. Ghosts On The Stereo (Hillary Lindsey, Tom Douglas, Andrew Dorff)
3. Low (Carrie Underwood, David Garcia, Hillary Lindsey)
4. Backsliding (Carrie Underwood, David Garcia, Hillary Lindsey)
5. Southbound (Carrie Underwood, David Garcia, Josh Miller)
6. That Song That We Used To Make Love To (Hillary Lindsey, Jason Evigan)
7. Drinking Alone (Carrie Underwood, David Garcia, Brett James)
8. The Bullet (Marc Beeson, Andy Albert, Allen Shamblin)
9. Spinning Bottles (Carrie Underwood, David Garcia, Hillary Lindsey)
10. Love Wins (Carrie Underwood, David Garcia, Brett James)
11. End Up With You (Hillary Lindsey, Brett McLaughlin, Will Weatherly)
12. Kingdom (Carrie Underwood, Chris DeStefano, Dave Barnes)

Photo Credit: Getty / Emma Mcintyre/ACMA2018