Carrie Underwood is known for her striking voice, rising to national attention when she won season four of American Idol in 2005. Ever since, Underwood has been releasing hit after hit, honing her skills as a songwriter.
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In between penning her own hits “So Small,” “Last Name,” “Two Black Cadillacs,” “Cry Pretty” and many more, Underwood’s name can be found on songs recorded by other artists, including a pair of American Idol alums.
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Check out four songs you didn’t know Underwood wrote for other artists.
1. “Eighteen Inches” by Lauren Alaina
Written by Carrie Underwood, Ashley Gorley, and Kelley Lovelace
Carrie Underwood paid it forward to fellow American Idol alumnus Lauren Alaina when the latter artist recorded “Eighteen Inches” for her post-Idol debut album, Wildflower, in 2011. Co-written by Underwood, Ashley Gorley, and Kelley Lovelace, “Eighteen Inches” was released as the album’s final single. The traditional-style country song showcases Alaina’s strong voice alongside lyrics about a young couple abandoning their small town for a grander life on the California coast.
The trio had written the song a few years prior to its release for one of Underwood’s previous albums, but it didn’t make the cut. “The only danger is when Carrie’s in the room, nothing ever seems too rangy or too tricky musically, so often when we finish a song, she’s the only one that can sing it,” Gorley told Taste of Country at the time. “That’s really a testament to Lauren Alaina—she is a great singer and handles the range and melody of ‘Eighteen Inches’ with no problem.”
2. “Walk Away” by Megan Hilty
Written by Carrie Underwood, Ne-Yo, and Luke Laird
It may be a bit of a head-scratcher seeing Carrie Underwood’s name next to Grammy-winning R&B singer Ne-Yo on a songwriting credit. However, the two were paired up in the writing room around the time Underwood was working on her 2009 album, Play On.
One of the songs they wrote together with hit country songwriter Luke Laird, “Walk Away,” ended up in the hands of Smash star Megan Hilty, who recorded it for her 2013 debut studio album, It Happens All the Time. The soft pop ballad about a woman who’s walking away from a toxic relationship perfectly suits Hilty’s sweet voice.
3. “Not Tonight” by Kristy Lee Cook
Written by Carrie Underwood, Brett James, and Chris Lindsey
Before Lauren Alaina, Carrie Underwood had another American Idol connection when season seven contestant Kristy Lee Cook recorded “Not Tonight” for her 2008 sophomore album, Why Wait. Cook was signed to Arista Nashville at the time when Underwood was also on the roster. Co-written by Underwood, frequent collaborator Brett James and Chris Lindsey, “Not Tonight” finds a woman who vows I’m gonna leave you baby / Yeah, someday I’ll leave you baby / Just not tonight. Upon its release, Why Wait reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
4. “Lord Help Me” by Rachel Holder
Written by Carrie Underwood, Ashley Monroe, and Katrina Elam
Underwood has never been shy about her faith, and she got to demonstrate that on “Lord Help Me.” Teaming up with Ashley Monroe (one of the writers behind the fiddle-heavy “Flat on the Floor,” which opens Underwood’s 2007 album, Carnival Ride) and fellow country singer Katrina Elam, the trio penned the lovelorn track that ended up on Rachel Holder’s 2014 album, Shining Now. Despite her superstar status, Holder didn’t realize that Underwood was a co-writer when she recorded it.
“I just fell in love with the song,” Holder told Billboard about her initial reaction, citing herself as a “big fan” of Elam’s. “I had to record it. Then, I found out that Carrie and Ashley co-wrote the song. I actually recorded it before I knew Carrie was a writer on it, and people would say that it had a Carrie sound. I didn’t even know she was a writer.”
Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for CMT
