For most aspiring artists, winning American Idol would be a dream come true, but for Carrie Underwood, it was a launching pad. Winning season four of American Idol in 2005, the singer used the following decades to carve her own place in country music. But while Underwood sold over 85 million albums and dominated country music, the singer also has a love for gospel. Having released numerous gospel songs and the 2021 album My Savior, the country star recently announced her new gospel radio station.Â
Videos by American Songwriter
Holding a close relationship with SiriusXM thanks to her Carrie’s Country station, which plays country hits 24/7, the singer also held a special Savior Sunday segment on the channel. Focusing on gospel hits throughout the decades, the segment gained high praise from fans. And that praise got so loud that Savior Sunday will turn into a channel itself.Â
Promoted as a blend between gospel and country music surrounding faith, Underwood said in a statement, “This music shaped who I am as a person and is the foundation of my career as a recording artist. I feel blessed to get to be able to create a destination to share these songs with generations of people who love them as I do, as well as others who might be experiencing them for the first time.”Â
Carrie Underwood Compares Gospel Music To A “Warm Hug”
Although fans loved the idea of a gospel station helmed by Underwood, the new station held a special place in the performer’s heart. When working on My Savior, she took fans on a trip into her childhood. She recalled some of her earliest memories being performing in church.”We had a couple of little churches we went to. I remember my first being very tiny with wooden pews. That was probably one of my earliest music memories, singing these hymns in the congregation, and being on stage and singing in front of people for the first time.”
Considering church to be home, Underwood insisted, “It was always just familiar. These hymns are like a warm hug, just sweet familiar songs I’ve been singing and listening to my whole life.”
(Photo by Mike Coppola/WireImage)
