Carrie Underwood made her first public appearance since suffering an accident at home in November that left her with a broken wrist and 40 to 50 stitches in her face — and on the basis of the performance as well as the photo she posted on Instagram yesterday, we’d never have known she’d been injured. She delivered a powerful performance of “Cry Pretty,” the first single from her forthcoming album, her first for Universal Nashville, which does not yet have a title or a release date.
Wearing sparkles around her eyes in the shape of tears, as she does in the visuals for the single, traces of any injury were not detectable on television. Reactions on social media after her performance ranged from enthusiasm to relief to confusion to cynicism.
The song is a sweeping power ballad that at times is more reminiscent of Guns N’ Roses’s “November Rain” than much of her previous work. In the post, she writes of working with writer/producer David Garcia — who’s worked both with Christian country artists as well as Florida Georgia Line — and said he’s co-producing her forthcoming album with her.
As “Cry Pretty,” “I wrote it with three incredible women: Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose, and Lori McKenna, who also write under the name Love Junkies,” she wrote. “I joined one of their writing sessions last year to see if we could come up with some magic…and we did! The title refers to when emotions take over and you just can’t hold them back. 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!”
Related Carrie Underwood Posts First Close-Up Facial Photo Since ‘Gruesome' Accident Carrie Underwood Drops New Song 'Cry Pretty,' Says Her Face Is 'Healing Nicely' (Listen)
In a post on her website last week, the singer said her face is “healing pretty nicely” since the accident. “First off, physically, I’m doing pretty darn good these days!,” she wrote. “My wrist is almost back to normal, about 90% there…and the docs say that last 10% will come in time. And my face has been healing pretty nicely as well. I definitely feel more like myself than I have in a while.”
In a post on her website last week, Carrie Underwood said her face is “healing pretty nicely” since a November accident that required 40 to 50 stitches to her face — and based on a photo she posted on Instagram late Saturday in advance of her performance on the ACM Awards Sunday, she’s right.
While the caption for that post said simply, “Had a great rehearsal for the @acmawards ! Can’t wait until tomorrow night!,” she wrote at greater length about the injury in the note on her website.
“First off, physically, I’m doing pretty darn good these days!,” she wrote. “My wrist is almost back to normal, about 90% there…and the docs say that last 10% will come in time. And my face has been healing pretty nicely as well. I definitely feel more like myself than I have in a while.”
The song she’ll perform at the show is “Cry Pretty,” the first track from her forthcoming, still-untitled album.
The song is a sweeping power ballad that at times is more reminiscent of Guns N’ Roses’s “November Rain” than much of her previous work. In the post, she writes of working with writer/producer David Garcia — who’s worked both with Christian country artists as well as Florida Georgia Line — and said he’s co-producing her forthcoming album with her.
As “Cry Pretty,” “I wrote it with three incredible women: Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose, and Lori McKenna, who also write under the name Love Junkies,” she wrote. “I joined one of their writing sessions last year to see if we could come up with some magic…and we did! The title refers to when emotions take over and you just can’t hold them back. 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!”
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She suffered a devastating facial injury back in November.
But after months of hiding her face, Carrie Underwood is ready to be seen.
Ahead of her highly anticipated performance at Sundays ACM Awards, she posted a full facial shot on Saturday.
While not a clear image, it was the best view fans have had of Carrie's face since November, when she fell outside her home, breaking her wrist and sustaining a gash to her face that required between 40 and 50 stitches to fix.
Looking better! Carrie Underwood shows off her healed face as star reemerges ahead of ACM Awards after facial injury
Carrie looked back to her old self in the image, which she captioned 'Had a great rehearsal'.
The singer, 35, also posed a shot of herself on Instagram Friday evening in which she was singing while accompanied by musicians, in preparation for this Sunday's Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas.
She wrote in a caption: 'Getting ready for the weekend…#CryPretty #ACMawards @CALIAbyCarrie.'
Back on the grind: Carrie Underwood, 35, shared a shot of her rehearsal Friday as she prepared for her comeback to the stage at Sunday's ACM Awards, about five months after she was injured at her home November 10
This past Tuesday, Underwood shared an update on her health with fans, saying that she's 'doing pretty darn good these days.'
The Jesus Take The Wheel singer posted a letter on her website that addressed the major injuries she suffered and how she is doing now.
'First off, physically, I’m doing pretty darn good these days!
'My wrist is almost back to normal, about 90% there…and the docs say that last 10% will come in time,' wrote Carrie. She continued: 'And my face has been healing pretty nicely as well. I definitely feel more like myself than I have in a while.'
Looking good: The songstress had 40-50 stitches in her face after the accident in November
'Pretty darn good': Carrie Underwood shared that she has almost completely recovered after a freak accident outside her Nashville home in November
Carrie shared her health updates on Tuesday, but also opened up about what being at home has been like the last few months.
'One of the silver linings for me in this healing process is the time I’ve gotten to spend with Mike and Isaiah. I’ve been calling it “forced relaxation.” Sometimes I think things happen in order to make us slow down,' said Carrie.
But musically, the blonde beauty is more ready than ever to share what she's been working on.
Earlier this week, she released a new single called Cry Pretty, which she detailed in her earlier posts.
'The title refers to when emotions take over and you just can’t hold them back. 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,' posted Carrie.
Tears of glitter: The American Idol vet shared this post to announce her new single, Cry Pretty
At the ACM Awards, Underwood is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year as well as Vocal Event of the Year for The Fighter with Keith Urban.
The 53rd ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Previously announced ACM Awards performers include Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia Line, Alan Jackson and Lady Antebellum.
Also included are Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Midland, Maren Morris, Jon Pardi, Bebe Rexha, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and Brett Young.
Previously announced presenters include David Boreanaz, Drew Brees, AJ Buckley, Cam, Sam Elliot, Eve, Ashton Kutcher, Dustin Lynch, Nancy O’Dell, Rebecca Romijn, Max Thieriot and Lindsey Vonn.
Last week, Carrie shocked fans when she shared her first full face image since the accident. The country singer, 35, tweeted a picture of herself singing her heart out as she practiced alongside her band.
'Missed these guys. #band rehearsals,' Carrie captioned the photo.
While Carrie had shared an image of her profile as she sat in the recording studio just a few days ago, the shot marked the first time her entire complexion could be seen.
And while she had previously warned fans she looked a little different after the incident, the American Idol vet look like the same old Carrie in the photo.
Blonde hair pulled up into a messy bun as she belted into the microphone, the star appeared to have makeup on in the photo, which was taken several feet away from the songstress.
Underwood warned her fans that she is 'not quite looking the same' as a result of the facial cuts and the stitches required to close them, Entertainment Tonight reported.
She wrote to members of her fan club earlier this year: 'I am determined to make 2018 amazing and I want to share things with you along the way. And when I am ready to get in front of a camera, I want you all to understand why I might look a bit different.'
Carrie, who is married to Canadian professional ice hockey player Mike Fisher, continued: 'It’s crazy how a freak random accident can change your life.'
'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.'
The accident happened a few days after she co-hosted and performed at the 51st Country Music Association Awards Show in Nashville, Tennessee, on November 8.
(CNN) Carrie Underwood gave her first public performance since an accident in November left her with a broken wrist and a facial injury.
The singer, who appeared fully recovered, gave a powerful delivery of her new single "Cry Pretty" at the Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday. The crowd responded with a standing ovation that lasted nearly a minute.
Underwood shared on her website in January that she had fallen on the porch of her Nashville home, resulting in a broken wrist and a facial injury that required "40-50 stitches."
Carrie Underwood receives standing ovation after performing 'Cry Pretty'
"When I am ready to get in front of a camera, I want you all to understand why I might look a bit different," Underwood wrote at the time.
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