HomeMusicCarrie Underwood Royal Albert Hall live review

Carrie Underwood Royal Albert Hall live review

Carrie Underwood wonĀ American IdolĀ seven years ago and has since sold over 14 million albums worldwide. Frequently topping the US country chart, Underwood has made little-to-no impact outside of the US. In the UK she’s relatively unknown with none of her three solo albums being promoted here. All that is about to change as the promotional push has finally kicked in for album number fourĀ Blown Away. To mark the occasion Underwood performed her first UK concert last night at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Before the concert began the atmosphere in the Royal Albert Hall was electric with a real buzz circulating before Underwood took to the stage. UK fans have waited a long seven years for Underwood to make her live UK debut but could the show live up to the anticipation?

Arriving on stage shortly after 8.30pm with no support act, Underwood arrived to an instrumental interlude ofĀ Blown AwayĀ before launching into the album’s lead singleĀ Good Girl. The rock-tinged country stormer proved to be the perfect number to get the crowd on their feet and singing at the top of their lungs. For the entire show the majority of the crowd stayed on their feet participating in any, and every, way they could.

Over the course of the setlist Underwood perform songs from all four of her studio albums ranging from her first proper singleĀ Jesus Take The WheelĀ from 2005ā€™sĀ Some HeartsĀ through to current US single and title track of her new recordĀ Blown Away. There were plenty of surprises along the way with Underwood digging deep into her catalogue. The banjo-filledĀ Flat On The FloorĀ was an early highlight, the touchingĀ Temporary HomeĀ from 2009ā€™sĀ Play OnĀ provided one of the best vocals of the night and 2007ā€™sĀ Carnival RideĀ album trackĀ Just A DreamĀ was as emotive as it was beautiful.

Mid-way through the set Underwood stripped things back with her band singing several songs acoustically. Unconventional love songĀ QuitterĀ had the crowd whooping and hollering whilst summer-themedĀ One Way Ticketdefinitely left us wishing the sun would come out and get rid of the UKā€™s current miserable weather. Bridging the acoustic section back to the full band, Underwood performerĀ Play OnĀ highlightĀ Undo ItĀ encouraging the audience to sing-a-long with the ā€˜na na nana na naā€™ melody throughout.

To celebrate her first time in the UK Underwood explained that she wanted to perform a track from a British artist or group as she had huge respect for our musical talent. WeĀ  were fearful that weā€™d have to hear yet another Adele tribute but Underwood surprised by covering Coldplayā€™sĀ Fix You. Despite admitting to being nervous about performing the track, she pulled it off with ease adding a new twist to a modern classic.

Our favourite moments were the uptempoĀ Last Name, a story about getting a little wild after a few too many drinks, and the revenge-anthemĀ Before He Cheats. The two songs are possibly Underwoodā€™s best-known here in the UK and they went down a storm. Underwoodā€™s vocals were flawless as she growled every bit of emotion into the lyrics.

For the encore Underwood returned to the stage to performĀ I Know You Wonā€™tĀ fromĀ Carnival RideĀ before finishing the night withĀ Blown Away. The darker tone of the final song meant that the concert ending felt pretty epic as Underwood unleashed the true power of her voice before leaving the stage.

Vocally Underwood was on remarkable form. A true powerhouse vocalist, Underwood used her full range moving from quiet whispers to full on belts at the top of her range. She sounded fantastic throughout the show captivating the audience and leading her band throughout. With Kelly Clarkson, Underwood is probably the strongest vocalist to come fromĀ American Idol.

Carrie Underwood’s debut UK show was an absolute triumph. Showcasing some of her greatest songs, Underwood performed a storming 90 minute set that crammed in a serious amount of top notch songs. She’s an incredible live performer and she more than provide that she has what it takes to win over the UK. WithĀ Blown AwayĀ set to debut I. The top 10 this weekend it looks like the tide is about to turn which hopefully means there’ll be plenty more UK live shows from Underwood in the future.

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of PiƱata Media. With over 19 years of journalism experience, Pip has interviewed some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world. He is also a qualified digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience.

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