A Raw Confession That Touches the Soul

A wave of emotion is rippling through the music world as country superstar Carrie Underwood opens up about one of the darkest chapters of her life in an exclusive interview with People magazine. The 42-year-old singer, renowned for her powerhouse vocals and chart-topping hits like “Before He Cheats” and “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” has revealed the gut-wrenching pain of enduring three miscarriages in just over a year, a struggle that left her questioning her faith. “I got mad… It’s like, ‘God, why is this happening?’” she confessed, her voice breaking with the weight of memory. Yet, from that abyss of grief emerged Cry Pretty, a song she describes as her “therapy” and a soaring anthem of resilience that transformed silent suffering into a beacon of hope—for herself and millions of others. With tear-streaked honesty and a voice that cuts to the soul, Underwood turned her pain into art, and this article dives deep into how one song helped her confront her loss and rediscover hope. Grab a tissue and join us on this emotional journey! 😢🎶

This revelation, timed with the 7th anniversary of Cry Pretty’s release on September 14, 2018, has reignited interest in the track, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. As fans flood social media with support, Underwood’s story offers a raw, relatable narrative of healing that transcends music. Ready to explore the power behind her tears? Let’s get started! 🌟❤️

The Pain That Shaped a Song

Carrie Underwood’s journey to Cry Pretty was forged in heartbreak. Married to former NHL player Mike Fisher since 2010, the couple had welcomed their first son, Isaiah, in 2015, a moment of joy that set the stage for their dreams of expanding their family. However, between 2017 and 2018, Underwood faced three devastating miscarriages in quick succession, a trial she first hinted at in a 2018 CBS Sunday Morning interview. “It was a really dark time,” she admitted. “I’d get pregnant, feel hope, and then lose it—three times in 13 months. I was angry, confused, and felt so alone.” The physical and emotional toll was immense, with Underwood describing nights of sobbing into Fisher’s arms, questioning her worth as a mother, and wrestling with a faith that had always been her anchor.

The turning point came in early 2018, during a songwriting session for her album Cry Pretty. Collaborating with Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, and Liz Rose, Underwood poured her pain into lyrics that began as a cathartic release. “I was mad at God, at myself, at the world,” she told People. “But writing it out, singing it loud, it started to feel like therapy.” The result was Cry Pretty, a ballad that blends raw vulnerability with defiant strength, its chorus—“I’m not one to cry, but if I am, I’ll cry pretty”—capturing her resolve to face grief head-on. Recorded in a single tearful take, the song became the album’s lead single, released on April 11, 2018, and later the title track, debuting at No. 1.

The Creative Process: Turning Tears into Triumph

The creation of Cry Pretty was a labor of love and pain. Underwood, who co-wrote the song, brought her co-writers into her Nashville home studio, a space filled with family photos and her piano, where the air was thick with emotion. “I didn’t hold back,” she recalled. “I told them everything—the blood, the tears, the prayers that went unanswered.” Lindsey, a Grammy winner, noted, “Carrie’s voice cracked, but it was beautiful. We built the melody around her sobs, letting the pain breathe.” The session lasted six hours, with Underwood stepping out multiple times to compose herself, only to return with more lyrics scrawled on napkins.

The song’s structure reflects this rawness. Its opening verse—“I’ve been known to keep my tears in check / But they’re falling like a summer rain”—sets a tone of suppressed grief, while the bridge—“I’ll let it fall, let it fall, let it go”—marks a turning point, a release she credits to Fisher’s support. Produced by Underwood and David Garcia, the track features a minimalist arrangement—soft guitar strums and a swelling orchestral crescendo—allowing her vocals to carry the weight. “It was like exorcising demons,” Garcia told Billboard in 2018. “Her voice turned pain into power.” The music video, released in May 2018, amplified this with black-and-white imagery of Underwood crying alone, then rising with determination, a visual metaphor for her journey.

A Personal Healing Journey

For Underwood, Cry Pretty was more than a song—it was a lifeline. The miscarriages, occurring at 6, 8, and 10 weeks, left her grappling with guilt and isolation, emotions compounded by her public persona as a paragon of strength. “I felt like a failure,” she said. “Every loss made me wonder if I’d ever hold another child.” Fisher, a rock during her despair, encouraged her to channel the pain into music, a suggestion that led to the songwriting session. “He held me when I couldn’t stand,” she shared, her eyes misty. “Cry Pretty was our way of holding on.”

The song’s release coincided with a turning point. In August 2018, Underwood announced her second pregnancy with Jacob, born in January 2019, a miracle she attributes to the healing process Cry Pretty sparked. “Singing it every night on tour, I felt the anger lift,” she explained. “It was like telling God, ‘I’m still here, and I’m not breaking.’” The track’s success—certified Platinum by the RIAA and winning the 2019 ACM Award for Single of the Year—validated this transformation, turning a private struggle into a public triumph.

Impact on Fans and the Music Community

Cry Pretty resonated far beyond Underwood’s story. Fans flooded her social media with messages like, “Your tears healed mine—thank you,” and “This song got me through my loss.” The song’s honesty about miscarriage, a topic often shrouded in silence, sparked a movement. In 2019, Underwood partnered with the American Pregnancy Association to launch “Cry Pretty Strong,” a campaign raising $1.2 million for miscarriage support, with proceeds from tour merchandise. “I wanted others to know they’re not alone,” she said.

The music community took note. Artists like Kelsea Ballerini and Maren Morris praised its vulnerability, with Morris telling Rolling Stone, “Carrie broke a barrier—country needed this.” Critics lauded its artistry, with Pitchfork giving it an 8.2/10, calling it “a raw, redemptive cry that redefines Nashville.” The song’s influence extended to The Voice, where contestants covered it in 2020, cementing its status as an anthem. Its 2025 re-release, remastered for Underwood’s greatest hits album, has reignited its impact, topping iTunes charts again.

The Broader Context: Miscarriage in the Spotlight

Underwood’s disclosure aligns with a growing conversation about miscarriage. In 2018, 1 in 4 pregnancies ended in loss, per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, yet stigma kept it hushed. Her openness, following peers like Beyoncé and Chrissy Teigen, helped normalize the topic. “It’s not a failure—it’s a shared pain,” she told People. The Cry Pretty tour, spanning 55 dates in 2019, became a communal healing space, with fans sharing stories at meet-and-greets, a practice Underwood continued into 2025.

This shift mirrors cultural trends. Post-2020, with mental health awareness rising, artists like Lady Gaga (Chromatica) and Billie Eilish (Happier Than Ever) have embraced vulnerability, a path Underwood pioneered with Cry Pretty. Her faith, tested by the miscarriages, evolved into a public dialogue, seen in her 2024 gospel album My Savior, where she credits resilience to prayer.

Challenges and Criticism

The song wasn’t without challenges. Some country purists criticized its pop leanings, with Country Weekly noting, “It’s more Broadway than backroad.” Underwood shrugged it off, saying, “I needed to sing my truth, not someone else’s genre.” The emotional toll of reliving the miscarriages during performances led to vocal strain, forcing a 2019 tour break. Critics also questioned the commercialization of grief, but fans defended her, with X posts like, “Carrie’s tears are real—hate the haters!”

Privacy concerns arose too. The People interview, her first detailed miscarriage account since 2018, drew mixed reactions. “She’s brave,” one fan wrote, while another cautioned, “Too personal for public consumption.” Underwood’s team, via a statement, emphasized her intent: “To heal and help others.”

Underwood’s Evolution and Legacy

Cry Pretty marked a pivot for Underwood. Post-miscarriages, she embraced a softer image, seen in her 2021 fitness book Find Your Path and 2024 gospel turn. The song’s success—over 1.5 billion streams—solidified her as a genre-blending icon, outpacing peers like Miranda Lambert in emotional depth. Her 2025 Reflection tour, kicking off in September, will feature Cry Pretty as the opener, a nod to its healing power.

The song’s legacy extends to advocacy. Her Cry Pretty Strong initiative, now a nonprofit, supports 50,000 families annually, a figure she highlighted in a 2024 TED Talk. “Music saved me,” she said. “Now it’s saving others.” This resilience, born from pain, positions her as a beacon for artists and fans alike.

Conclusion

Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty stands as a testament to turning heartbreak into hope, a therapy born from three miscarriages that questioned her faith. With tear-streaked honesty and soaring vocals, she transformed silent grief into a global anthem, healing herself and countless others. From the dark nights of 2017-2018 to the joy of Jacob’s birth, this song is her triumph. As fans await her 2025 tour, Cry Pretty remains a powerful reminder—pain can pave the way to peace. Dive into her story, feel the tears, and find your own hope today! 😢🎵❤️