Carrie Underwood recently announced the end of her REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency, which she began in 2021. For Underwood, the residency was a dream come true, and one that is a bittersweet goodbye.
“I feel like there was so much love and work and excitement that was poured into this show,” Underwood tells ABC. “For me, I feel this will live in my mind as one of the greatest shows we’ve ever put together, if not the greatest show we’ve put together,”
When Underwood started putting her REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency together, she began with her many singles that she has released over the 19 years, creating big and intimate moments throughout the show.
“We have done ‘Before He Cheats’ many times over the years, in many different ways, and just being in this static environment where we don’t have to pick up and move everything, it’s like, ‘Well, what is our wish list?’ And it’s like, ‘Let’s light something on fire,'” Underwood explains.
“The dancers, the ladies that come onstage bring attitude,” she adds. “And I feel like [it] just lifts us all up for the finale. I mean everybody sings. I’m always amazed when I put the microphone out. You know, are they gonna sing? And everybody’s singing and it makes me really happy.”
Underwood also performs her first No. 1 single, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” creating one of her favorite moments in the theater.
“It will always be one of my absolute favorites to sing,” Underwood reveals. “I don’t even know how many times I’ve sung that song, but it always just feels so good.”
“Before He Cheats” would be one way to end the show night after night, but Underwood ends instead with “Something In The Water,” a song that, like “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” is about her faith.
“My kids are kind of sprinkled in there a little bit,” Underwood says. “I think it’s the perfect way to end it. We could have ended it with ‘Before He Cheats,’ but I feel like ending it with something a little more sentimental is the way to go.”
For Underwood, performing songs like “Before He Cheats” along with “Something In The Water” and “Jesus, Take the Wheel” makes perfect sense, at least as a country music artist.
“I always say that one of the things that I do love about singing country music is that we can cover so many different emotions and areas,” Underwood reflects “We can tell stories. We can sing about our faith. We can sing about our family. We can sing about drinking and cheating, ’cause that’s just, it’s life. We have fun, we’re serious, we’re faithful, we’re sassy — all of it. And I love having those moments in the show that are a bit more serious.”
The mother of two performs in front of thousands of people as part of REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency, but her favorite audience members are her two young sons, nine-year-old Isaiah and Jacob, who is five.
“They’re always so sweet,” Underwood boasts. “At the end of it, I’m soaking wet, like, coming into my dressing room, towel on my head and robe on and all this stuff, and you can just see how proud they are, which makes me proud. When your kids [are] like, ‘That’s my mom,’ it makes me feel good.”
Underwood just announced that those not able to travel to Las Vegas to see her residency can still enjoy the magic, with her Carrie Underwood: Reflection TV special, airing in January on Hulu. The Oklahoma native reveals that she decided to do the TV show for her fans, but also for her own family.
“I feel like it would’ve been a real shame if it just lived on in people’s memories,” Underwood says. “People can re-live those moments and get to watch them and experience them and maybe see things they missed when they came out.”
“I love that my kids are gonna get to watch it someday when they’re a little bit older and be like, ‘Oh my gosh mom. I can’t believe you did that,'” she adds. “I just love that it’s gonna get to live on.”
Underwood still has plenty to keep her busy. The 41-year-old is returning to American Idol for the upcoming season, this time as a judge, 20 years after she won in 2005. She is also back at radio with Cody Johnson on “I’m Gonna Love You,” and is reportedly working on another album.
Find all of Underwood’s music and tour dates, including her final REFLECTiON: The Las Vegas Residency shows, at CarrieUnderwoodOfficial.com.
Photo Credits: Jeff Johnson