Carrie Underwood kicked off 2025 on a high note. The mother of two performed at the Grand Ole Opry, singing “Good Girl,” “Garden,” “Two Black Cadillacs,” and “Something In The Water.”
“Garden,” from Underwood’s 2022 Denim & Rhinestones record, was inspired by her love of spending time digging in the dirt.
“I’ve taken up some hobbies over the past few years,” Underwood shared from the Opry stage. “I call it my Granny hobby phase, and I’m here for it. I enjoy gardening. I enjoy homesteading a bit. We have bees, and I have sheep for no reason at all. I’m like, ‘I’m gonna have to share them in the spring, and I’m gonna have to figure out something to make. I don’t know how to make yarn, but I’m gonna have to figure it out.’
“Gardening is one of my favorite things that I get to do,” she continued. “It’s very soul-filling to get to go out and get dirty and plant something, and watch the good Lord do some magic and feel like you were a little bit a part of it. So I wrote a song about it with some friends of mine, and it’s one of my favorite songs.”
Underwood also wrapped up 2024 with live music. She was the headliner for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2025, singing a medley of her hits as part of her multiple performances during her live show.
Underwood became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2008, inducted by Garth Brooks, after Randy Travis surprised her by inviting her to join. Now, almost 17 years later, the Opry still remains her favorite place to perform.
“I love the family,” Underwood said. “I love that it signifies being a part of country music, and we call it the Mother Church and we do so for very good reason. It is like going to church, and you can pay your respects to those that came before, those that are playing now, and whoever’s going to come later on. So, it’s just a really cool thing just being able to be a part of that family. I always love going to the shows, and you never know who’s going to be on stage. You hear a lot of people doing what they love. It’s like singing in your living room. It’s very comfortable and relaxed and very sweet.”
Underwood also pays attention to what she wears every time she performs at the Grand Ole Opry, much like her predecessors did.
“I’m very particular when it comes to [my] Opry wardrobe,” Underwood told Audacy’s Rob + Holly. “You see pictures on the wall, or looking up things about the Grand Ole Opry, and I feel like the women always dressed a certain caliber. It was very rhinestones, it was very shiny. It was a certain kind of dress. I love trying to carry that legacy on because they were just so beautiful to me.”
The 41-year-old is wrapping up her REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency in 2025, likely at least in part to her new role as a judge on American Idol. Her Carrie Underwood: Reflection TV special will premiere on January 24 on Hulu.
Find all of Underwood’s music and upcoming shows, including her Grand Ole Opry performances, at CarrieUnderwoodOfficial.com.
Read ‘Carrie Underwood: 11 Things to Know About the Global Superstar’ here.