Increasingly, but not at first. Carrie Underwood is credited on about 43% of her catalogue. Her early hits like 'Jesus, Take the Wheel' and 'Before He Cheats' were written by Nashville professionals, and she began co-writing more over time, contributing to most of her later albums. Hillary Lindsey is her most frequent collaborator.
By the Numbers
9
Studio Albums
125
Tracks Credited
43%
Self-Written
over 95 million albums and singles in the US
Records Sold
21
Years Active
138
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 54 / 125 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 125 tracks: how many Carrie Underwood wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
Carrie Underwood has a writing credit43%
43%
57%
Sole author0tracks0%
Co-written54tracks43%
Outside writers71tracks57%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
Carrie Underwood's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 125 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)43%
Composer (music)43%
Producer34%
Performer95%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
Carrie Underwood's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 43%
7%
29%
54%
57%
46%
69%
23%
0%
89%
2005Some Hearts
2007Carnival Ride
2009Play On
2012Blown Away
2015Storyteller
2018Cry Pretty
2020My Gift
2021My Savior
2022Denim & Rhinestones
Early · 29% written
Mid · 57% written
Late · 43% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
29%
2000s
Some Hearts, Carnival Ride +1 more
57%
2010s
Blown Away, Storyteller +1 more
43%
2020s
My Gift, My Savior +1 more
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where Carrie Underwood sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
Carrie Underwood
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. MB Mark Bright · DG David Garcia
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
Underwood's authorship trajectory is one of the most dramatic in Nashville: zero writing credits on her 2005 debut, occasional co-writes through 2012, and then near-total creative control by 2018. Her writing partnership with producer David Garcia, which began on Cry Pretty, transformed her into a true songwriter-producer, with every standard track on Denim & Rhinestones carrying her writing credit. Her gospel and Christmas records round out a catalog with unusually wide thematic range for a mainstream country star.
Quick Facts
American IdolWon the fourth season of American Idol in 2005, her launchpad to stardom
SalesHas sold over 95 million albums and singles in the US, the highest-certified female country artist
GrammysWon eight Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist
Main co-writerSongwriter Hillary Lindsey is her most frequent collaborator
Gospel turnMy Savior (2021) is a gospel album that won a Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album
Creative Fingerprint
A performer who grew into a writer: Carrie Underwood is credited on about 43% of her catalogue, singing many songs written by Nashville professionals early on, then co-writing far more of her later albums.
The Story
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country-pop singer-songwriter from Checotah, Oklahoma. She rose to national fame after winning the fourth season of American Idol in 2005 and immediately signed with Arista Nashville. Her debut album Some Hearts became the best-selling country debut album of all time and the best-selling country album of the 2000s. Underwood has sold over 85 million records worldwide and won eight Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, as well as numerous CMA and ACM Awards. Her catalog spans nine studio albums across two distinct creative phases: the Arista Nashville era (2005-2018), where professional Nashville songwriters provided most of the material, and the Capitol Nashville era (2018-present), where she co-writes and co-produces the majority of her output.
Awards & Recognition
Won American Idol season four in 2005
Won eight Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist (2007) and Best Roots Gospel Album for My Savior
The highest-certified female country artist in the US, with over 95 million albums and singles sold
'Before He Cheats' and 'Jesus, Take the Wheel' are among the best-selling country singles of their era
Frequently Asked Questions Carrie Underwood
Does Carrie Underwood write her own songs?
Increasingly, but not at first. Carrie Underwood is credited on about 43% of her catalogue. Her early hits like 'Jesus, Take the Wheel' and 'Before He Cheats' were written by Nashville professionals, and she began co-writing more over time, contributing to most of her later albums. Hillary Lindsey is her most frequent collaborator.
Did Carrie Underwood write 'Before He Cheats'?
No. 'Before He Cheats,' one of her signature hits from Some Hearts (2005), was written by Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins, not by Underwood. Early in her career she mostly recorded songs written by others.
Did Carrie Underwood win American Idol?
Yes. She won the fourth season of American Idol in 2005 and became by far its most commercially successful winner, going on to sell over 95 million albums and singles in the US.
Who wrote 'Jesus, Take the Wheel'?
'Jesus, Take the Wheel' was written by Brett James, Hillary Lindsey, and Gordie Sampson for Underwood's debut Some Hearts (2005). It became her breakthrough hit and won a Grammy, though she did not write it.
How many Grammys has Carrie Underwood won?
Carrie Underwood has won eight Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist in 2007, several Best Country Solo Performance awards, and Best Roots Gospel Album for My Savior (2021).
Did Carrie Underwood's songwriting change over time?
Yes, dramatically. She had no writing credits on her 2005 debut, co-wrote occasionally through 2012, and wrote or co-wrote most of her later albums, including nearly all of Denim & Rhinestones (2022).
What genre is Carrie Underwood?
Carrie Underwood makes country, country pop, and pop, blending big-voiced ballads like 'Jesus, Take the Wheel' with revenge anthems like 'Before He Cheats' and 'Blown Away.'
Carrie Underwood
