Carrie Underwood’s ‘Cry Pretty’ Becomes Biggest All-Genre Female Album Debut Of 2018

Carrie Underwood’s new album Cry Pretty is the biggest all-genre debut by a female in 2018. The album debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Album Charts with 265,654 equivalent album units, making Underwood the only woman in history to land four country albums at the top of the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.

Cry Pretty is the best-selling country album debut of 2018, as well as the biggest country album debut since Aug. 7, 2015 (Luke Bryan’s Kill The Lights) and the biggest female country album debut since Oct. 22, 2012 (Taylor Swift’s Red). Cry Pretty’s debut week also marks the most first-week streams by any female in country music. This is Underwood’s seventh consecutive album to debut at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart, representing all of her first seven albums including her Greatest Hits: Decade #1.

Cry Pretty is Underwood’s first release on Capitol Records Nashville and marks her first time co-producing alongside David Garcia. She co-wrote nine of the songs on the album including her current single, “Love Wins,” with David Garcia and Brett James. She recently released the official music video for “Love Wins,” which was directed by Shane Drake.

Underwood returns this fall for her sixth season as the voice of Sunday Night Football. This November, she and Brad Paisley will co-host the CMA Awards for the 11th consecutive year. In spring 2019, Underwood will launch a new arena tour, The Cry Pretty Tour 360. Sponsored by CALIA and promoted by AEG Presents, the new tour will kick off on May 1 in Greensboro, North Carolina, and will stop at 55 arenas across the U.S. and Canada. She will be joined on tour by special guests Maddie & Tae and Runaway June.

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Jessica Nicholson

Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at jnicholson@musicrow.com.

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