Are You Ready for a CARNIVAL RIDE???!!!

If you're a big Country music fan like me, then you've probably really enjoyed the past several weeks. Over that time, we've had new releases come out from Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn, and a "duets" set from Reba McEntire. Faith Hill and Sara Evans have put out Greatest Hits sets the past two weeks as well. And OK, I still like my pop/rock stuff - last week I bought the new Matchbox Twenty greatest hits CD Exile On Mainstream which also features six new tracks. Next week, there really aren't any significant new Country releases coming out (this makes my credit cards happy)... however, the following week we have perhaps the year's most anticipated release in Carrie Underwood's sophomore effort Carnival Ride.

For those of you counting, Carrie's debut album Some Hearts has sold nearly six million copies here in the U.S. to date in the 99 weeks since it was released. Likely soon, it will be certified SEVEN times platinum for shipments totalling over 7,000,000 copies here in the States. Yes, the audience certainly got it right in season four of American Idol. Of course, Carrie's biggest fanbase is at Country, but she's also had crossover success and top 10 hits at Christian AC, Adult Contemporary, Hot AC, and even the pop charts, where the ubiquitous "Before He Cheats" climbed to #9 on the Mediabase charts back in May. That song is like the Energizer Bunny - it just keeps going and going; in fact it's perched at #5 on the Adult Contemporary chart this week. This is more than 15 months after she first hit the top 50 of the Country chart (she later spent five weeks at #1 there).

As for the current and that which is to come, well I'm sure you've heard her first release "So Small" from the Carnival Ride album - it's doing very well at #8 on the Mediabase Country chart at the moment, and is looking to become her fifth straight #1 Country hit... I got some very exciting news regarding the Carnival Ride project today - you can now hear snippets of ALL 13 tracks which will be included on the album!!! Just go to this site:

Carnival Ride preview @ Arista

Here's the track listing:
1. So Small
2. Last Name
3. All-American Girl
4. Just A Dream
5. Get Out Of This Town
6. Crazy Dreams
7. I Know You Won't
8. Flat On The Floor
9. You Won't Find This
10. I Told You So
11. The More Boys I Meet
12. Twisted
13. Wheel Of The World

I've listened to the previews several times now, and let me just say I'm VERY impressed... I have no idea how the songs are going to sound in their full form, but if the snipets are any indication, this one is going to be as big if not bigger than Some Hearts. There's a lot of variety in the songs both stylistically and lyrically... slow songs and faster ones, some twangier, others sounding more contemporary... Of course, Carrie's amazing vocals shine through on each track - did I really need to say that? ;) Needless to say (yes, I say that A LOT) I'm HUGELY anticipating this release... the Carnival Ride will come to a store near you on October 23rd. Don't be left off!!!

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