Carrie Underwood Has Long Been Open About Her Faith

When American Idol revealed it would be airing a faith-centered Easter special on Sunday, April 20, fans immediately anticipated a moving performance from judge Carrie Underwood.

Faith has always been at the core of Underwood’s musical journey. Her debut single, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” introduced the world to her beliefs, and she later shared her spiritual side again in “Something in the Water,” which touches on themes of baptism and salvation.

Over the years, she’s lent her powerful voice to beloved hymns like “Softly and Tenderly” and “How Great Thou Art.” Both of these were eventually featured on her 2021 gospel record, My Savior.

That album also includes other spiritual classics such as “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus,” “The Old Rugged Cross,” and “Amazing Grace,” among others.

Upon release, My Savior soared to the top of both the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and the Top Christian Albums chart. It later earned Underwood a Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album in 2022.

To celebrate the album, Underwood performed all 13 tracks during a special Easter Sunday livestream in 2021, filmed at the iconic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Beyond her music, Underwood frequently speaks about her faith—whether in interviews, acceptance speeches, online posts, or television appearances.

This season on American Idol, during Hollywood Week, she was visibly emotional after contestants Breanna Nix and IAMKNOWN performed “Gratitude” by Christian artist Brandon Lake. Tearing up, Underwood reflected on the difficulty of maintaining one’s faith in the entertainment industry:

“Ladies … I wanna tell you how difficult it is to come into the entertainment industry and bring your faith with you. It is a brave thing to do because there are a lot of outside forces that are gonna tell you not to do that. I wanna tell you that I’m proud of you guys.”

Carrie Underwood Brings the House Down During Idol’s Easter Special

Underwood took the stage once more during American Idol’s Easter Sunday 2025 “Songs of Faith” special—a three-hour celebration featuring performances from the Top 20 contestants, the judges, guest artists, and artist-in-residence Jelly Roll.

Dressed in a dazzling gown, Underwood delivered a show-stopping rendition of a hymn she’s become known for…”How Great Thou Art.” For those familiar with her past performances, the song is a breathtaking showcase of her vocal strength—and she did not disappoint as she closed the show with it.

As she finished, host Ryan Seacrest could barely find the words:

“I have no words after that!”

The audience erupted in applause, and once again, Underwood’s stirring voice brought chills and tears.

You can watch Carrie Underwood’s moving performance of “How Great Thou Art” from the American Idol Easter special in the video below. It’s a moment that continues to inspire and uplift every time it’s heard.