Then & Now: 20 Years Of Carrie Underwood's Trend-Setting Hair

Can you imagine a music world where Carrie Underwood wasn't included? It's hard to believe, but we almost missed out on Underwood's enormous talent. The Oklahoma-born beauty almost didn't go to her Season 4 "American Idol" audition. In 2025, she revealed on her YouTube channel that she saw tryouts taking place in St. Louis, Missouri, about 7 hours away from home, and her mother offered to drive her. She originally brushed it off, but fortunately took a chance and ended up winning the season.

Since hitting it big in 2005, Underwood has been a staple on the music scene, transcending her native country genre and finding success on pop radio, too. That mega stardom has translated into her becoming a trendsetter in hair, makeup, and fashion. We've watched the star go from natural blonde curls to platinum straight strands, and with some blunt bobs in between. She's also sported memorable updos and a variety of bang styles. Come along on a journey of over 20 years of Underwood's hair and see some of her most trendsetting styles.

Carrie Underwood burst onto the scene as a sweet country girl who lived on a farm and had never been on an airplane when she auditioned for "American Idol." The fresh-faced blonde was just 22 at the time and showed off messy curls that fell a little past her shoulders, as seen in this photo shared on Instagram in 2025. These are the curls we met her with, but she occasionally performed on the show with straightened tresses, as was the rage in the mid-'00s. See some celebs who rarely show off their natural hair.

Carrie Underwood is among the "American Idol" winners with successful careers. By the time the country crooner took home the top prize on season 4, she was showing off longer, more uniform curls. She's seen here performing on the finale episode after her big win, which aired at the end of May 2005. The episode garnered an audience of approximately 30 million viewers and resulted in a record-breaking 500 million votes, per People, making her a true American sweetheart.

While Carrie Underwood's fitness evolution is impressive, her transition from the "American Idol" spotlight into a fixture in pop culture as a bright blonde with bouncy waves is even better. She's seen here at New York Fashion Week during the Baby Phat runway show rocking a popular hairstyle of the era with a braided headband, one of the most beloved hair accessories. The chunky necklace just solidifies this quintessential mid-'00s look. 

Two thousand and seven was the year of experimenting with updos for Carrie Underwood, who sported a few fancy hairstyles on various red carpets. The country singer wore this artfully messy bun hairstyle while attending a Condé Nast event that year, showing off her curls and beautiful blonde highlights. Earlier that year, the beauty took home two Grammy Awards, one for Best New Artist and another for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her song "Jesus, Take the Wheel."

Never underestimate the power of a side ponytail! The simple hairstyle is an underrated pick, which Carrie Underwood sported at the 2007 premiere of "Enchanted." The singer rocked this glamorous, asymmetrical hairstyle with a frilly pink dress for a fairytale fashion moment at the movie's premiere. If you're curious why she attended the event, Underwood sang the Disney live-action film's soundtrack — "Ever Ever After." 

In April 2008, Carrie Underwood arrived at the CMT Music Awards sporting these bangs. She paired the side-sweeping fringe with big barrel curls, looking every bit the country diva. The glam combination is a far cry from the real Underwood, who told Refinery29, "I'm a pretty simple jeans and a T-shirt, great pair of shoes kind of girl. That's what I love about music: I get to play a role. I try to dress and look, with hair and makeup, like I fit in that role."

When most people picture ponytails, they think of a go-to hairstyle for the gym or a low-key day at home. But when Carrie Underwood sported this undone pony at the 2009 Grammy Awards, she made a serious case for the style working for dressy occasions, too. The beauty scored one nomination that year for Best Female Vocal Country Performance for her song "Last Name." She ended up winning, marking her fourth Grammy award in just three years.

Carrie Underwood debuted a much shorter hairstyle in 2009 — curls that fell to her shoulders at that year's American Music Awards. Despite the drastic change, Underwood still sported super blonde hair. She told Refinery29 in 2012 she didn't want to change the color because of her fans, explaining, "I've always been blonde! The problem is, I don't want to shock people –– like if I dyed my hair brown, I don't want people think I'm turning dark and serious." See when Underwood looked unrecognizable without her blonde hair extensions.

Who's that girl? Carrie Underwood's 2010 Grammy Awards glam was a more mature departure from her usual looks, leaving her nearly unrecognizable on the red carpet. It included this perfectly layered, face-framing fringe as she continued to embrace a shorter hair length that year. The 'do must have been a lucky charm, because that night Underwood brought home her fifth Grammy Award, Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for her duet "I Told You So" with Randy Travis. 

A new decade meant a new attempt at bangs for Carrie Underwood. The country superstar arrived at the 2011 iHeartRadio Music Festival with a much different take on the side-swept fringe we had seen on her in the past. This time, she opted for straight-across, wispy, blunt bangs, while her blonde locks flowed past her shoulders and were styled in loose waves. 

Carrie Underwood's country tunes had already crossed over to the pop world in the '00s, and in 2011, she tried her hand at rock at the ACM Awards. Underwood took the stage with legendary Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler to perform her song "Undo It" before transitioning to his classic rock tune, "Walk This Way." This occasion clearly called for a more rock-ready hairdo — so the singer added some hot pink streaks to her blonde locks.

You just know this updo was pinned on hundreds of Pinterest boards! Carrie Underwood opted for a glamorous chignon bun at the 2012 Grammy Awards. The unique updo was a pretty surprising sight on a red carpet, but Underwood managed to pull it off masterfully. She straddled the line between dressy and messy, with a few wispy strands pulled out, and added drop diamond earrings to make it more red-carpet friendly. Here are more of Underwood's most over-the-top outfits.

We all know blondes have more fun — but do platinum blondes have an even better time? Carrie Underwood had us debating this theory a few months later in 2012, when she arrived at the Billboard Music Awards sporting big curls in a bright platinum shade. Her hairstylist, Melissa Schleicher, would later tell Sounds Like Nashville that the superstar "likes big hair," adding, "the bigger the better," and these bouncy waves prove just that. 

The platinum hair didn't stay long. Carrie Underwood took her locks down to a darker shade of blonde the following year, debuting this warmer-toned color in big waves at the Primetime Emmy Awards that September. If you're wondering why she was at the acting event, you're not alone. The singer popped up at the television award ceremony to perform a cover of the Beatles' song "Yesterday," in a special tribute, stealing the show in the process. Afterward, she posted on X that Paul McCartney had given her his blessing to sing it. 

Carrie Underwood showed off even darker roots the next year at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. The music darling rocked her darker hair in a side-swept updo, one that was all the rage that night. Her fellow country singer Miranda Lambert sported a similar hairstyle, and celebrity hairstylist José Eber spoke to Billboard about the trend. "It's a take on a very traditional Old Hollywood look," Eber shared, noting that the key to perfecting the style is having the right curl proportions. He added, "You want to look more Rodeo Drive than rodeo." Luckily, he gave Underwood his seal of approval. 

Carrie Underwood returned to her classic style at the 2015 CMA Awards: straight blonde locks with a side part. Her hairstylist, Melissa Schleicher, spoke to Sounds Like Nashville about the change, telling them, "I have gone a little smoother and straighter with her hair ... it's just a little sleeker, straighter." One surprising tidbit Schleicher shared with the outlet? This look isn't Underwood's favorite. "She does not really like straight hair," the hairstylist explained. 

There are many things to know about Carrie Underwood's kids. After welcoming her first child, son Isaiah, in 2015, she embraced motherhood with a mom cut. The A-lister revealed to Elle in 2016 that her son inspired the much shorter hairstyle. "Now that my hair is shorter, it's easier to fix, which was the whole point. Cutting my hair was a 'mom' move. I could spend half an hour to blow it dry and have it be super long, or I could spend that time playing with my son, and I'd much rather do the latter." She chopped it even shorter ahead of the CMT Music Awards.

After a massive mom chop following her first child, Carrie Underwood embraced the luscious locks pregnancy can bring and grew out her blonde hair while pregnant with her second son, Jacob. The star is seen here showing off her healthy and longer blonde tresses at the 2018 CMT Artists of the Year event. While there, she spoke to "Entertainment Tonight," revealing that her second pregnancy had been more difficult, sharing, "... this one is just a little harder on my body." And as for maternity fashion? Underwood said, "I'm squeezing into whatever dresses I can squeeze myself into."

Carrie Underwood rocked another ponytail on the red carpet of the 2019 CMT Music Awards, while giving it a high-end look with a few loose strands. It was a big night for Underwood, who won her 19th and 20th CMT Music trophies. She later talked to Billboard about how much these fan-voted awards mean to her, sharing, "I love what I do, and my fans have always been super supportive. It means a lot that they take the time — their time is precious — and ... they vote and they spread the word and they show up at the Parthenon." 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Carrie Underwood decided to lighten things up a bit via her hair color. The country darling took to her Instagram story to share a photo of herself at the salon having her hair dyed (via People). She wrote a caption on top of the mask-clad selfie showing her hair in foils that read, "It's been 6 months since I've done anything to my hair..." In the next story, the A-lister showed off the final results — perfect light blonde tresses.

Carrie Underwood looked downright angelic at one of her only big appearances of 2021. The country superstar performed gospel hymns during the 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards, all from her newest album, "My Savior," including an acapella version of "Amazing Grace." While her performance was widely praised, Refinery29 gave credit where it was due — her phenomenally long locks. The outlet noted that her longtime stylist, Melissa Schleicher, incorporated waist-length extensions to create those perfectly blown-out waves. 

Carrie Underwood loves a good red-carpet ponytail, but this one at the 2023 CMT Music Awards may have been her most artful. Not only did it start lower than her usual high pony, but it also included some of the most artfully teased tresses we've ever seen. Her lengthy messy ponytail fell down her back and gave her dangly diamond earrings an extra chance to shine — which they needed since they were competing with a rhinestone-covered jacket and shorts. When it came to winning, the pressure was off for Underwood. The Oklahoma native is actually the most decorated CMT Music Awards winner in history.

Carrie Underwood has locked into glamorous blown-out waves in the last few years, finding what may be her best hairstyle yet. The beauty sported a center part, her new go-to style, while performing on "Good Morning America" in 2024. Her appearance on the morning show was more than just a concert; it came with a big announcement — she would be heading back to her roots and joining the judging panel on "American Idol," replacing fellow singer Katy Perry. 

If you've ever wondered what Carrie Underwood looks like without her signature blond hair, wonder no more. The beauty took to Instagram in August 2025 and revealed she had gone back to her darker blonde roots, writing, "Well, the last time I saw my natural hair color, I was probably about 12 years old, but I thought it might be time to give it a second chance." She tagged her hairstylist and salon and used the hashtags "NewOldMe and "Bronde." 

We saw Carrie Underwood debut her darkest hair yet a few months later, posting this selfie to Instagram in December 2025. She shared the photo in honor of a good cause, promoting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, but fans couldn't help but be distracted by her new 'do. The country beauty's usually voluminous locks were noticeably flatter and darker, styled in tight waves. As some fans expressed displeasure at the new look, one wrote, "Good lord people she changed her hair color.. it's not the end of the world."

Carrie Underwood has committed to bronde locks! The newly minted "American Idol" judge promoted the show where she got her start at SiriusXM in March 2026, and proved she is sticking to this darker hair hue. After watching the singer progressively darken her hair in 2025, this came as no surprise to fans. One thing that didn't seem to change despite the new shade? Her penchant for a middle part and glamorous rolling waves.