Though Carrie Underwood has not disappeared entirely from the mainstream radar, she has not been standing boldly in the spotlight for quite some time. After recording duets and making a few public appearances, the beautiful blonde is returning to center stage later this year with the follow-up to her last album ‘Play On’. Fans and radio listeners are getting a taste of what is to come with the leadoff single ‘Good Girl’.
Underwood has alluded her new album will contain darker material than previous records, but she is not turning away completely from playful, sassy uptempos like ‘Good Girl’. The concept behind the new track is very similiar to her past single ‘Cowboy Casanova’. Once again, she is dishing out a warning to good girls who might be tempted to let a seemingly kind and caring man into their hearts. Bluntly, she reveals the man is not the marrying kind and will never give them the white wedding and fairy-tale ending they dream about. The man is not Prince Charming- he’s the King of Lies.
Throughout her career, Underwood has heavily infused pop and rock touches into her song collection. Such is the case for her newest single which channels a bit of eighties’ lady rocker flare. Alongside a recurring handclap, steady drumbeat and spoken echos, she presents a full-force vocal that is recognizable while also being occasionally reminiscent of Pat Benatar.
Much like the lyrical content, the arrangement will also garner comparsions to ‘Cowboy Casanova’ and ‘Undo It’. By comparsion to the majority of Underwood’s singles, it is edgy and largely pop-friendly. However, ‘Good Girl’ somehow manages to possess a more melodic appeal than the aforementioned songs overall due to ingrained subtle moments.
Undoubtedly, ‘Good Girl’ will be considered too untraditional or multigenre for many listeners to embrace it and it will struggle to surpass the popularity achieved by the feisty classic ‘Before He Cheats’. Nonetheless, the single will surely delight Carrie Underwood’s massive fan base and still find a home on country radio with the possibility of crossover airplay.
Carrie Underwood
