Carrie Underwood’s ‘Softly and Tenderly’ Is Simple and Pure [Listen]

Carrie Underwood shows off her vocal range on her new version of the gospel hymn “Softly and Tenderly,” though she does so in a more understated way than on some of her biggest hits. Fans can hear the song, released on Friday (Feb. 12), below.

The country star saves much of her gusto for a brief moment within the song’s final minute. For most of the track, she remains reverent and restrained, if no less earnest and perfectly pitched than usual.

Underwood’s vocal performance is mostly accompanied by a simple piano line throughout “Softly and Tenderly,” though strings arrive in the mix around two minutes in, while an understated steel guitar shows up another minute or so later. Even at its biggest moments, the arrangement is quiet and reflective by comparison.

Carrie Underwood – Softly And Tenderly (Visualizer)

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“Softly and Tenderly” is one of 13 songs Underwood recorded for her new gospel album, My Savior. Fans may find the performance familiar: In 2017, she performed the song as the soundtrack for the CMA Awards’ in memoriam segment; memorably, she choked up near the end of the song, as the moment concluded by honoring the victims of the shooting at that October’s Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, Nev.

Gospel icon CeCe Winans makes a guest appearance on My Savior, joining Underwood for “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” The country singer’s second-straight side project — following her 2020 Christmas album My Gift — will begin with an instrumental and also include songs such as “How Great Thou Art,” “The Old Rugged Cross” and “Amazing Grace.” David Garcia produced the album.

My Savior is due out on March 26, in time for Easter 2021. It’s Underwood’s eighth studio album.

It’s been three years since Underwood last released a country album, and many fans expect news of that project to come in 2021 as well, although the singer has only teased that that may be the case.

See the Top 50 Carrie Underwood Songs — Who Should Be No. 1?

No. 50: Home Sweet Home (Deluxe version, album cut, 2009)

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No. 50: “Home Sweet Home” (Deluxe version, album cut, 2009)

Underwood’s Motley Crue cover was featured during the final of Season 9 of American Idol and included on some deluxe versions of her Play On album.

No. 49: Relapse (Album cut, 2015)

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No. 49: “Relapse” (Album cut, 2015)

This dramatic ballad from Storyteller is not as theatric as some of her others. She compares a night with an old lover to an addict’s relapse.

No. 48: Little Toy Guns (Single, 2015)

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No. 48: “Little Toy Guns” (Single, 2015)

“Little Toy Guns” was a Top 5 hit for Underwood, but it has all but disappeared from country radio. The singer works to show how marital infighting can affect a child negatively.

No. 47: End Up With You (Album cut, 2018)

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No. 47: “End Up With You” (Album cut, 2018)

The depth of Underwood’s Cry Pretty makes “End Up With You” a song easily overlooked, but this funky bop would have stood tall on previous albums.

No. 46: Little Drummer Boy (Holiday song, 2020)

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No. 46: “Little Drummer Boy” (Holiday song, 2020)

Admittedly, we’re suckers for cute kids. Isaiah is the reason this song is included on this list of Carrie Underwood’s 50 best songs.

No. 45: So Small (Single, 2007)

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No. 45: “So Small” (Single, 2007)

Underwood’s first co-written radio single proved her potential, but in the years that have followed, she matured to the point that she can make very big ideas seem quite small. That’s a gift.

No. 44: Backsliding (Album cut, 2018)

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No. 44: “Backsliding” (Album cut, 2018)

“Backsliding” is the one song on Cry Pretty that feels like it could have been cut for any of her previous albums. A long, slow melody holds this lover’s regret song back.

No. 43: Love Wins (Single, 2018)

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No. 43: “Love Wins” (Single, 2018)

In 2019, “Love Wins” became the first Carrie Underwood single to not crack the Top 10. It’s a great message packaged in beautiful wrapping paper, but her words never truly soaked through radio speakers.

No. 42: Wine After Whiskey (Album cut, 2012)

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No. 42: “Wine After Whiskey” (Album cut, 2012)

“Wine After Whiskey” is the first of several songs from “Wine After Whiskey” to crack this list of Carrie Underwood’s best songs. The singer’s understated verses stand out during this fan favorite.

No. 41: Cowboy Casanova (Single, 2009)

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No. 41: “Cowboy Casanova” (Single, 2009)

“Cowboy Casanova” is first from a group of sonically similar songs that includes “Undo It” and “Good Girl.” You’ll find them all dotting this list.

No. 40: Cupids Got a Shotgun (Album cut, 2012)

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No. 40: “Cupid’s Got a Shotgun” (Album cut, 2012)

If Garth Brooks was the greatest female artist of the ’90s, he would have recorded a song like “Cupid’s Got a Shotgun.” The fiddle-heavy anthem is made for the live show, and Underwood wore it out from 2013 to 2015.

No. 39: Renegade Runaway (Album cut, 2015)

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No. 39: “Renegade Runaway” (Album cut, 2015)

Underwood is among country music’s best storytellers and has been since she debuted in 2005. “Renegade Runaway” is just one example.

No. 38: Flat on the Floor (Album cut, 2007)

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No. 38: “Flat on the Floor” (Album cut, 2007)

There was a “Flat on the Floor” revival during Underwood’s Cry Pretty Tour in 2019. The song played well on her 360-degree stage.

No. 37: Smoke Break (Single, 2015)

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No. 37: “Smoke Break” (Single, 2015)

A foolish controversy held back this real-life slice of Underwood’s discography. We’ve all been there, Carrie.

No. 36: Southbound (Single, 2019)

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No. 36: “Southbound” (Single, 2019)

“Southbound” is a respite on Cry Pretty, an album filled with emotional ballads and dynamic arrangements. Its mainstream, radio-friendly chorus was a winner, however, as it peaked inside the Top 5.

No. 35: What I Never Knew I Always Wanted (Album cut, 2015)

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No. 35: “What I Never Knew I Always Wanted” (Album cut, 2015)

This closing song from Underwood’s Storyteller album peered into her personal life like no song had previously. It’s a precious sentiment between mother, son and husband.

No. 34: That Song That We Used to Make Love To (Album cut, 2018)

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No. 34: “That Song That We Used to Make Love To” (Album cut, 2018)

Call this song the critic’s choice on this list of Underwood’s 50 best songs. “That Song That We Used to Make Love To” really rounds out her emotional palette.

No. 33: Temporary Home (Single, 2009)

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No. 33: “Temporary Home” (Single, 2009)

Early Carrie Underwood songs suffer from less imaginative arrangements. “Temporary Home” is a beautiful lyric, but her spiritual offering didn’t keep its grip for this reason.

No. 32: Do You Think About Me (Album cut, 2012)

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No. 32: “Do You Think About Me” (Album cut, 2012)

Hidden within the bombast of Blown Away is “Do You Think About Me,” Underwood’s pure country, nostalgic love song. It was a great change of pace on a terrific album.

No. 31: All-American Girl (Single, 2008)

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No. 31: “All-American Girl” (Single, 2008)

Somewhere between “Before He Cheats” and “Last Name,” Underwood’s team snuck the charming “All-American Girl” to radio to keep our diet balanced. It still holds up.

No. 30: What Can I Say (Album cut, 2009)

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No. 30: “What Can I Say” (Album cut, 2009)

“What Can I Say” is not Underwood’s most popular collaboration, but this partnership with Sons of Sylvia is a genuine addition to her early catalog. The love ballad shows how controlled the vocalist can be as she tiptoes to her highest range.

No. 29: Dirty Laundry (Single, 2016)

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No. 29: “Dirty Laundry” (Single, 2016)

While “Dirty Laundry” was a fine story, there was a certain “been there, done that” feel to the story. It’s the light version of “Before He Cheats” and “Two Black Cadillacs.”

No. 28: Favorite Time of Year (Holiday song, 2020)

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No. 28: “Favorite Time of Year” (Holiday song, 2020)

“Favorite Time of Year” became the standout track from Underwood’s holiday album, My Gift (2020). Time will tell if this remains a standard.

No. 27: Good Girl (Single, 2012)

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No. 27: “Good Girl” (Single, 2012)

“Good Girl” was the first sample of a new sound for Carrie Underwood, as the Blown Away album cranked the dials in all sorts of interesting ways. The lover’s warning rides a hard beat into fans’ heads.

No. 26: Like Ill Never Love You Again (Album cut, 2015)

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No. 26: “Like I’ll Never Love You Again” (Album cut, 2015)

Liz Rose and Lori McKenna’s sensitive songwriting pin Underwood’s typically explosive lyrics during a love song that finds her in full control. Fans hadn’t seen this kind of maturity from Underwood before the Storyteller album, and looking back, it was a sign of what was to come.

No. 25: See You Again (Single, 2013)

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No. 25: “See You Again” (Single, 2013)

As a category, songs that find Underwood leaning on her faith rank higher on this list of Carrie Underwood’s best songs than songs that find her leaning on the drink. The melodic “See You Again” is certainly among her best ever.

No. 24: Ghosts on the Stereo (Album cut, 2018)

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No. 24: “Ghosts on the Stereo” (Album cut, 2018)

Country music’s most rugged men are more apt to tackle this kind of material, but Underwood’s lonesome performance comes with more than enough grit to sell it.

No. 23: Just a Dream (Single, 2008)

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No. 23: “Just a Dream” (Single, 2008)

Why do Carrie Underwood’s dreams always turn so dark? You can feel it coming as “Just a Dream” crescendos, but that doesn’t mean this powerful vocal number is any less powerful.

No. 22: Undo It (Single, 2010)

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No. 22: “Undo It” (Single, 2010)

As Underwood moved through songs on Play On, she started to find an identity she’d lean on for the next several years. “Undo It” is still a great live song that fans loving screaming back at her.

No. 21: Dont Forget to Remember Me (Single, 2006)

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No. 21: “Don’t Forget to Remember Me” (Single, 2006)

Some believe “Don’t Forget to Remember Me” is the better of the two ballads released to radio from Some Hearts, and we’re not saying they’re wrong. For now, however, “Jesus Takes the Wheel” gets a higher ranking.

No. 20: Heartbeat With Sam Hunt (Single, 2015)

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No. 20: “Heartbeat” With Sam Hunt (Single, 2015)

A Grammy performance with Sam Hunt accentuated this commercial hit from Storyteller. “Heartbeat” was her best attempt at mixing R&B influences into her country sound to date.

No. 19: Someday When I Stop Living You (Album cut, 2009)

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No. 19: “Someday When I Stop Living You” (Album cut, 2009)

A strong melody and aching steel guitar build a beautiful ballad for Underwood to put her vocals to. It’s a convincing performance.

No. 18: Church Bells (Single, 2016)

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No. 18: “Church Bells” (Single, 2016)

The Double-Platinum single from Storyteller was hampered by being the third from that album, an album that in some ways sounded like a continuation of Blown Away. Still, “Church Bells” remains among her most popular.

No. 17: Mamas Song (Single, 2010)

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No. 17: “Mama’s Song” (Single, 2010)

“Mama’s Song” felt personal — a sign that Underwood was truly growing as an artist and woman after her win on American Idol. The song would earn her a Grammy nomination.

No. 16: Kingdom (Album cut, 2018)

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No. 16: “Kingdom” (Album cut, 2018)

Like Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood has started to bury personal favorites at the end of each album. “Kingdom” is a biographical acoustic ballad that leans into faith. It was never going to be a single, but it’s not a song to be ignored. A full gospel choir joins her at the catharsis, and from there it’s all tears and hugs.

No. 15: Wasted (Single, 2007)

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No. 15: “Wasted” (Single, 2007)

Underwood released four dynamic singles from Some Hearts, her debut album. “Wasted” was the final one, and those who argue it’s the best shouldn’t be ignored, in spite of the overwhelming commercial success of the others.

No. 14: Forever Changed (Album cut, 2012)

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No. 14: “Forever Changed” (Album cut, 2012)

Tom Douglas helped write “Forever Changed,” a beautiful story of love, faith and decline that Underwood handles with proper sensitivity. It’s a beautiful thing to hear her subtle high notes riding along a steel guitar on this track from Blown Away.

No. 13: Cry Pretty (Single, 2018)

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No. 13: “Cry Pretty” (Single, 2018)

The emotional lyrics and music video for “Cry Pretty” spoke to what fans didn’t know in early 2018: That she’d suffered several miscarriages. Amid that trauma, she fell at home and significantly damaged her face. Needless to say all eyes were on her when she performed the song at that year’s ACM Awards — and she delivered.

No. 12: Choctaw County Affair (Album cut, 2015)

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No. 12: “Choctaw County Affair” (Album cut, 2015)

Carrie Underwood fans love “Choctaw County Affair” and everything that went into it. The singer would be smart to start including it in her live show.

No. 11: Last Name (Single, 2008)

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No. 11: “Last Name” (Single, 2008)

Anything less than a staggering vocal performance would have sunk “Last Name,” a song that was a lyrical stretch for Underwood, even after she ran “Before He Cheats” up the chart. Fortunately, she overdelivered.

No. 10: Two Black Cadillacs (Single, 2012)

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No. 10: “Two Black Cadillacs” (Single, 2012)

There is drama aplenty on this list of Carrie Underwood’s top songs, but “Two Black Cadillacs” is in a league of its own. The dark, murderous power ballad takes all the cheekiness out of a song like the Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl.” For awhile there, we were a little afraid of her.

No. 9: I Know You Wont (Album cut, 2007)

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No. 9: “I Know You Won’t” (Album cut, 2007)

Only the production of “I Know You Won’t” keeps it from being a Top 5 song on this list. The melody of this precious vocal is only topped by Wendell Mobley and company’s lyrics. Fans absolutely adore this song.

No. 8: Drinking Alone (Single, 2019)

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No. 8: “Drinking Alone” (Single, 2019)

Underwood leaned into “Drinking Alone” during her 2019 Cry Pretty Tour, setting the song up with a noir bar scene as she ran through the tense yearner. It was a highlight that outlasted the song’s commercial appeal on the radio. We love when Carrie gets a little reckless with her emotions.

No. 7: Jesus Take the Wheel (Single, 2005)

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No. 7: “Jesus Take the Wheel” (Single, 2005)

The song that made Carrie Underwood a star is just a Top 10 song in her catalog, which isn’t an indictment of this sweet ballad as much as it is a statement on the music that followed, and her growth as a storyteller.

No. 6: Blown Away (Single, 2012)

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No. 6: “Blown Away” (Single, 2012)

Songs from Underwood’s Blown Away album represent a pivot in her career. Before, she was the sweetheart from Oklahoma, but starting with songs like “Blown Away” she introduced some hard edges that made her a much more compelling vocalist.

No. 5: Low (Album cut, 2018)

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No. 5: “Low” (Album cut, 2018)

When asked, nearly every fan of Carrie Underwood named “Low” as one of her three best album cuts, a sentiment we whole-heartedly agree with. There are many surprises on Cry Pretty, but this slow, swelling vocal is the one that stretched how we knew her most. It’s the highest ranking album cut on this list of Underwood’s best songs.

No. 4: The Champion With Ludacris (Promotional Song, 2018)

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No. 4: “The Champion” With Ludacris (Promotional Song, 2018)

It’s easy to dismiss “The Champion” because it targeted a pop audience and includes Ludacris, but if you’ve seen her energy as she plays it back live — often with help from a fan — you’ll agree that it’s deserving of this No. 4 ranking.

No. 3: I Told You So With Randy Travis (Single, 2009)

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No. 3: “I Told You So” With Randy Travis (Single, 2009)

With apologies to Ludacris, Underwood’s best duet is with Randy Travis. The singers covered “I Told You So” on Carnival Ride, and together they won a Grammy. She was aided by it being a hit for him years earlier, but that should’t hold the new version back. It’s possible some level of nostalgia for the voice Travis lost bumped the song up a few places on our list, but we’re human too.

No. 2: Before He Cheats (Single, 2006)

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No. 2: “Before He Cheats” (Single, 2006)

“Before He Cheats” is Underwood’s biggest commercial hit and the best of her revenge songs, even if others felt more believable. So why isn’t it No. 1? Keep reading …

No. 1: Something in the Water (Single, 2014)

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No. 1: “Something in the Water” (Single, 2014)

The talent, the conviction, the hard work — it all pays off during “Something in the Water,” a song that makes the short list of must-see live country moments in one’s lifetime. This song stole the show during her Cry Pretty Tour, creating a sort of early encore that raised a high bar for what came next. No, this isn’t her biggest radio hit and it might not be her best seller. But if you can find a more believable song in Carrie Underwood’s catalog, we’ll buy you a beer when we cross paths.