The country star and new American Idol judge popped up at Rolling Hills Community Church in Franklin with a worship group
Carrie Underwood surprised churchgoers with a performance at the Rolling Hills Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee. The musician took the stage at the place of worship to deliver a rendition of Bethel Music’s “Goodness of God.” She was joined by the church’s musicians for a praise-filled performance.
With a dozen backing vocalists and a multi-piece band, Underwood led the crowd in singing: “‘Cause all my life You have been faithful / And all my life You have been so, so good / With every breath that I am able / Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.”
While “Goodness of God” is a more contemporary selection, Underwood has recorded a number of gospel songs throughout her career. In 2021, she released her eighth studio album My Savior. The record featured versions of a dozen classic gospel hymns, including “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” with CeCe Winans and “Amazing Grace.”
“It’s so great for me because I feel like in recording them, even now I can still feel myself sitting in the church pews next to my parents, hearing my mom sing harmonies and hearing other voices singing in the congregation,” Underwood told GRAMMY.com in 2021. “I feel like that just still rings in my ear and it’s wonderful, but more importantly, it provides a feeling of comfort and inspiration that hopefully other people can feel as well when they listen to these songs.”
Underwood followed My Savior with the country-pop album Denim & Rhinestones, maintaining her artistic versatility. “You never know with me. As an artist, it used to bug me that I didn’t feel like I had a lane,” she told Rolling Stone in 2022. “Then one day I realized that’s not a hindrance, that’s an asset. Let’s roll with it and use that.”
Earlier this month, Underwood announced that she’d be returning to American Idol, this time as a judge, for the 2025 season of the reality singing competition.