The Stunning Hair Transformation Of Carrie Underwood

There are a few things that instantly come to mind when imagining Carrie Underwood's signature look: her chic, country-girl aesthetic, her ability to equally pull off denim and red-carpet gowns like a GOAT, and her flowing blond hair. Since her "American Idol" win in 2005, the Oklahoma-born singer has maintained her fair tresses, but that doesn't mean she hasn't undergone subtle changes to rival the likes of Taylor Swift's hair transformation. For those watching closely, it's clear that Underwood's mane has evolved over the years, even if she doesn't gravitate too far from her signature hue. 

"I'd love to do a little more with hair color. I've always been blond!" Underwood told Refinery29 in 2012. "The problem is, I don't want to shock people — like if I dyed my hair brown, I don't want people [to] think I'm turning dark and serious. I wish I had started changing my hair around in the beginning, then it wouldn't be such a big shock if I did something like that now." More than a decade after that interview, it seems we're no closer to witnessing a brunette or redhead revolution from the star. However, we have seen her go from crunchy Y2K curls in her earliest days of fame to sleek, brushed-out waves on more daring shades of blond. In between, Underwood has experimented with deep side parts, volume and structure, head-turning updos, and even chopping it all off into a bob. 

By her own admission, Carrie Underwood's face has changed over the years, and her locks have certainly followed suit. While she's had highs and lows, the "Blown Away" singer admitted to People in 2017 that horrendous 'dos, including overly gelled bangs and a "bad idea" perm, were thankfully part of her pre-fame journey only. Let's take a closer look at these hair-related milestones on her transition from her curly, pre-glam-squad era to platinum princess. 

Carrie Underwood first rose to global fame in 2005 when she won Season 4 of "American Idol." Back then, she was a girl from a farm in Oklahoma who wowed the judges with her powerful chops. She sounded every bit the star that she would become, but her look was much more down to earth. She wore voluminous gelled curls to her first audition and maintained the curly look for much of her time on the show. Obviously, Underwood's no stranger to the best gel methods that curly-haired girls need to know. By the time she won the competition, she'd moved from wispy curtain bangs to a side part that she would favor for much of her career. 

The side part stuck around even as Underwood moved on to choppy layers and blow-drying, evolving into the Tumblr-esque deep side bangs that reigned supreme in 2008. By the 2009 American Music Awards, her curls were still grazing her collarbone, but this time, they looked as if they'd been created by a wide-barrel iron or even a flat iron rather than a thinner curling wand or crimper. Still favoring volume and hairspray, she clipped her bangs to the side for the red carpet. The following year, she was still rocking the shoulder length and deep side part at the People's Choice Awards, this time relaxing the curls into flipped-out ends. 

During these early years, the "Jesus, Take the Wheel" hitmaker maintained a warmer blond with darker lowlights — a palette that she'd return to in the future. As her hair journey unfolded, she also seemed to pick up a few styling tips along the way. "I always try to pay attention if I'm doing a magazine shoot," she told Refinery29 in 2012. "I try to watch what they do, what they use."

Never fully straying from her go-to blond, Carrie Underwood's hair changed quite a bit during the 2010s, but one thing that mostly remained the same was the tone of blond. While 2011 saw a swift brush with the platinum blond that she'd later embrace, the "American Idol" alum mostly stuck with a darker, sandier hue, particularly around her roots. The cut of her hair, on the other hand, was something with which she was willing to experiment. 

At the 2011 iHeartRadio Music Festival, Underwood showed up with long, wispy bangs that fell past her brows, featuring an under-layer of dark-yellow blond beneath her cooler top layer. These bangs seemed to be short-lived, but throughout the year, she turned to side bangs and long, sweeping layers instead. By 2013, she cut in shorter, choppier layers that gave her hair more volume and bounce only to grow them out again by 2015, when she was frequently spotted with the same warm-hued blond and her much-loved side part. That year, Underwood's hair stylist, Melissa Schleicher, revealed to Sounds Like Nashville that they were starting to go "a little smoother and straighter with her hair" even though "Carrie likes big hair."

Then, 2016 was one of the biggest years for Carrie Underwood as far as hair changes go, as she made the drastic decision to get a bob. "Cutting my hair was a mom move," she told Elle at the time. "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." The singer maintained the shorter look for the rest of the year and beyond, proudly donning a collarbone-length lob at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2017. 

As the end of the 2010s loomed, Carrie Underwood moved away from her warm, golden-yellow safety zone and ventured into cool, creamy, and almost white-blond territory. During an appearance on "Good Morning America" in 2018, Underwood had her thick, voluminous tresses tumbling down in brushed-out waves — a look that would come to define hair in the minimalist energy of the 2020s. While she still favored a side part, she'd ditched the bangs for longer layers. 

Like everyone else, Underwood disappeared from the scene as COVID-19 hit in 2020, but she did post an Instagram story revealing that she'd finally made it to the hairdresser. "It's been 6 months since I've done anything to my hair ..." she captioned the selfie (via People). There was no word on exactly what Underwood was having done, and sightings of the star in 2020 were understandably rare. But fast-forward to the 2021 Country Music Association Awards, and it looked like she had stuck with her stylist's advice to go smoother and straighter as she donned a middle part with sleek, straightened long hair. Deciding whether the middle or side part is better for your hair is a constant tug of war, but it looks like Underwood can effortlessly pull off both. She'd also kept up the cool, silvery blond — a perfect match for her metallic red-carpet dress. 

While Carrie Underwood did move toward sleeker hair at the end of the 2010s — perhaps in time for the wave of quiet luxury to break — she hadn't totally given up on volume and structure by 2022. At the American Music Awards that year, she paired her sparkly pink dress with her previously loved deep side part and returned to big, structured curls, most likely created by a wide-barrel iron or curling wand. Underwood also seemed to have returned to her darker-blond roots, which old childhood footage indicates may be closer to her natural color. 

The "Before He Cheats" singer carried through this theme of "bigger is better" the following year. At the 2023 CMT Music Awards, Carrie Underwood's sequins were the least-talked-about detail of her look. She went with a slicked-back 'do with the ends majorly teased to create a foxtail-like pony; it not only looked phenomenal but was also a major departure from her usual curls and waves. Color-wise, it seems that Underwood was also moving away from the darker roots and even incorporating some bright money-piece highlights, though the star of the look was undeniably her killer ponytail. 

By 2024, she had reverted to the sleek aesthetic. At the "Good Morning America Summer Concert Series," she appeared with the same big curls, this time brushed out, a warmer creamy-blond tone, and a chic middle part. Her uber-short jorts landed her on our list of Carrie Underwood's most inappropriate outfits, but there's no denying that her hair was a vibe. While this golden blond is something that Underwood clearly loves, she was about to leave it behind once again for much cooler shores.

Carrie Underwood kicked off 2025 with a performance at the second inauguration of President Donald Trump. During her rendition of "America the Beautiful," it was clear that her side-parted, smooth locks had lightened a shade or two, and this trend continued through March. During an appearance on "Good Morning America," the star appeared in a textured blazer, wearing her middle-parted locks almost in relaxed beach waves, but the real talking point was her tone of blond. Several notches lighter and cooler from her "Good Morning America Summer Concert Series" appearance the year before, Underwood was sporting eye-catching platinum. She also appeared on "The Drew Barrymore Show" that month, similarly rocking a long, middle-parted, and brushed-out mane. Though there were wisps of darker blond running throughout, it was clear that platinum was the new normal. 

In a full-circle moment, Carrie Underwood returned to the "American Idol" stage in 2025 two decades after winning the competition herself — this time as a judge. Her locks are styled perfectly during each appearance on the show, but that lighter, creamy blond has remained a staple throughout. 

We have no doubt that the tone, cut, and length of the country star's hair will continue to transform as the years go on, but if there's one element that Underwood will always stick to, our money's on her staying blond for the foreseeable future.