14 Years Ago Today, Carrie Underwood Released Her Record-Breaking Ballad Inspired by ‘The Wizard of Oz’

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14 Years Ago Today, Carrie Underwood Released Her Record-Breaking Ballad Inspired by ‘The Wizard of Oz’

American Songwriter · 2 months ago

On this day in 2012, Carrie Underwood released "Blown Away", the title track of her fourth studio album, marking a deliberate shift away from her wholesome "America's sweetheart" image towards darker, more emotionally weighty material. The song became a significant milestone in the American Idol winner's career, giving her a 13th number-one hit on country radio and reinforcing that her 2005 competition victory had translated into lasting mainstream success.

Written by Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear — the team behind her earlier smash "Before He Cheats" — the ballad tells the story of a young woman sheltering in a storm cellar during a tornado while her abusive, alcoholic father lies passed out and unprotected. Underwood said she fell in love with the track on first listen and insisted on recording it, and she devised the dark "Wizard of Oz" motif that runs through the music video. The song topped the Country Airplay chart, reached number 20 on the all-genre Hot 100, and won her Grammy Awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance.

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