Country Superstars: Carrie Underwood vs. Taylor Swift
The two hottest and most popular women in country music are former American Idol winner Carrie Underwood and teen sensation Taylor Swift. Swift wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on her debut album Taylor Swift. Underwood on her second album, Carnival Ride, started co-writing some of her own tunes with the likes of Hillary Lindsey and Luke Laird.
Both women are extremely talented and will dominate the Billboard charts for the next thirty years. They will also continue to develop a rivalry as they will be competing with each other for awards and radio airplay.
Here is a quick look at Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift:
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| Age: 24 – March 10, 1983 Hometown: Checotah, Oklahoma |
Age: 18 – December 13, 1989 Hometown: Wyomissing, PA |
Hit Songs:
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Albums:
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| Discovered: American Idol |
Discovered: Bluebird Cafe (Nashville) |
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Carrie should not even be compared to teeniebopper Taylor Swift!
Both are gorgeous, but Carrie is a far more talented singer than Taylor will ever be!
False. Both are gorgeous, both are talented, but the fact that Taylor Swift writes her own music makes her a much better artist. It’s half of what being a singer/songwriter is all about. As far as singing goes, I’d say they’re equal, making Taylor Swift the victor.
ok carrie writes also. Carrie is undeniably the best. Her voice is much stronger and she performs live MUCH better. Taylor is pretty great on her album but when she sing live she isn’t as good. Carrie has won Entertainer of the Year! The top female artist has been given to her a bunch of times. Carrie is better
Taylor Swift is a disgrace to country music. Nothing about her -with the exception of her cowboy boots- is country. Her songs since her first album have all been overwhelmingly pop with minute country influences, if any. T-Pain and Def-Leppard are not country. Her overwhelming amount of TV appearances and radio station appearances -on non country stations- just proves that she has given into wide scale commercialism.
It is embarrassing for Carrie Underwood to even be placed in the same category as Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift has a terrible live voice and has meaningless songs that detail the wonderings of insignificant teenagers. Country is not about suburban America, it is about the men and women and their families from the towns deep-rooted in America’s soul. It is NOT materialistic and it is NOT about insignificant high-school drama.
Carrie Underwood’s voice is impeccable, flawless, and angelic. She sings straight from the heart and you can always take in and sense her emotion. She lives and breathes the music, is humble, and doesn’t care about any of the fame or money. She has her priorities straight. She will choose her religion and family over everything else- as any true country girl would. She is also a lot prettier than Swift.
I don’t care if Taylor Swift stays in the music industry but please, stop letting her call her music country! Take her off of country radio and take her off of CMT and GAC. She belongs on MTV with the rest of mainstream pop music. Hopefully, she will fade away from Nashville soon enough when people realize she lacks any talent except maybe song-writing for the Disney Channel.
How can you even compare Carrie to Taylor?
1. Taylor is not even country. She is pop. Compare Taylor’s music to actual country music like Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, and Kitty Wells. You can tell the difference.
2. Taylor Swift is just another teen writing and singing over-dramatic songs about boys. For example, “White Horse”, what kind of country is that? Carrie Underwood sings beautiful and flawless songs about the great things in life and life lessons (ex: Jesus Take the Wheel, Inside your Heaven, All-American Girl, So Small). She puts her heart and soul into her music and doesn’t care about the fame or the fortune. She comes from a small town, and had a dream. And she worked her hardest to achieve that dream, and she did. So now she sings breath-taking music to encourage other people to do the same. Now THAT is a TRUE country singer.
Carrie Underwood is more beautiful than Taylor Swift. Don’t get me wrong, both are very pretty, but Carrie has so much more inner beauty, and that’s what counts.
It is a DISGRACE you people are actually comparing a wonder country singer to a bad pop singer. Taylor Swift has no emotion in her music, and all her songs are about average teen drama. Ick.
Carrie Underwood is better inside and out. Period.
Carrie Underwood!
Respect from GREECE
all of you are wrong, Carrie Underwood used American Idol as a catalyst into the industry whereas Taylor Swift did it the traditional way which is very difficult, just ask any country artist. And the idea that her self written music isn’t country is ridiculous; I personally find it more moving.
They are both extremely talented and beautiful but I have to go with Carrie Underwood to be the winner!
Both are really good… But I have to choose… CARRIE UNDERWOOD!!! I really love her because of her songs and her voice… Rock on, CARRIE!!!
Ca$hville
At the Cool Springs mall music store in the back row
Is where you’ll find today’s “country” music if you go
Where have the ghosts of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and Goldie Hill gone?
You don’t hear their legacy watching CMT at home
A poser whose heart lies with rock on the side
Should not win over a person who lived the rural life
The Country Music Association has sold country music’s soul
by rewarding any “rock” and “pop star” willing to play the role
The day Nashville changed to Ca$hville was the day the music died
Viacom, Sony, and others plundered while artists true to their roots cried
Yes, I knew country music was out of luck
When I heard a small town man listening to RAP in his truck
Any child knows if you have no respect for your roots
And forget where you come from, become a “me too”
Soon you’ll begin to forget who you are
No matter what your heritage, you’ll not get far
There’s still a chance to bring the original art form that was once country music back
Doing to the soul sellers what they did to disco would be the right track
There should be no place for the “country rockers” and “poppers” of today
On the radios of small towns, if we wish the country founders legacy to repay
I’m sorry for the kind of shape the birth place of country music is in
The heart of country music has been gutted by big city businessmen
Why did we let monopolies in typical cut-throat fashion
Crush the Nashville Palace, Broken Spoke and other traditional music bastions
Where can someone true to the country roots of small towns go?
With the Nashville Palace, Broken Spoke and other venues closed
Long ago greed made sure “Lorettas” can’t walk up to radio stations anymore
and “Johnnys” can’t approach Sun Records and other studios and get through the door
What came of the music from the rural south and the Appalachian mountainside?
Johnny Cash and his Tennessee Two and the “Louisiana Hayride “
Chet Atkins, the country gentleman, and “The Nashville Sound”
If it wasn’t for them “Music City USA” wouldn’t be around
by Cherokee American
Carrie Underwood!
Respect from USA
For all you people who keep saying that Carrie Underwood took the easier way by going on American Idol, you need to check yourselves. Getting into the music industry is difficult under any circumstances. How many American Idol alums have made it big? Yeah, just a few. Carrie Underwood had the voice and the charisma to capture our hearts. She didn’t take any short cut. She had to go up against thousands of other singers to take home the title. Week after week, she stood on stage and was judged by all of America. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty hard to do.
To all you Taylor Swift fans – Don’t be mad just cause Taylor wouldn’t make it past the first round of American Idol.
Hands down, Carrie Underwood. Taylor may write her own songs, so what? That doesn’t make her better than Carrie. Elvis was a legend, did he ever write his own songs? Nope, so by that does that make Taylor Swift better than Elvis? Nope. Carrie Underwood is a much vocalist and has a powerful voice. Taylor is nothing but a teeniebopper. She will dissapear in a couple of years. Carrie should have at least a 10 year career.
Carrie may be the better singer, but Taylor Swift is more musically gifted because she writes her own songs and plays more musical instruments. And for all you people who keep saying that all Taylor Swift writes about is boys, she DOESN”T. She actually has a lot of songs on her albums that have nothing to do with love. The following are NOT about boys. And these are just a few. She has a lot more.
A Place in This World
Change
Christmases Must be Something More
Lucky You
Santa Baby
Tied Together With a Smile
So she doesn’t just write about love. People say that about her when almost all of the singers today do, and she doesn’t. And she CAN sing live. Have you actually seen her in concert or did you just watch it on TV? I have seen her in concert and her voice was so angelic. Later on, I watched videos on Youtube of her performances and it sounded so different. The microphones on the cameras really mess everything up. I know what I heard that night, it was beautiful talent.
I like Carrie Underwood, and I think she is an amazing vocalist, but that’s all she is; an amazing vocalist. Taylor can write her own songs, play instruments, and sing too. She is amazing. She is an great role model for teenagers and she makes amazing songs that teenagers can relate to. She has helped so many teenagers figure out of their problems. Is that why you people call her a “teeniebopper?” People are always so quick to criticize her. She is just an 20 year old girl who writes what she feels. Have you tried doing that? The fact that she writes her own songs makes her a much better artist. How many singers today write their own songs? Not many. How many singers today have the courage to write what they feel? Not many. Many singers just have songs thrown at them written by other songwriters and all they do is sing it. Not much meaning there, is it? No. She writes what she thinks and what she feels, and it’s NOT all about love. Music is not just about entertainment, it’s about feelings too. Thats why teenagers like Taylor; she sings whats in her heart and teenagers like her songs. Yes, she is mostly popular amongst teenagers but so is a handful of music from today.
And lastly, country music has many different styles, not just one. I could name so many Carrie Underwood songs that barely sound like a country song at all but so what? Who really cares? Some people need to realize that classic country is so yesterday. It’s modern country now. Just saying.
So that was the end of my speech.
PEOPLE, COME ON, HOW IN THE WORLD CAN THERE BE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT WHOSE BEST OR WHOSE MORE BEAUTIFUL. CARRIE UNDERWOOD IS A VISION OF SHEER BEAUTY. I CANT STAND TO LOOK INTO HER EYES BECAUSE MY HEART STOPS. WHEN SHE SINGS, ITS LIKE GOD SENT DOWN AN ANGEL. NO MATTER WHAT SHE SINGS OR WHAT SHE WEARS, SHE IS THE MOST STUNNING ENTERTAINING WOMAN ON EARTH. I WOULD KILL JUST TO KNOW HER. HER BEAUTY IS TIMELESS AND HER TALENT UNQUESTIONABLE.
TAYLOR IS OK FOR NOW BUT SOONER OR LATER THE TEENY BOPPERS GROW UP AND TAYLORS CAREER WILL END.
CARRIE WILL BE SINGING UNTIL SHE GOES ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND EVEN THEY WILL MELT MY HEART. ROCK ON CARRIE, U ARE AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL. YOU ARE A GIFT FROM GOD TO ME.
I used to love taylor swift, but then i saw carrie underwood in concert and i was more inspired so carrie underwood went from 2nd onto my list to 1st. I realize that taylor may be very pretty, but looks can only get u so far. and for all of u ppl who are saying carrie doesnt write her own songs, well put a sock in it, cuz carrie does right her own songs. She is an angel and will go a lot farther than taylor swift.
Carrie Underwood all the way!
I won’t get into all the pitty debate about why i think carrie is better then taylor this says it all:U.S. | ENTERTAINMENT | MUSIC
Carrie Underwood was named country music’s top entertainer for the second year in a row, firmly taking her place among country music’s greats
It’s beautiful that Taylor plays guitar and co writes songs. It’s also great shes young. But her face is like aa bad plastic surgery result I cant even understand how people find her pretty :S I dont like country music but carrie seems like she knows her business in country music. but taylor obviously does pop and should stop lying and admit that
her songs are much more immature than miley cyrus and the music is nothing special too. and that video i dont remember the songs name, its totaly copy from avril’s girlfriend. taylors voice is also not much of a deal not even comparing it to carrie’s. I’m thinking taylor swift, with all that said, can be an idol of 13 and below ages, cause she has no talent to be a star but can be listened to the radio when other channels have advertisement on 
and her songs are emotional enough “im in love with this guy from my class and by in love i mean: i dont know his character hes just pretty, and he likes another girl” so… sorry but thats not enough for me :/ they cant even be compared cause again taylor swift makes a bad pop music. She can be compared to a.. disney channel tv show jingle maker 
carrie can be compared to a soul diva. How can you be stupid enough to start a sentence like “carrie can be a BETTER SINGER but taylor CAN PLAY INSTRUMENTS” yeh she plays but cannot create something respected? Duh >_>
All of yall guyz comments were made long time ago. Have u seen the stats nw. Taylor is the best country singer period. She hs sld da mst albums n has 23 top 40 sngs. She has bn named best artist 4 2009 by blbrd. N lets nt tok abt hr digital sales! Shes da top female wit digital sngs. Plus she’s 20. Wat yall xpct hr 2 write abt? Divorce plzzz!!! N she z pretty too. Reali nyc eyez
Carrie…who? End of comment.
This post is a but old; Taylor has new albums, and she has won outstanding awards. I will go for Taylor, because the fact it, Taylor writes her songs with compassion, whereas Carrie’s are like Miley’s—They are too straight to the point. Taylor devotes her time to be different from everyone else. If you look at their websites, you’ll see Taylor has put much more effort into it.
Some of the post may be old but at the 2010 country awards carrie won entertainer of the year for the 2nd year in a row she is true artist she’s beauutiful sings meanful songs and if awesome live taylor is the most annoyin person on earth that is one award id give to her. I’ve seen them both live and booed taylor and walked ouuta the arena. And I wouldn’t call playin an instrument playing like 2 chords a talent anyone can. She does look like a plastic surgery gone bad. She looks like an alien her songs are the most immmature things I’ve ever heard. So while Carrie is a classy sophicated performer Taylor is like a snot nose schrecking alien that needs to find a new career.
Snowie, Jess, and Emily, ya’ll need to stay quiet.
Taylor Swift is pop. Simple.
With a new extremely irritating pop album put out as country, she has shown no growth in musical talent, no depth in the understanding of the genre of country, no improvement in her vocals, and more importantly, no improvement in her songwriting.
Carrie on the other hand, has dabbled in pop, but has still paid her respects to country. She hasn’t turned away from what made her in the first place (Grand Ole Opry) and no one can scoff at her award winnings because she truly deserves them. If any of Carrie’s future albums go on to win Album of the Year at the Grammy’s, no one can say that she doesn’t deserve it. No one will complain in any way that her vocals are bad, but Taylor’s vocals will never even reach an average person’s capability. It really is embarrassing.
Yes, Carrie’s vocals are amazing but overall she’s the essence of a music artist. She goes out and does her own thing which results in the fans loving her, respecting her, and supporting her. Taylor on the other hand is brilliant at marketing and pushes herself in front of everyone’s noses which annoys them and then *she* complains about people being “Mean”. Seriously? If you “know what you’re doing” and “taking full responsibility for it” then own up to your faults. You’re on your myspace, youtube, twitter, and interviews talking about the importance of not changing who you are as a person and the importance of having good values, but you can’t have the one good value of continuing the honesty that you had built up with your fans.
No one had cared about the Carrie/Taylor American Idol comparisons until her record label president himself brought up that she sings with more emotion than any singer American Idol has produced. All of Taylor’s fans wanted to hear something like “I know I’m not the best singer but thank you for all of your support and I’ll promise to not only improve my vocals but also continue to write as well as I can and convey emotion through my songs.” So all of that “honesty” that she talked about with her fans now seems fake if she’s going to be “just another celebrity” that can’t even admit her own faults. No, Taylor, we’re not drunk and ranting on about how you can’t sing. Maybe you should just come out from hiding and admit that you really can’t sing.
Ok, so Taylor’s songwriting was what everybody had loved and respected in the first place. Alright, she was a teenager so she wrote teenage songs with teenage emotions. Once she lost the honesty with her fans and faced the backlash that resulted, she’s probably *never* going to be as honest with her fans because she’s not honest with herself either. Growing into adulthood means making adult mistakes that YOU have to face. It’s not anyone else’s actions that should be concentrated on, it’s your’s. It’s a beautiful, messy, frustrating time with new emotions that are more complex than teenage ones while they are wide open to write about. If she’s closed herself off to really feeling them, and masking her songs with different production styles to cover up the songwriting, then her songwriting is now a perpetually adolescent diary that has reached a peak.
It’s a very sad peak when her songwriting hasn’t matured from ages 12 to 20.
And Snowie, you are as much of a disgrace that can be expected for supporting Taylor as you clearly show that you lack articulate language. She’s the best country singer, with yadda yadda yadda sold? As if. She’s just a money making machine.
Carrie has come from a family background that was very average with all of her sisters marrying at a young age, but she took it upon herself to go to college and then audition for American Idol, beating out hundreds of thousands of people to become the winner. Taylor? Lived in a mansion on Grandview Blvd in Wyomissing HILLS, Pennsylvania and then moved down to Nashville where her multimillionaire father helped with the startup fees for Big Machine Records and paid for the album’s production. Over a couple million spent on “Taylor Swift”.
Who has humble beginnings?
I love Carrie because of her honesty in who she was from the beginning.
She didn’t try to tell me that to be good was to be perfect, but encouraged me that to be good was to be real.
- Clara
Try comparing Smokey Black Nights that Taylor wrote at 12 to Speak Now, Back to December, Mean, etc. at 19. Really? Shouldn’t an acclaimed songwriter write better? Embarrassing. It really is.
Longevity? No.
I like both of them but carrie is better at singing those high-pitched songs. Taylor is young, so her songs are also not so mature but they are nice… if i have to choose, i prefer carrie as she does not seem fake, she does not sing bcos of fame only. Some of Taylor’s songs are almost the same to me while carrie has many different styles. that’s what i think…:)
i think that talor is better because she sings much better
You have to be blind and deaf to think that Taylor is a better singer or prettier than Carrie! Carrie is obviously the better choose because her songs aren’t about petty teenage things.
Taylor can sing any kind of music and Carrie is strictly Country. I like’em both, why does there have to be a comparison. They are both good singers.