Carrie Underwood's 2012 CD, Blown Away. Photo courtesy of Sony Music Nashville.

With more than 14 million albums sold worldwide, 14 No. 1 singles, with six as co-writes, five Grammys, and countless other accolades—all achieved with three albums in less than seven years—Carrie Underwood remains ever-passionate, fueled by a restless creative spirit, good-natured competitive streak, and abundance of God-given talent. And now, Carrie unleashes her most ambitious project yet with Blown Away.

Teaming again with producer Mark Bright, Carrie delivers a 14-song collection that covers a particularly vast expanse of emotional territory. She celebrates the understated pleasures of small-town living in "Thank God For Hometowns" and explores the exquisite fragility of life in "Forever Changed." She’s not averse to tackling abuse and betrayal then doling out a little sweet revenge with such compelling tracks as "Blown Away" and "Two Black Cadillacs." Musically the songs range from rollicking up-tempo anthems, such as her smash first single "Good Girl" to the island-flavored escape of "One Way Ticket" and the steel guitar-laced country lament of "Wine After Whiskey."

Such musical and lyrical diversity is the foundation of Carrie’s artistry. After all, this is a young woman who in the past year scored a No. 1 country hit with good friend Brad Paisley on "Remind Me," and sang with the iconic Tony Bennett on this year’s GRAMMY telecast, delivering the classic "It Had To Be You," their collaboration on Bennett’s Duets II album.

The Oklahoma native is a fan of all types of music, yet she’s purposefully planted herself in the country format, even while her eclectic tastes have influenced her creative output. She’s been careful to not get pigeonholed and prides herself on not being predictable. "I feel like I’ve taken all of my albums into as many different directions as possible while still keeping them cohesive," she says. "I love this album from start to finish and love every song on it. There’s not one single song that’s like another song I’ve ever done. I think it’s my best album. I really do think there’s something for everyone."

Her ability to be unique yet accessible has been crucial to Carrie’s career from the beginning. She became America’s sweetheart in 2005 when she won the fourth season of American Idol, a vehicle that transformed her from a shy Oklahoma girl with a great voice to a budding superstar. Since then she’s become the popular franchise’s most successful alum.

She’s won a vast array of awards including three female vocalist awards from both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). In 2010, when Carrie garnered her second win as ACM Entertainer of the Year, she became the first female artist to win the award twice, and only the 7th female to take the award in the 40-year history of the ACM category, among Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, and the Dixie Chicks. Thanks to her past wins for the categories of Entertainer of the Year, Top Female Vocalist, and Top New Female Vocalist, Carrie also received the ACM Triple Crown Award, which has been won by only one other female artist—Barbara Mandrell in 2004. In addition to the above, Carrie’s won 6 American Music Awards, 6 People’s Choice Awards, 9 American Country Awards, and 7 BMI Songwriter Awards. Carrie also received a Golden Globe nomination in 2010 for Best Original Song for "There’s A Place For Us," which she recorded and co-wrote for Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader.