Carrie Underwood tells Entertainment Weekly that she intentionally made her new album, Carnival Ride, set for release tomorrow, more country than her first album.
"The first one definitely had a different purpose to serve," she says. "I'd gained a big following from "Idol"' of people who were not all country music listeners. I want to be a country artist in a country world with country fans. We had to figure out a way, even if they're not country music fans, to make them country music fans."
Carrie says she's aware that some people consider her more of a crossover artist than a true country singer, but she's adamant that country is where she belongs. "Okay, here's my thing: On Top 40 stations, nobody cares that you'll have Fergie next to 50 Cent. They're different. Why can't you have me next to somebody that's more traditional country? You can call me 'not country' until your face is blue, but I sing country music."
Carrie says she's learning not to take other people's opinions personally. "I've learned this, that haters wanna hate. You could sing a song perfectly, you could write the songs perfectly, and some people are absolutely going to hate you."