Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” is truly a force to be reckoned with—and not just because of its fiery lyrics.
Though the legendary track is nearly 20 years old, it continues to resonate with country music fans and spurned lovers alike.
On October 8, the iconic revenge anthem was named No. 98 in Rolling Stone’s ranking of “The 250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century So Far.”
“Every good country song needs a bit of drama, and a dose of campy excess doesn’t hurt, either. Carrie Underwood serves both in abundance in ‘Before He Cheats,’ the single that took her from promising American Idol winner to legit superstar,” the publication wrote.
“A ferocious, funny saga of a woman taking revenge on her unfaithful boyfriend, ‘Before He Cheats’ was penned by two dudes (Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear) who combined an eerie melody with an instantly memorable hook about a ‘pretty little souped-up four-wheel-drive’ that gets beat to h–l,” the outlet continued.
“Underwood sings it like she’s on dark-Ann–Wilson mode, a tornado of deliciously petty destruction. It’s an anthem perfect for girls’ night, gays’ night, and karaoke night,” the glowing review concluded.
Underwood, 42, released the hit track on November 15, 2005, as part of her debut studio album, Some Hearts.
The country icon—who first found stardom after winning the fourth season of American Idol and has since taken home eight Grammy Awards—later released “Before He Cheats” as a single in August 2006. Its music video has amassed over 202 million views on YouTube.
How Many Studio Albums Has Carrie Underwood Released?
Underwood has released a total of nine studio albums.
Following the massive success of Some Hearts, the megastar went on to release eight more studio albums, including:
- Carnival Ride (2007)
- Play On (2009)
- Blown Away (2012)
- Storyteller (2015)
- Cry Pretty (2018)
- My Gift (2020)
- My Savior (2021)
- Denim & Rhinestones (2022)
At this time, it’s unclear when the country superstar will release a tenth studio album, though fans can now preorder the Some Hearts (20th Anniversary Edition) exclusive vinyl from Target before its November 14 release date.
