Carrie Underwood may be preparing to trade Nashville polish for screaming guitars-and she has reportedly enlisted Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose to help guide her into rock music.
Sources told TMZ that Rose has become something of a mentor to Underwood as she experiments with a heavier sound. The country superstar has reportedly returned to the recording studio to develop an experimental project, although neither Underwood nor her representatives have officially announced a rock album.
The pairing may appear unexpected to casual listeners, but Underwood's rock ambitions have been hiding in plain sight for years. She famously brought Rose onstage during her 2022 Stagecoach performance for explosive renditions of "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City." She later opened selected dates for Guns N' Roses in 2023-and even asked Rose to help choose the rock covers for her set.
Underwood has made no secret of her admiration for Rose. She previously explained that she learned to sing by attempting material from demanding vocalists and was fascinated by the Guns N' Roses singer's seemingly impossible vocal abilities.
Now that admiration may be developing into a full-blown musical makeover.
The latest rumors arrive shortly after Underwood shocked concertgoers at Iowa's Velocity Festival by covering Limp Bizkit's "Break Stuff," Linkin Park's "One Step Closer," Papa Roach's "Scars" and Collective Soul's "Shine." Wearing a backward red cap during the Limp Bizkit cover, the usually glamorous country star appeared ready to unleash an entirely different side of herself.
The performance divided fans. Some applauded Underwood for refusing to remain trapped inside country music's boundaries, while others wondered whether hearing the woman behind "Jesus, Take the Wheel" roar through a Limp Bizkit anthem was one reinvention too far.
Underwood has previously said rock concerts feel like "freedom" to her and refused to rule out making a rock album. Her catalog has always contained muscular guitars and dramatic vocals, particularly on songs such as "Before He Cheats," "Blown Away" and "Church Bells." The rumored project could therefore represent an intensification of sounds already present in her music rather than a complete abandonment of country.
There is also little reason for country fans to panic just yet. Underwood remains booked to headline the Barefoot Country Music Fest in New Jersey in June 2027. She has not announced that she is leaving country music, and the rock sessions could produce anything from several experimental songs to a side project or full album.
Her Christian identity is also unlikely to disappear simply because the guitars become louder. Underwood has consistently recorded faith-centered music, including the gospel album My Savior, while simultaneously celebrating hard rock and metal. For her, sacred hymns and arena-sized guitar riffs have never been mutually exclusive.
The biggest unanswered question is whether Rose will merely advise Underwood or actually appear on the recordings. After their previous performances together, another duet would hardly be surprising. If the reports prove accurate, country music's most powerful voice may be preparing to enter the jungle-and this time, Axl Rose is showing her the way.
