Carrie Underwood Replaces Beloved 'Sunday Night Football' Star Faith Hill
May 7, 2013
Sunday night will now belong to Carrie Underwood.
NFL.com reports the country star, who rose to fame during season four of American Idol, will take over for Faith Hill as the singer of NBC's theme song for Sunday Night Football.
The network announced on Tuesday that Carrie Underwood would replace Faith Hill as the singer of its introductory theme song each week. Hill announced weeks ago she wouldn't be continuing with the show.
The same report reminds us that Underwood is no stranger to some NFL personnel. The first intro with Underwood as singer comes before a Dallas Cowboys game. As a matter of interest, Underwood used to date Cowboys QB Tony Romo.
As for the the decision to go with Underwood, Twitter seems to be in agreement that it was a wise choice. Well, as in agreement as a social media site like Twitter can be.
Mike Tunison @xmasapeHoping Carrie Underwood was selected for the Sunday Night Football theme just for the possibility that she might toss in a subtle Romo burn.
2013-5-7 20:46:24
Paul Pabst @PaulPabstNBC FNIA going from Faith Hill to Carrie Underwood is like the Colts going from Manning to Luck.
2013-5-7 20:33:54
Ryan Derksen @RyanDerksen7Carrie Underwood replacing Faith Hill for Sunday night football is probably the best decision NBC has ever made #inlove #SNF #NFL
2013-5-7 21:52:10
Back in April, Hill decided to step down as the theme-song performer, causing fans to scramble for the perfect replacement. Here is the fond farewell she offered on Twitter.
For those uninitiated, here is Hill singing the famed song, giving a sense of what Underwood will have to follow.
The two are hardly the same singer, but even the NFL.com report points out the look and style are similar, which might just make this a seamless transition.
In a sense, that's what seems to have happened with the Underwood selection. The 30-year-old star will be the third singer to tackle the anthem, following Hill, who replaced Pink's version—one fans never fully embraced—back in 2007.
There is no word as to whether Underwood will sing the hit "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night," as Hill did for six years before each marquee matchup or if the network will change things further.
It's clear the network was quite enamored with the musical style, tone and tenor that Hill brought to the production.
I imagine Underwood will bring much of what fans have grown to expect with the theme while also delivering something new and exciting.
NBC made the first good call of the season.
Hit me up on Twitter for more pop in your culture: Follow @gabezal.
