Carrie Underwood's third album, 'Play On', tops the sales charts

Taylor Swift may have just swept the CMAs but country's other lil darlin', Carrie Underwood, also has reason to cheer.

Underwood's third album, "Play On", claims the top spot on this week's Billboard 200. It's the second album from the "American Idol" winner to go No. 1 in the last two years.

More than 318,000 copies of the disc were sold, making it the year's biggest seller from a female artist.

Underwood's previous album, 2007's "Carnival Ride", sold 527,000 copies in its debut week. 

-- Denise Martin

Randy Lewis on Carrie Underwood's new album, 'Play On'

"American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood releases her third album, "Play On," today. Times staff writer Randy Lewis weighs in:

If there's a slam-dunk aspect to Carrie Underwood's third album, it's that she's handed her "American Idol" benefactors a theme song for the next episode of "Idol Gives Back." That song is "Change," an exercise in social responsibility that challenges the listener to stay open to the possibility that a small gesture can make a big difference.

Underwood puts that idea across convincingly -- it's one that also would do wonders for her music. Unfortunately, there are no small gestures here. As on 2007's "Carnival Ride," Underwood and producer Mark Bright lunge for one climactic crescendo after another at the expense of vocal nuance, lyric subtlety and even aural clarity, thanks to the excessive sonic compression again applied to most tracks. 

Of course, the same formula has helped her sell more albums than any other "Idol" alum, but "Play On" exhibits a distressing lack of dimension for a singer with Underwood's obvious abilities.

Read the full review on the L.A. Times' music blog Pop & Hiss.

-- Denise Martin

Photo: Carrie Underwood. Credit: Associated Press

An Idol Tracker's journey ends

Forgive me for interrupting regularly scheduled Idol news with some personal business, but I have an announcement to make to Idol Tracker readers. Tuesday will be my last day with the L.A. Times and thus my stint as the L.A. Times' Idol Tracker comes to an end.

It has been an amazing three years covering the most important spectacle in the history of the world.  Three years ago, when we started the Show Tracker blog, I volunteered to write the occasional review of the occasional episode of "Idol," never imagining my life would disappear down the "Idol" rabbit hole.  But then I came face to face with the incredible stories of these young people, these warriors of song, who every year risked the worst fate any of us can imagine -- public humiliation before tens of millions -- all for a shot at their dreams.  I also got to meet the incredibly talented group of people who put the show together and on so many occasions was allowed to peek backstage at what goes into creating a goliath like "Idol."

So many memories from three years on the "Idol" beat.  Come with me now on a little stroll down Memory Boulevard, as we visit an Idol Tracker's greatest days, with a few of the pictures and videos I've snapped over the years.  Ah, yes, I remember it well ....

A Carrie Underwood special exhibit

A special exhibit on "American Idol" star Carrie Underwood will open June 11 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN. Underwood's much-discussed lavish maroon gown from the 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards will be featured. Her official site explains:

"The show-stopping dress, which was created by Miami-based designer Rafael Cennamo, features 120 yards of fabric and an eight-foot-long train. Underwood wore the voluminous confection during her April 5 performance of her hit song “I Told You So” (written and recorded originally by Randy Travis). “It was an honor to wear such a beautiful dress during one of the most special nights of my life. I truly felt like a princess!” says Underwood."

The Carrie Underwood: All American Girl exhibit will be open through the end of the year. Admission is included with a museum ticket.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Catching up with Bo Bice

Bo Bice, “American Idol” Season 4 runner-up to Carrie Underwood, is fresh off the heels of a three week tour and enjoying life in Nashville with his wife and two young musically inclined sons, Aidan and Caleb.  Aidan, 3, “loves to play on his guitars and drums and he sings. He loves Rock Band -- he does ‘Slow Ride’ very well, he knows almost all the words.” And anytime Caleb, 8 months, “sees an instrument or somebody singing, he’s all over it.”

After trying to make it as a songwriter in Nashville “about a decade ago," Alabama-born Bice, 33, returned to make it his home, and it’s much better this time ‘round. The Bice family have been Nashville-based for four years now.

“It’s nice being here now and being able to really have my dreams come true — being able to write and produce music here," he said. "And then on top of everything else, it’s just a beautiful town here in the South.”

The long-haired former “Idol” started his own record label there, Sugar Money, and has a recording studio that keeps him busy in Music City. Still, Bice enjoys touring near and far — particularly when he’s able to play for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq as he did last year with Stars for Stripes.

Carrie Underwood on 'Oprah' on Tuesday

"American Idol's" favorite country pop princess (and ACM entertainer of the year!) Carrie Underwood will be a guest on Oprah's show Tuesday.

Other guests on the upcoming country music episode will include Nashville-based stars Kenny Chesney and Sugarland. Former ACM Entertainer of the Year Chesney performed his new single "Out Last Night" at the Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday, where Sugarland also performed -- and took home an award for top vocal duo.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Carrie Wins!

Our friends at the Pop and Hiss blog have  complete coverage of the big night for American Idol's Golden Girl, including a mixed review for her perfomances.

Todd Martens writes:

Carrie Underwood's red lava colored dress and "I Told You So." This dress was big news. Reports from the rehearsals had the press sworn to secrecy on it, and Underwood herself was quoted as saying it was like "lava." It even got teased on the commercial break. All this attention meant the dress was at risk of overshadowing the song, which is a shame, since Underwood showed off her vocal prowess with her take on the Randy Travis ballad -- although she emphasized the heartache rather than the nuance. As for the dress, the thing was spread across half the stage, and the scarlet-colored outfit could have housed an entire band in its train. It's tough to buy despair from a girl with an outfit this grandiose. B-

On her part in the opening medly, Todd is more enthusiastic.  Read it all here.

The Envelope's best and worst report was also pretty wow'ed by the cosume change.

We at Idoltracker however extend our heartiest congratulations to the little girl we saw grow up before our eyes on the Idol stage.

-- Richard Rushfield

Photo: Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)

'American Idols' at Sunday's ACM awards

Tune in to CBS Sunday April 5 at 8 p.m. for the 44th Academy of Country Music awards, where "American Idol" alums Kellie Pickler and Carrie Underwood will be. Pickler is presenting and Underwood is nominated for four awards, including Entertainer of the Year. There's still time to vote! The ceremony will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Other stars with plans to attend are Billy Ray Cyrus, Matthew McConaughey and Martina McBride. Reba McEntire will host.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Vote for Kellie

"American Idol" Season 5 hopeful turned country star Kellie Pickler is up against some stiff competition. Not Taylor Hicks or Katharine McPhee, but Dolly Parton and Kenny Chesney! On CMT Power Picks, the viewers decide which music videos get played. Pickler is in the running for Monday April 6 and Tuesday April 7. Maybe an "Idol" past brings good luck? Carrie Underwood's "I Told You So" recently beat fellow Nashville resident Keith Urban's "You Look Good In My Shirt".

You can vote at CMT.com during the show, which airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Get Carrie Underwood's flirty style

"American Idol" alum and fashionable girl about town Carrie Underwood graces the cover of People's April Style Watch magazine. The "I Told You So" singer dishes on her must-have items, which include Victoria's Secret Pink sweats and Tarte body shimmer. But her "never-fail" outfit is "jeans and a T-shirt." The article highlights Underwood's "All-American" style and has comments from the cover girl on past red carpet outfits. "Idol" relations also pop up in the mag -- dresses of Kellie Pickler pal Taylor Swift are featured in the Guilt-Free shopping section, as well as a photo of Simon Cowell's ex, Terri Seymour, with crimped hair in the Beauty department. The chic read is on newsstands now.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins