When the Backstage Whisper Became Reality: Carrie Underwood and CeCe Winans Ignite the ACM Awards with a Soul-Stirring Performance That Transcended Expectations! Experience the Unforgettable Moment as They Command the Stage, Merging Powerful Voices and Uplifting Hymns That Left Audiences Breathless. Discover the Heartfelt Journey Behind Carrie’s Gospel Album ‘My Savior’ and Why This Performance is Being Called the Greatest Ever!

“You’re not ready for this…” That was the whisper backstage — and seconds later, Carrie Underwood and CeCe Winans proved it to be absolutely true. The moment they stepped onto the ACM Awards stage, the entire atmosphere shifted. Not the usual excitement — but the feeling that something extraordinary was about to happen.

 

Consider us saved by Carrie Underwood!

 

Carrie Underwood performing on a stage.

Carrie Underwood really gave it her all when it came time to use her voice for praise. The country star belted her heart out at the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards, commanding the stage for seven minutes as she sang tracks from My Savior, her gospel album.

 

ACM Awards 2021: Carrie Underwood & CeCe Winans Perform Gospel Medley

She was joined by gospel star CeCe Winans, and the combination of their powerful voices (and the backing of a full choir) is so uplifting.

 

“In my opinion, THE greatest ACM performance of ALL TIME!!” one commenter wrote on YouTube. Added another fan, “Can we talk about how well CeCe and Carrie bounced off one another? Powerhouse vocals from both. Seriously amazing.”

 

How Carrie Underwood chose the hymns for My Savior

 

Underwood’s eighth studio album overall, My Savior (released in 2021), was her first foray into Gospel music.

 

“These were just songs I grew up singing. I went to a very small Baptist church in my hometown of Checotah, Oklahoma. We would file in and sit in the pews and they’d say, ‘Open your hymnals to page…’ or whatever. And off we went,” she told NPR.

 

She continued, “When we started out making our list for the album, it was a very long list of songs to sing. And I knew I had my pillars: I wanted to record ‘How Great Thou Art’ and ‘Softly and Tenderly,’ because those are ones I’ve been singing over the years in live situations. And ‘Just As I Am’ was another one, because that was our altar call song.”

 

How Underwood’s audience changes in the studio versus on stage

 

“When I’m on stage, I’m singing to the fans. And I’m also singing for myself, you know, because it’s it just feels good to sing. I’m a bird, that’s how God made me. But I’m singing for them,” she said in the same interview.

 

When it comes to the recording booth, however, it’s a different story: “When I made this album, I’m performing for an audience of one. I’m gonna cry talking about it, but… The whole time I was in the studio, any time I get to sing these songs, I close my eyes and I’m the only person in the room. It’s my heart for God.”