Carrie Underwood Teases ‘Exciting’ GRAMMYs Performance Of ‘Ghost Story’

On Sunday evening, Carrie Underwood will return to the GRAMMYs stage for the first-ever televised performance of her just-released new single, “Ghost Story.” 

Ahead of “Music’s Biggest Night,” the seven-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee opened up about her performance and the opportunity to perform during the coveted awards show. 

“Well, I can’t give away too much about my performance but, you know, it’s just exciting to perform a new song that I love and, yeah, just do it in a way that nobody’s seen before because nobody’s seen it,” she teased in a backstage clip shared by CBS and The Recording Academy. “It’s my first performance of this song. So, I’m just excited!”

Underwood is one of three country artists set to perform during the broadcast and said she is thrilled to be there representing the genre alongside her peers. 

“I’m always excited to see my fellow country music artists on stage so I’m always looking forward to their performances and, like, internally excited and cheering for them,” the Oklahoma native shared. “So, Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne, it’s nice to see some familiar faces on the stage.” 

Underwood is currently nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “If I Didn’t Love You,” her duet with fellow country star Jason Aldean, and Best Roots Gospel Album for her 2021 release, My Savior. 

ICYMI: Jason Aldean is not attending the 2022 GRAMMY Awards. 

“Ghost Story” arrived in mid-March and serves as the lead single from Underwood’s yet-to-be-announced next studio album. 

The track is unlike anything fans have heard from the superstar as “Ghost Story” takes a new spin on a revenge song. 

“Instead of smashing headlights, this scorned lover is letting her ex know that she will continue to haunt him no matter how hard he tries to forget her,” Underwood explains of the track, which was co-written by Josh Kear, Hillary Lindsey and David Garcia and co-produced by Garcia and Underwood.

“I’m gonna be your ghost story/ That keeping you up all night memory/ I’ll be haunting you, you’ll be wanting me/ I’m gonna be your ghost story,” she sings on the chorus. 

The seven-time GRAMMY winner later promises, “You’ll be sitting at home drinking ’bout me/ When I’m out with my friends at the bar/ But there ain’t enough whiskey/ For you not to miss me/ I’ll be waiting at the bottom of the bottle in the dark.” 

Sonically, “Ghost Story” is reminiscent of some of her earlier releases and some fans have compared it to her Blown Away era. Tinged with eerie breaths of air and whispers throughout, “Ghost Story” does in fact stand out with a sound of its own. 

“‘Ghost Story’ is a thrilling, dramatic song that David, Hillary and Josh wrote for me,” Underwood shares.  “They are such talented, amazing songwriters who know me so well, and from the first time I heard it I knew I had to record it.  I have always loved performing songs that tell a story and inspire some kind of cinematic imagery when you hear them, and that is definitely true of ‘Ghost Story.’  It creates a mood and a vibe that is different than anything else I’ve recorded before.”

The 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3, 2022, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on the CBS Television Network.