WATCH: Carrie Underwood Stuns With Electrifying Drum Solo In 2023 ‘Sunday Night Football’ Opening
The “surprise new element” is Underwood on the drums and it’s EPIC.
Carrie Underwood Sunday Night Football 2023
Carrie Underwood made her triumphant return to NBC’s Sunday Night Football, kicking off the matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants with an all-new show open on Sunday evening (Sept. 10).
The dazzling opening included the eight-time GRAMMY winner performing an updated rendition of “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night,” a play on Joan Jett’s 1988 hit, “I Hate Myself For Loving You.”
The video opens with Underwood being lowered down onto the stage from above. Donning a black metallic bodysuit, the CMA Entertainer of the Year nominee commanded the stage as she belted out the lyrics to the SNF anthem.
2023 Sunday Night Football Opening
Ahead of the debut of the show opening, Underwood and SNF teased that it would feature a “surprise new element,” which appears to be an epic drum solo by Underwood herself. Later, she tosses the mic into the audience and shows off her drum skills on a CU-branded drum kit that fans first saw on her Denim & Rhinestones Tour earlier this year.
The performance clips of Underwood were filmed at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas and were interspersed throughout the video, which also included augmented reality highlights displayed across a halo scoreboard.
How Many Years Has Carrie Underwood Done Sunday Night Football?
This marks Underwood’s 11th consecutive season starring in the Sunday Night Football show opening. She has been the face of SNF since 2013.
“Once again, the incredible Sunday Night Football team came up with a fresh, exciting visual concept that really gave us a chance to play,” Underwood previously shared in a statement. “I loved shooting the show open again this year at our home away from home, The Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, and can’t wait for another season of football!”
“We’re thrilled to work with Carrie to capture a new vision for this season’s show open. It sets the tone for the broadcast and pays tribute to the teams, star players and fans in a fun and dynamic way,” Tripp Dixon, creative director of the SNF show open for each of the past 11 years, added.
Who Did Carrie Underwood Replace On Sunday Night Football?
The superstar took on the Sunday Night Football opening slot beginning in the 2013 season (country music icon Faith Hill previously starred in the show opening for six years). Since then, she’s performed “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night,” which is a reprised version of Joan Jett’s 1988 hit, “I Hate Myself For Loving You,” nearly every year with the exception of two years.
Las Vegas Residency
Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, where the performance portions of the SNF opening were filmed, is the home of her ongoing residency, REFLECTION.
The superstar’s electrifying Las Vegas Residency will continue through December of 2023.
September: 20, 22-23, 27, 29-30
November: 29
December: 1-2, 6, 8-9, 13, 15-16
Click HERE to purchase tickets for upcoming shows.
Carrie Underwood’s return to Las Vegas comes on the heels of her wildly successful 43-city U.S. arena tour, The Denim & Rhinestones Tour. The trek made its way around the country beginning last fall and stopped in Nashville with a few surprises in March.
Carrie’s Country
Following the tour, Carrie Underwood announced plans to launch her very own SiriusXM Channel, CARRIE’S COUNTRY.
She officially launched the new channel on Friday, June 9 when she appeared live and in-person at SiriusXM’s Music Row Happy Hour at the Margaritaville Cafe in Nashville with SiriusXM host Buzz Brainard.
SiriusXM Channel
“I’m thrilled to partner with SiriusXM on my new channel,” Underwood previously said in a press release. “I can’t wait to welcome listeners into my personal musical universe, sharing my favorite music across all of the genres I love, from classic rock to the latest in country.”
Listeners can expect CARRIE’S COUNTRY to be a musical journey that highlights Underwood’s friends, favorite tracks, and influences, from new and classic country, to classic and hard rock, workout hits, gospel, and more. This set of music will be the ideal soundtrack for any exercise routines, road trips and late-night jam sessions. The channel will also unveil stories behind the female songstress’ music, her record-breaking career, and life on the road.
Fans can listen to CARRIE’S COUNTRY on SiriusXM channel 60 as well as on the SXM App.
On top of her return to Vegas and the launch of CARRIE’S COUNTRY, Carrie Underwood also announced plans to release Denim & Rhinestones (Deluxe Edition) with six new tracks. The new release drops on September 22. The deluxe edition includes the recently released tracks “Take Me Out” and “Give Her That.”
2023 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sun. Sept. 10 Week 1 Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Sun. Sept. 17 Week 2 Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
Sun. Sept. 24 Week 3 Pittsburgh Steelers at Las Vegas Raiders
Sun. Oct. 1 Week 4 Kansas City Chiefs at New York Jets
*Sun. Oct. 8 Week 5 Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers
*Sun. Oct. 15 Week 6 New York Giants at Buffalo Bills
*Sun. Oct. 22 Week 7 Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles
*Sun. Oct. 29 Week 8 Chicago Bears at L.A. Chargers
*Sun. Nov. 5 Week 9 Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals
*Sun. Nov. 12 Week 10 N.Y. Jets at Las Vegas Raiders
*Sun. Nov. 19 Week 11 Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos
**Thurs. Nov. 23 Week 12 San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
*Sun. Nov. 26 Week 12 Baltimore Ravens at L.A. Chargers
*Sun. Dec. 3 Week 13 Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers
*Sun. Dec. 10 Week 14 Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
*Sun. Dec. 17 Week 15 Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars
Sat. Dec. 23
(4:30 p.m. ET) Week 16 Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sat. Dec. 23
(8:00 p.m. ET) Week 16 Buffalo Bills at L.A. Chargers *PEACOCK*
*Sun. Dec. 31 Week 17 Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
*Sun. Jan. 7 Week 18 TBD
*Flex Week
** Thanksgiving Night Game
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
