Photos Of Carrie Underwood That Make Us Miss Her Old Face

Carrie Underwood possesses one of the best singing voices in the entire industry, but it's her looks that often end up dominating the online discourse. Sometimes it's people's fascination with her style transformation through the years. Other times they wonder if Underwood should fire her stylists, because even her killer legs fail to save some of the awful outfits she's worn to red carpets and live performances. Then there's the country singer's wild facial makeover in side-by-side photos, which has prompted its fair share of heated debate on social media platforms.

It's true that Underwood has weathered many changes, but she candidly admits to them. Not only that, but her infamous 2017 tumble resulted in a whopping 40 to 50 stitches that fundamentally changed the shape of her face. At this point, we've now had years to get used to the new look and any other cosmetic procedure she's decided to embrace along the way. Yet looking back at some of the older photos, we can't help but reminisce about the wide-eyed beauty with an easy smile who won our hearts on "American Idol" all those years ago. So, to appreciate how far she's come and how much she's changed, we're diving into some of Carrie Underwood's earliest looks, from her rise to fame all the way to the incident that catalyzed her most dramatic shift in appearance.

If any celebrity ever perfectly embodied the phrase "fresh-faced beauty," it was Carrie Underwood at the 2007 Grammys. After winning the 4th season of "American Idol" in 2005, the burgeoning singer had already begun her rise to country music stardom. And the optics from that era perfectly encapsulate what it means to be country: Enhancing your natural features rather than exaggerating them. Looking back on that period, it's genuinely striking how far Underwood has come.

There is a certain aura of unrehearsed, not-yet-camera-trained innocence that you find in celebrities who've only been around for a short time. Carrie Underwood's induction into the Grand Ole Opry in May 2008 marked one such instance, and photos from that night highlight how her natural and uncertain pose used to play into her relatability and approachable persona. You can even see that her expressions are genuine, every flicker of emotion unreservedly registering on her face. When all is said and done, there's a nostalgic quality to these photos — and this particular era — that no degree of professional stardom can replicate.

By 2010, Carrie Underwood was no longer the uncertain newcomer. Posing in the press room at the CMT Music Awards with two newly won trophies in hand, Underwood was beaming with joy, knowing that she'd well and truly made it in Nashville circles. Sure, this might have just been the prelude to all the success and attention that was yet to come. But the singer's countenance was still unburdened by the long years that she and her polished peers have spent under the unforgiving lights of stardom and relentless media attention.

For much of Carrie Underwood's career, her look was defined by blonde, wavy hair that cascaded down her shoulders in a way that practically shouted Nashville glamour. This photo of Underwood from the 46th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in April 2011 captures that aesthetic at its absolute peak. But take note of her makeup, which has been applied with a heavier hand compared to some of those earlier appearances. It signals to the industry and her fans that Underwood is not afraid of reinventing herself — or even maturing beyond the girl-next-door image that launched her career.

At the 2013 Academy of Country Music Awards, Carrie Underwood pulled up to the red carpet looking like someone who knew this was where she belonged. We've come to expect that angular, chiseled quality from Underwood in recent years, but here you can see how the natural roundness of her face gives her smile that genuine and natural warmth. With wispy bangs framing her face and a bold strapless dress, Underwood demonstrated what hard-earned success looks like and how far she'd come since her "American Idol" days. The appearance is particularly tinged with nostalgia because it marked a transition period from country music darling to full-on A-list celebrity, which brings us to the next photo.

2015 was a transitional moment for Carrie Underwood, sitting somewhere between her Nashville-princess aesthetic and the dominant sophistication to come thanks to the "Storyteller" album. Photos from her appearance at the AMAs show the subtle changes that were already taking root. Underwood's shoulder-length lob marks a departure from the long waves that had defined her image for nearly a decade, and her face was also undergoing a transformation. The smoky eye and nude lip combo created a fashion-forward look that suggested Underwood was ready to embrace a more refined image and hinted at the dramatic changes still to come.

With many of Carrie Underwood's most controversial moments yet to come, this appearance at the 2017 Country Music Association Awards happened mere days before her accident in November 2017. She stole the show with a royal blue off-the-shoulder gown that confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt she's one of the most stunning celebrities of our time. Looking at this photo, with the knowledge of what came a little while later, gives it an eerie quality. It's almost like a last glimpse of a face that would later be badgered with incessant "before and after" comparisons on social media. For fans who've followed her since the "American Idol" days, this photo represents a version of Carrie Underwood that many still miss to this day.