USA Today: Six Country Gals Conditioned By Reality TV

davilas · 10-01-2008, 08:52 PM

Six country gals conditioned by reality TV - USATODAY.com

There are Carrie mentions in some of the writeups on other country blondes with reality TV links too.

Quote:

They have the golden ticket: Six of the 13 solo female acts now in the country charts' top 40 (album or single) are blondes who found fame on TV. "So what else is new?" asks radio consultant Jaye Albright. "One label finds something that works, and every label now wants two of them." USA TODAY assesses if their prospects match up with their blond ambitions.

Carrie Underwood

•TV series:American Idol (Season 4)
•Country chart debut: June 2005
•Current single:Just a Dream, No. 5
Blond highlights: Overcame the country community's aversion to her TV origins with humility and huge songs. Since winning Idol, the 25-year-old singer has become a core country artist, with 9 million albums sold. She's the Country Music Association's reigning female vocalist and up again for 2008.
Looking blonde-ly ahead: "She's young, she's beautiful, she loves country," says Gregg Swedberg, program director at KEEY in Minneapolis. "She's queen of the format."

Miranda Lambert

•TV series:Nashville Star
•Country chart debut: October 2004
•Current single: More Like Her, No. 42
Blond highlights: Lambert, 24, seems to have gotten television's benefits (she placed third) without its pressure: Her career trajectory has been slower and more stable than that of her blond peers. Gunpowder & Lead, her seventh single, became her first top 10 hit this summer, and she's competing with Underwood for the CMA female-vocalist trophy.
Looking blonde-ly ahead: Country fans "all want to be Carrie, but they see themselves in Miranda," Swedberg says.

Kellie Pickler

•TV series:American Idol (Season 5)
•Chart debut: September 2006
•Current single

on't You Know You're Beautiful, No. 24
Blond highlights: Pickler, 22, who finished sixth on Idol, may always operate in Underwood's shadow. But by borrowing Dolly Parton's dumb-blonde-but-not-really shtick, Pickler has carved out a niche. She's sold 800,000 copies of her debut album (her second is new this week) without a top 10 hit.
Looking blonde-ly ahead: "I'm waiting for her to have a giant hit," says program director Mike Moore of KWJJ in Portland, Ore.

Julianne Hough

•TV series

ancing With the Stars
•Country chart debut: March 2008
•Current single:My Hallelujah Song, No. 61
Blond highlights: Radio has shown only marginal interest in the DWTS hoofer, but Hough, 20, does have an audience. Single That Song in My Head, released in March, remains a top 50 country download on iTunes. Hough's self-titled album has sold more than 200,000 units — a figure likely to increase now that the new DWTS season has begun.
Looking blonde-ly ahead: She isn't "all the way home yet, but she stands a chance because she's hard not to like," Swedberg says.

Jessica Simpson

•TV series:Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica
•Country chart debut: June 2008
•Current single: Remember That, No. 54
Blond highlights: Simpson, 28, is obviously not just a TV star, though her MTV run certainly raised her profile. For pop princesses who go country, getting attention is easy; gaining respect is another matter. Single Come On Over fizzled in the mid-teens on radio, but the jury's still out: Second single Remember That is already iTunes' top country download.
Looking blonde-ly ahead: "She's running into some resistance," Moore says. But "she's really committed to this."

Kristy Lee Cook

•TV show:American Idol (Season 7)
•Chart debut: August 2008
•Current single:15 Minutes of Shame, No. 36
Blond highlights: If Hough and Simpson have struggled to climb the charts, Cook, 24, has barely gotten a toehold. Her Why Wait album has sold fewer than 15,000 copies in two weeks, and her single has barely cracked the top 40. The single's title is an unfortunate choice for someone whose Idol performances were judged "whiny" and "horrendous."
Looking blonde-ly ahead: "It'll be interesting to see whether or not she stands out on her own away from Idol," Moore says.

kewlie78189 · 10-01-2008, 09:05 PM

I don't know what I would have done if Carrie had not come into my life!

Jade_kt · 10-01-2008, 09:29 PM

Carrie is the only one that does it for me. The rest are just nice.

Cps235 · 10-01-2008, 11:14 PM

Carrie truly made an impact on my life. She is truly an remarkable talent that is hard to find. Carrie Underwood will always be the Queen of Country Music!

The Raz Man · 10-02-2008, 02:41 PM

Carrie is one of two people who litererly saved my life!

carries1gurl · 10-02-2008, 07:13 PM

Carrie is just SO amazing.
I can't even describe it.
She's affected my life sooooo much<3

mikeyhba · 10-02-2008, 11:39 PM

Another thoughtful commentary, though I'm kinda tired of the "they're all blonde" stuff...

Carrie, Miranda, & Kellie are the new generation of Country women...Each bring different strengths to the table...Each of them will chart their own path & have longevity in Country music...

Collectively, with Carrie in the lead, they will shatter the glass ceiling & make their way into the "Good ole Boys" club of Country...It'll be fun to watch...

Have a Great Carrie night, everyone!

Carrie_Rocks_The_House · 10-02-2008, 11:45 PM

Carrie will always be number 1

Triquetral · 10-03-2008, 01:28 AM

Kellie isnt all bad as well. I quite like her latest emponyous album...its quite good

. Some interesting beats that i like. Still doesnt compare to Carrie but yeah.....

Kristy's CD...well....yeah its just ok....beats out Jessica Simpsons lol but just ok.

Carrie always reigns as No.1 !!!

carriefan0825 · 10-03-2008, 05:30 AM

carrie is amazing.

i like julianne though.

Brie26 · 10-04-2008, 12:06 AM

I like Kellie, but I bought Jessica's album and its is really good! I know most people here don't like Jessica, but it really is a great bunch of songs. Of course....I Love Carrie!! Can't wait for the re-release with Christmas tunes!!!

marquee · 10-04-2008, 06:24 AM

Carrie will always be number 1!! yay!

I like Kellie and KLC, the rest..... meh.