Carrie Underwood has always had a soft spot for powerful story songs—but what really sets her apart is how she brings those stories to life on screen. Over the years, she’s delivered music videos that feel less like simple visuals and more like short films, complete with drama, emotion, and unforgettable twists. Three of her most talked-about videos prove just how fearless she is as a storyteller.
Released in 2006, “Before He Cheats” became Underwood’s first No. 1 hit and a defining moment of her career. Written by Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear, the song appears on her debut album Some Hearts. The video opens with Underwood vandalizing her cheating partner’s truck—keying it, smashing it with a baseball bat, and leaving destruction in her wake. As she strolls through downtown Nashville, the tension builds until she finally crosses paths with the man who inspired it all. Interestingly, Underwood has admitted she nearly passed on the song, worried it was too aggressive for her “sweet farm girl” image after American Idol.
Another dramatic standout is “Blown Away,” the title track from her fourth studio album. Also penned by Tompkins and Kear, the song tells the haunting story of a young girl who survives an abusive home and escapes a deadly tornado—while her father does not. The video leans into the cinematic nature of the song, using powerful visuals and special effects to depict the storm’s destruction. Underwood has described it as “a beautiful movie in song form,” noting how the story allows the listener to feel both sorrow and relief as the character’s painful chapter comes to an end.
Following that release, Underwood shocked fans again with “Two Black Cadillacs.” Co-written with Hillary Lindsey and Josh Kear, the song unfolds at a funeral where a wife and a mistress realize they share the same secret—and the same motive. Inspired loosely by Stephen King’s Christine, the video features Underwood in a vintage black Cadillac that ultimately becomes an instrument of revenge. The eerie twist and dark humor made it one of her most memorable visuals.
Underwood has said she loves videos with plot twists that add depth rather than simply repeating the lyrics. Many of the concepts come directly from her own imagination, and her hands-on approach has helped turn these songs into lasting visual moments fans still talk about today.