Storyteller

*Storyteller* marks 10 years since Carrie Underwood left *American Idol* with a recording contract and a Mustang convertible—a journey that transformed her from TV-show contestant into country royalty. Led by the rebellious anthem “Smoke Break,” the album deftly toes the line between crossover material (“Chaser”) and Nashville traditions (“The Girl You Think I Am”), with special weight given to the five-handkerchief ballads that have always been Underwood’s calling card—made all the more bittersweet by her newfound life as wife and mother.

Check out our album review of Artist's Storyteller on Rolling Stone.com.

Storyteller