Carrie’s star power shone through in her major release of the year, her album Blown Away, which hit stores in May. The album, featuring the dramatic title single, showed a darker edge to Carrie’s artistry, but she pulled it off with considerable confidence and style, while first single “Good Girl” captured her in top, up-tempo form.

This past year, Carrie also returned to the performing stage with her Blown Away Tour, which served to showcase her international appeal, playing to sold-out houses in London and Sydney, Australia, as well as in the U.S. Carrie continues to step up her game and broaden her horizons as she has agreed to star in an NBC live broadcast of The Sound of Music in 2013.