Fans may have a hard time recognizing Carrie Underwood without her signature blonde hair. It’s one of the few things that has remained constant since she won “American Idol” in 2005, and it’s hard to imagine her any other way. It’s also become one of Underwood’s most defining traits. In 2013, she spilled some of her best hair care secrets during an interview with Redbook magazine. “One of my favorite hair tricks is using dry shampoo,” Underwood said. “Whenever I can’t get to the salon to get my color freshened up — I’m [a] natural blonde, but I like it a few shades lighter — I’ll use dry shampoo on my roots.” She also swears by Oribe’s Dry Texturizing Spray for giving her hair some extra volume, noting, “I am from the South — we like big hair!”

Over the years, Underwood has flirted with the idea of revamping her style but never fully committed. In 2012, she spoke to Refinery29 about wanting to dye her hair a different color. “The problem is, I don’t want to shock people,” she explained. “Like if I dyed my hair brown, I don’t want people [to] think I’m turning dark and serious.” She echoed that sentiment in a HuffPost interview that same year. “I wanted to dye my hair darker,” she confessed. “I’m like, ‘Let’s change my hair color.’ We’ll do something for like two hours, then I’ll walk away, and I’m like, ‘This looks the same as before.'” The country superstar then added, “Maybe someday I’ll do something a little more drastic.” 

Thanks to Static Media’s talented photo editors, Underwood no longer has to wonder what she’d look like without her signature blonde hair. 

Carrie Underwood with rose gold hair is a vision we never knew we needed. Should she think of taking the plunge — and we hope she does! — going pink would be the way to go. It’s amazing how the pop of color instantly gave Underwood a fresh and youthful aura. By trading in her signature locks, she’d be taking at least five years off her look. It’s also a great way for her to usher in a new era of her music. In 2011, she tried to switch things up by adding fuchsia pink highlights to her blonde locks at the Country Music Awards, performing alongside Steven Tyler. Seen below posing with Celine Dion, she styled her hair with a black and gray corset top with a cross bandage and fringe mini-skirt that showcased her killer legs. She also accessorized the outfit with a pair of black cowboy boots.

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Granted, she didn’t actually dye her hair pink and only used hair extensions to achieve the look. But it was still a fun change, so we’ll take it!

“What if Carrie Underwood was a brunette?” one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, pondered, saying what many of us had probably wondered too at some point. Well, ask and you shall receive! In this digitally altered image of Underwood, the singer trades in her signature locks for a rich brunette shade, giving her a dramatic makeover. The darker tone gives Underwood a slightly more mysterious and striking aura that’s certainly missing from her usual blonde. It also complements her skin tone, making her complexion seem warmer and bringing out her natural glow. Although she hasn’t fully committed to dyeing her hair brown, Underwood came pretty close — in 2014, she surprised her fans by debuting bronde-ish hair at the Billboard Music Awards, styled in a low bun with a deep side part and teased volume, as seen in the image below.

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“It’s just a little bit darker,” the star explained to People regarding her new look (via Taste of Country). “I don’t think I’d want to or could even pull off being a brunette, but it’s just nice sometimes to change it up a bit.” She went on to say, “I feel like there are a lot of super-blonde ladies in music.” (She, Miranda Lambert, and Taylor Swift among them.) “So I thought I’d darken it just a little bit.” 

And then there’s the Carrie Underwood rockstar version. Now, this might be a little divisive, but we honestly think she could easily pull this off. If she’s feeling adventurous and wants to bring a certain edge to her look, dyeing her hair copper-orange could be an interesting choice. Although the blonde still suits her better (clearly), the warmth of the copper makes Underwood’s skin and hazel eyes pop out more. But if, only if, she’s up for such a change. After all, maintaining this kind of hair requires serious upkeep, something Underwood — who is a mother to two boys — is allergic to.

In 2016, she explained to Elle how being a mom has changed how she styles and cares for her hair. “Cutting my hair was a ‘mom’ move,” said the controversial musician. “Now that my hair is shorter, it’s easier to fix, which was the whole point.” She also admitted, “I wash my hair every day and I know that’s not great for it, but I work out and I sweat a lot so I need to, and I’m on stage and I sweat even more.” Underwood said that having shorter hair saves her plenty of time, which she’d much rather spend bonding with her sons she shares with her husband, Mike Fisher. In 2011, she also spoke to Glamour about her no-fuss approach to hair care. 

Noting that she doesn’t like to sit around the shower with a hair mask on, Underwood said she keeps her routine pretty simple: “I just put conditioner on in the shower, do everything else, and then rinse it out,” she shared, via Taste of Country.