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Carrie Underwood performed a celebration of the late Dolly Parton’s legendary career this. But some social media users seemed far more interested in her appearance than her music.
The “Before He Cheats” singer stepped out for CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton in Nashville on Wednesday.
Carrie looked stunning in a strapless pale pink-and-white gown and her blonde hair styled in loose waves.
But some viewers weren’t fans of the look. And they felt the need to say so.
Yes, the internet was not universally impressed, and they made their feelings abundantly clear.
“Carrie looks frightening,” one critic declared, while another took aim at her complexion (via OK! magazine).
One particularly cutting comment invoked the increasingly familiar phrase “Mar-a-Lago face,” writing, “The Mar-a-Lago face coming in strong for Carrie Underwood.”
Ouch. Apparently, showing up in a glamorous gown wasn’t enough to protect the country star from the internet’s beauty police.
The spray-tan jokes weren’t much kinder, either.
“They went through a lot of orange spray paint at this event,” another commenter quipped.
But Underwood’s appearance wasn’t the only thing attracting attention. Her political associations also became a talking point, with some critics questioning her participation in the Parton tribute because of her decision to perform at Donald Trump’s 2025 presidential inauguration.
“It is so sad Carrie does not share the same values as Dolly!” one person complained.
Another commenter pointed to Parton’s charitable work, including her Imagination Library, which provides free books to children, as evidence of the contrast they perceived between the two women.
In other words, a celebration of country music royalty quickly became another opportunity for social media users to debate Underwood’s politics.
The singer has not publicly responded to the latest criticism of her appearance.
Her inauguration performance has remained a contentious subject since she agreed to participate in Trump’s swearing-in ceremony. At the time, Underwood defended the decision by emphasizing her love of country and her hope for national unity.
“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” she said in a statement.
She added that she hoped to participate “in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
The performance itself made headlines for a different reason when a technical problem prevented the planned backing music from playing. Underwood ultimately performed “America the Beautiful” a cappella, demonstrating her vocal abilities despite the unexpected complication.
Now, the political debate has resurfaced alongside criticism of her appearance at another major country music event.
Sadly, for some online observers, the evening became less about honoring Dolly and more about scrutinizing Underwood’s complexion, makeup and political choices.
Thankfully, most of the online commentary focused on what was important: the music, and the legacy of a country icon.
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