Carrie Underwood fans have big feelings about her "new" look. The superstar returned to her natural hair color in August. Four months in, fans are still shocked when they see Carrie without her signature blonde locks. Carrie Underwood is working hard to shine a light on the kids at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital this holiday season, but fans can't seem to look past her recent makeover.
"Every child deserves hope. ❤️" Carrie wrote in a post on social media this week. Her meaningful message is attached to a selfie of the "Blown Away" hitmaker in front of a stone wall, wearing a sparkling smile and a black T-shirt which reads: "Music Gives to St. Jude Kids." Her post includes details on her tee and how to get one, and highlights the fact that proceeds from the sale of the shirts benefit St. Jude children and their families. But what about her brown hair? That's what most people are talking about in the comments section.
"I love your hair color. Jude donation I've been meaning to start! St. Jude relies on donations to ensure that families aren't charged for their child's care while they're battling cancer at the hospital. It's an important mission country music has always stood behind - you'll see the biggest stars sporting their own St. Jude shirts and making regular visits to the hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, to hang out with kids who are in treatment."
When Did Carrie Underwood Dye Her Hair Brown?
Carrie went back to her roots in August, debuting her darker hair in an Instagram post that has half a million 'likes' to date. "Well, the last time I saw my natural hair color, I was probably about 12 years old, but I thought it might be time to give it a second chance," she said at the time, sharing two selfies and a short video of her just-colored locks. Fans have only ever known her as a blonde - and we met her 20 years ago! - so this is a drastic change that many are still getting used to. Perhaps country music icon Randy Travis summed it up best, commenting on that post: "Pretty sure you can make any color work." He's not wrong! Look for Carrie (and her brown hair) to return to American Idol as a judge in 2026. Season 24 starts in January, with Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie also back at the judges' table.
To become a Partner in Hope and help children who are battling cancer, visit St. Families never receive a bill from the hospital for treatment, travel, housing, or food, thanks to the generosity of donors. Amanda Hensel Jermstad is a skilled writer based in Austin, Texas. She spent 14 years as Editor-in-Chief of Taste of Country, where she led coverage of the artists, stories and trends shaping country music. With a career deeply rooted in the genre, Amanda has built a reputation for sharp editorial insight and authentic storytelling.
Carrie Underwood is wrapping up 2025 on a natural note. The country music star, 42, traded her signature blond tresses for a darker hair color earlier this year and now she's showing off the look again in a Dec. 12 selfie on Instagram. The “Before He Cheats” singer's long hair is a warm brown color with pretty honey highlights. Underwood’s fans have been loving her new brown hair color. “Beautiful and natural!” one wrote. “I think (it) looks great. Nothing wrong with a change. Very pretty Ms. Underwood,” someone else added.
Underwood’s latest hair pic comes a little more than four months after she revealed in August she had returned to her natural hair color. “Well, the last time I saw my natural hair color, I was probably about 12 years old, but I thought it might be time to give it a second chance,” she captioned pics and a video of her sporting darker locks. The “American Idol” champion-turned-judge also thanked Nashville-based hairstylist Katelin Megert for “helping me get back to my roots” and concluded her post with the hashtags #NewOldMe and #Bronde. She followed that pic up with another one in November that showed her showing off her darker hair along with a few impressive tromboncino squashes.
Underwood has been weighing a return to her brown hair for more than a decade. In 2012, she told Refinery29 the only thing holding her back from making the switch was the “shock” factor. “The problem is, I don’t want to shock people - like if I dyed my hair brown, I don’t want people (to) think I’m turning dark and serious. I wish I had started changing my hair around in the beginning, then it wouldn’t be such a big shock if I did something like that now,” she explained. While Carrie shared earlier this year that she was embracing her natural hair color, she recently debuted her darkest waves yet.
In fact, for some fans she resembled a completely different person, as one user wrote in the comments, "Didn’t even look like Carrie," while another questioned, "Is this Carrie? "Natural beauty is where it’s at," another user wrote. Carrie-who shares sons Isaiah, 10, and Jacob, 6, with former NFL player Mike Fisher-returned to the competition series where she got her start. But this time, as a judge. “We just want everybody to be able to grow and get better” she told SiriusXM’s The Highway in September, “and be the most awesome version of themselves that they could be.”
Public Reaction and the Style Milestone
Underwood’s hair color shift has sparked a wave of reactions, with many longtime fans embracing the natural look and others missing the familiar blonde. The conversation around her shade-described by fans as bronde (brunette-blonde mix)-is part nostalgia, part fashion note, illustrating how a star’s appearance can influence public discourse even as she emphasizes charity and advocacy work.
Visual References and Public Engagement
As part of her ongoing public presence, Underwood has used social media to promote charitable efforts, such as St. Jude fundraising shirts whose proceeds support families. Her posts often pair personal updates with calls to action, blending fashion, family, and philanthropy into a cohesive public persona. The shift to a more natural hair color also aligns with a broader trend among celebrities toward “low-maintenance” or “less processed” aesthetics that fans celebrate for authenticity.
