Carrie Underwood turned heads in a fairytale-inspired white gown at the October 2026 televised special CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton. While the singer’s glamorous outfit caught viewers’ attention, her performance of the country legend’s iconic song sparked criticism online.
Underwood’s strapless gown featured a corset bodice covered in delicate embroidery and a full, sweeping tulle overlay skirt decorated with pink butterfly appliqués, a subtle nod to one of Dolly Parton’s signature motifs. She completed the look with long diamond drop earrings and her blonde hair styled in classic Hollywood waves.
The American Idol judge wore the elegant ensemble on the red carpet and later took to the stage to close out the evening with a performance of “I Will Always Love You.”
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Carrie Underwood Wears Strapless Gown At Dolly Parton Tribute Show
Following the event, Underwood shared a group photo of the celebrity guests on Instagram, including Katy Perry, Reba McEntire and Kristin Chenoweth, among others.
“A beautiful evening celebrating a beautiful human. I think Miss Dolly would’ve enjoyed celebrating with us…then she would’ve sang and put us all to shame! May we all carry some of her sparkle with us in all that we do! We will always love you, Dolly!” Underwood captioned the post.
However, not everyone was impressed with her musical tribute. Several viewers took to social media to criticize the performance, with some comparing her vocals unfavorably to those of Kelly Clarkson, who also paid tribute to Parton by singing “I Will Always Love You.”
@kaitlynmperkins Carrie Underwood performing at the CMA Dolly Parton tribute in Nashville #cmadollytribute #dollyparton #carrieunderwood #nashville #dollypartontribute original sound - kaitlyn
Fans React To Carrie's Performance
“In my opinion this was awful,” one person wrote.
“Kelly Clarkson was a 1000 times better Carrie sounds horrible,” another commenter claimed. Kelly received praise from viewers for her own rendition of “I Will Always Love You" in September, with several commenters arguing that her vocals made a stronger impression.
Others described Underwood’s rendition as “robotic and forced,” while some felt the performance lacked the power they expected from the country star.
“It wasn’t her best. Her voice was not as powerful as it used to be or she just wasn’t on her game,” one viewer wrote.
“Bad choice for this song,” another added.
One commenter also shared their preference for other artists who have covered the beloved ballad, writing, “Reba and Kacey Musgraves have been my favorite to cover this song!!! I don’t like Carrie’s yell-singing!”
Beyond the performance itself, some viewers also questioned whether the artists selected for the tribute aligned with Parton’s personal views and values.
One critic argued that the choice of performers could feel like “a disservice” to the late singer and her fans.
While Underwood’s gown earned attention for its romantic design, the mixed online reaction showed that her musical tribute proved more divisive than her red-carpet fashion.
