Something in the Water (Carrie Underwood song)

{{quote box|width=35%|align=left|quote=""Something in the Water" is so inspirational. It's so joyous! I can't help but smile when I hear it. I hope it has the same effect on everyone who listens to it." |source= —Underwood on the song}}

The song was written by Underwood along with Chris DeStefano and Brett James, and produced by Underwood's longtime producer Mark Bright. It also has a sample of Amazing Grace at the closing of the song, sung by Underwood.{{cite web|url=http://www.musictimes.com/articles/10995/20140929/carrie-underwood-new-song-something-in-the-water-listen.htm|title=Carrie Underwood Finds Jesus in Inspirational New Song 'Something In The Water' [LISTEN]|last1=Menyes|first1=Carolyn|date=September 29, 2014|publisher=Music Times|access-date=October 2, 2014}}

James told Country Weekly that, when he arrived at Underwood's cabin in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee, for a songwriter's session, she and DeStefano already had a track ready, when Underwood suggested "Something in the Water" as a title. They then chose to make the song themed after a person whose life changes after baptism. James said that he found Underwood's demo of the song "emotional", and praised Underwood's singing and songwriting style. He later called it "one of the most perfect writing days I have had in my life".{{cite journal|last=Conaway|first=Alanna|date=1 December 2014|title=Story behind the song: Divine inspiration|journal=Country Weekly|volume=21|issue=48|page=16|issn=1074-3235}}

"Something in the Water" was met with widespread critical acclaim. Rolling Stone praised the song stating that "Underwood sings in the soaring song showcasing her heavenly high vocal range" and called the song a "spiritual heartstring-tugger".{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/carrie-underwood-something-in-the-water-20140929 |title=Hear Carrie Underwood's spiritual new single 'Something In The Water' |magazine= Rolling Stone |first=Beville|last=Dunkerlley |date=September 29, 2014}} Billboard praised the song with 4 out of 5 stars, stating: "Carrie Underwood offers a message of faith in times of trouble".{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/singles-reviews-lorde-one-direction-fergie-walk-the-moon-azealia-banks-carrie-underwood-elliphant |title=The Best and Worst Singles of the Week -- From Lorde to One Direction |publisher=Billboard |date=October 3, 2014}} Music Times praised the song by saying that Underwood "pulls out all of her strongest, boldest notes for the religious anthem" and that the song "builds to some of the greatest heights Underwood has reached to date".{{cite web|url=http://www.musictimes.com/articles/10995/20140929/carrie-underwood-new-song-something-in-the-water-listen.htm |title=Carrie Underwood Finds Jesus in Inspirational New Song 'Something In The Water' |publisher=Music Times |date=2014-09-29}} All Access Music also praised the song, stating that "It's a welcome – and bold – move for Underwood that flies in the face of Country's recent direction. Her vocals soar and to no one's surprise she powerfully delivers the message".{{cite web|url=http://www.allaccess.com/country#ixzz3FOk7OeZX |title=Country Spotlight Trax |publisher=All Access Music Group}} AXS called "Something in the Water" a "mighty offering" while praising Underwood for a "righteously powerful performance."{{cite web|last1=Villa|first1=Lucas|title=Listen: Carrie Underwood samples 'Amazing Grace' on 'Something in the Water'|url=http://www.axs.com/listen-carrie-underwood-samples-amazing-grace-on-something-in-the-wate-21532|website=AXS|date=September 28, 2014}}

Website Taste of Country praised Underwood's vocals and the songs's lyrics and production, saying "Mark Bright creates a complex and rich tapestry that swirls between the rare breathes Underwood takes. Her vocal performance is typically stunning and personal" and also predicted the song "to clean up come 2015 awards season".{{cite web|url=http://tasteofcountry.com/carrie-underwood-something-in-the-water/ |title=Carrie Underwood, 'Something in the Water' |publisher=Taste of Country |date=September 29, 2014}} Website Popdust gave the song a rating of 4.5/5, saying, "assembled with an orchestral arrangement and a backing of a harmoniously sanctified choir, this track...is a game changer." The website also praised Underwood bringing faith back into her song.{{cite web|url=http://popdust.com/2014/09/28/carrie-underwood-something-water-single-review/|title=Carrie Underwood, 'Something In The Water'—Single Review|last1=Scott|first1=Jason|date=28 September 2014|publisher=Popdust.com|access-date=October 2, 2014}}

On February 8, 2015, at the 57th Grammy Awards, Underwood won Best Country Solo Performance for "Something in the Water", marking her seventh career Grammy Award.{{cite web |url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees/%27%20%20%20img_path%20%20%20%27?genre=8 |title=The Official Site of Music's Biggest Night |publisher=GRAMMY.com |access-date=2014-02-08}}{{cite web|title=Past Winners Search (Carrie Underwood)|url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=%22Carrie+Underwood%22&field_nominee_work_value=&year=All&genre=All|work=Grammy.com|access-date=8 February 2014}}

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| align="center"|2015 ||align="center"| "Something in the Water" ||align="center"| Top Christian Song || {{won}}

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| align="center"|2015 ||align="center"| "Something in the Water" ||align="center"| Music Video of the Year || {{nom}}

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| rowspan=2|2015 ||rowspan=2| "Something in the Water" || Video of the Year || {{won}}

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| align=center | Female Video of the Year || {{won}}

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| align="center"|2015 ||align="center"| "Something in the Water" ||align="center"| Best Country Solo Performance || {{won}}

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| align="center"|2015 ||align="center"| "Something in the Water" ||align="center"| Song of the Year || {{nominated}}

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| align="center" rowspan="2"|2015 ||align="center" rowspan="2"| "Something in the Water" ||align="center"| Mainstream Inspirational Song of the Year || {{won}}

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| align="center"| Inspirational Video of the Year || {{won}}

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"Something in the Water" sold over 125,000 copies in its first week, becoming the biggest opening-week sales of any female country artist in 2014 and the singer's highest sales frame since 2009, when "I Told You So", featuring Randy Travis, sold 126,000 copies. It is also Underwood's best debut sales week for a digital song. It debuted at No. 4 on Billboard's Digital Songs chart.{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6274279/blake-shelton-scores-second-no-1-album-billboard-200 |title=Blake Shelton Scores Second No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 |publisher=Billboard |date=October 8, 2014}} The song's massive airplay in its first week prompted it to also debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, achieving the highest debut for a solo artist in 2014 and surpassing Underwood's previous record of No. 20 with "So Small" in 2007. Additionally, it set an all-time record by amassing 144 total stations on impact date on Mediabase.{{cite web |url=http://www.sonymusicnashville.com/news/carrie-underwood/82780/carrie-underwood-making-history-something-the-water |title=Carrie Underwood Is Making History with "Something in the Water"! |publisher=Sony Music Nashville |date=October 6, 2014 |access-date=October 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010033539/http://www.sonymusicnashville.com/news/carrie-underwood/82780/carrie-underwood-making-history-something-the-water |archive-date=October 10, 2014 |url-status=dead }} The song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs, becoming the singer's first song to top such a chart, and rose from No. 48 to number two on the Billboard Hot Country Songs in its second week on the chart. It also debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6281322/carrie-underwood-water-hot-country-christian-charts |title=Carrie Underwood's 'Water' Splashes Onto Hot Country Songs, Hot Christian Songs Charts |publisher=Billboard |first=Wade|last=Jessen |date=October 9, 2014}}

In its seventh week on the charts, "Something in the Water" reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs, becoming Underwood's 14th career leader on the chart and her second in 2014.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6319523/carrie-underwood-climbs-to-no-1-on-hot-country-songs-following |title=Carrie Underwood Climbs to No. 1 on Hot Country Songs Following CMA Awards |first=Wade|last=Jessen |date=November 13, 2014 |magazine=Billboard}} It became her fastest climbing single on the Hot Country Songs chart. With 14 chart-toppers on such a chart, she expands her record as the female country artist with the most number one hits on the Hot Country Songs chart in the Nielsen SoundScan era (1991–present), breaking her own Guinness Book record of ten, set in 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-9000/most-country-no1s-for-a-female-artist-in-the-us/ |title=Most country no.1s for a female artist in the US |publisher=Guinnessworldrecords.com |date=2010-01-01 |access-date=2012-03-17}} It has topped the Hot Country Songs for seven weeks, becoming her longest No.1 reign on the chart and the third longest No.1 reign among women in the chart's history.{{cite magazine|last1=Jessen|first1=Wade|title=Carrie Underwood Has Her Longest Reign at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs Chart|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6450324/carrie-underwood-kenny-chesney-country-charts|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|access-date=22 January 2015}} The song has also topped the Hot Christian Songs for 26 consecutive weeks,setting a record for the longest reign on that chart by a woman and also the third longest running number one.{{cite magazine|last1=Jessen|first1=Wade|title=Reba McEntire Returns to Hot Country Songs Chart|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6443463/reba-mcentire-hot-country-songs-chart|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|access-date=16 January 2015}}{{cite magazine|last1=Jessen|first1=Wade|title=Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean & Garth Brooks Scale Country Charts|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6436307/carrie-underwood-jason-aldean-garth-brooks-country-charts|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|access-date=8 January 2015}} The song's record was broken by Lauren Daigle's "You Say.".{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8495992/lauren-daigle-you-say-takes-record-hot-christian-songs-chart-solo-female |publisher=Billboard|access-date=January 31, 2019|title=Lauren Daigle's 'You Say' Sets Record for Longest Run Atop Hot Christian Songs Chart by a Solo Female }} The song was certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA on July 23, 2020.{{Certification Cite Ref|region=United States|artist=Carrie Underwood |title=Something in the water}} As of April, 2016, the song has sold over 1,100,000 copies in the United States.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7341562/carrie-underwood-blake-shelton-christian-charts|title=Carrie Underwood & Blake Shelton Cross to Christian Charts|author=Jim Asker|magazine=Billboard}}

The song won Top Christian Song at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/bbma/6568580/billboard-music-awards-2015-winners-list |title=Billboard Music Awards 2015: See the Full Winners List |publisher=Billboard |date=May 5, 2015}}

{{quote box|width=35%|align=right|quote=""We took it in a direction that was probably not what most people would think." "We made it joyful and happy and uplifting."|source= —Underwood describing the video to Entertainment Tonight {{cite web |url=http://www.etonline.com/music/153419_go_behind_the_scenes_of_carrie_underwood_epic_something_the_water_music_video/ |title=Go Behind the Scenes of Carrie Underwood's Epic 'Something in the Water' Music Video|date= November 3, 2014 |work=ET Online }}}}

The music video was directed by Raj Kapoor and premiered on November 4, 2014, on Twitter during the 48th Annual CMA Awards. Emmy nominated choreographer Travis Wall choreographed the video.

Underwood performed with dancers from the Shaping Sound dance academy dancing in the background and "required 16 choir members, 12 dancers, three costume changes and a custom-built tank of recycled water to create its dance spectacle."{{cite web|last=McDonald|first=Brian|title=Video: Carrie Underwood to priemere video for 'Something in the Water' exclusively on Twitter Wednesday Night|url=http://m.newsok.com/video-carrie-underwood-to-premiere-video-for-something-in-the-water-exclusively-on-twitter-wednesday-night/article/5363590|date=November 4, 2014|access-date=November 15, 2015|publisher=News OK|archive-date=August 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801044702/http://m.newsok.com/video-carrie-underwood-to-premiere-video-for-something-in-the-water-exclusively-on-twitter-wednesday-night/article/5363590|url-status=dead}}

Underwood performed the song at 2014 CMA Awards and on April 7, 2016, at the fifteenth season finale of American Idol.{{cite web|url=http://theboot.com/carrie-underwood-american-idol-finale-something-in-the-water/|title=Carrie Underwood Performs 'Something in the Water' on 'Idol' Finale|author=astefano|date=7 April 2016|work=The Boot}} The song is also performed as the encore of her "Storyteller Tour: Stories in the Round".

;Digital download

1. "Something in the Water" – 3:45

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Carrie Underwood|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|title=Something in the water|certyear=2014|salesamount=1,100,000|salesref=|digital=true}}

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{{Carrie Underwood singles}}

{{Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance}}

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Category:2014 songs

Category:2014 singles

Category:Country ballads

Category:2010s ballads

Category:Carrie Underwood songs

Category:Arista Nashville singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Mark Bright (record producer)

Category:Songs written by Chris DeStefano

Category:Songs written by Brett James

Category:Songs written by Carrie Underwood