Carrie Underwood news
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The gist
Carrie Underwood covered Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park and Papa Roach at Iowa's Velocity Festival on Sept.
The nu-metal set spotlights her rock side beyond country and her American Idol judging.
Background
Underwood headlined the second night of the 2026 Velocity Festival, a three-day event at the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa, that expanded this year after its 2025 debut. Her 23-song set mixed country hits with rock and nu-metal covers, and she wore a backwards red hat in homage to Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst. She has long leaned into rock influences, having shared stages with Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe and Papa Roach, and earlier this year joined Mötley Crüe at the American Idol finale.
How it unfolded
- Sep 5, 2026Underwood headlines the second day of the Velocity Festival at the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa, performing a 23-song set.
- Sep 5, 2026During the set she covers Collective Soul's 'Shine,' Papa Roach's 'Scars,' Linkin Park's 'One Step Closer' and Limp Bizkit's 'Break Stuff,' wearing a backwards red hat in honor of Fred Durst.
- Sep 7, 2026 -8, 2026Rolling Stone, Billboard, Consequence and other outlets report on the nu-metal covers, drawing further coverage.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Billboard notes the covers aren't a new direction for Underwood, who has repeatedly leaned into rock and metal influences over the years.
- Public
- A nu-metal history account posted about the moment on Sept 7, 2026, per Consequence.