Carrie Underwood Covers Nu-Metal at Velocity Festival — SkimNews
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Carrie Underwood performed nu-metal covers at Velocity Festival in Dyersville, Iowa, including Collective Soul's "Shine," Papa Roach's "Scars," Linkin Park's "One Step Closer," and Limp Bizkit's "Break Stuff" (a 1999 hit).
- Underwood wore a backwards red hat during "Break Stuff" as a tribute to Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst.
- Underwood has a documented track record of rock collaborations, having performed multiple times with Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose, brought out Joan Jett at her 2019 CMA Fest set, and regularly covering Motörhead's "Ace of Spades" in concert.
- Underwood teamed up with Papa Roach in 2024 for an updated version of "Leave a Light On (Talk Away the Dark)" and joined the band on stage in Las Vegas last year to perform their hit "Last Resort."
- Underwood performed with Mötley Crüe on the May 11 American Idol finale, covering "Home Sweet Home" and "Kickstart My Heart"; she had recorded a version of "Home Sweet Home" for the American Idol Season 8 farewell song in 2009.
- Velocity Festival is a three-day event at the Field of Dreams, with Shinedown and Lynyrd Skynyrd headlining Friday and Creed closing Sunday alongside Nate Smith and Filter.
Why it matters: Underwood's set reframes her as a credible rock crossover act rather than a country artist dabbling — her five-year arc from Joan Jett and Axl Rose guest spots to a Papa Roach co-release and now nu-metal covers signals deliberate genre expansion at a moment when country-rock hybridity is a proven commercial lane for stadium-level stars.
Ask SkimNews
