Carrie Underwood Scores A Long-Awaited Hit After Years Away

Carrie Underwood is currently in between album eras at the moment, and yet she’s still scoring hits on the Billboard charts. The country superstar and future reality TV judge sees her latest release debut on a tally this week—one she’s not reached in well over half a decade.

“Leave a Light On (Talk Away The Dark),” Underwood’s collaboration with hard rock band Papa Roach, launches on the Adult Pop Airplay chart this week. The tune is new at No. 37 on the list of the most successful tracks across pop radio stations in the U.S. that focus on music aimed at a slightly older—or “adult”—audience.

The new duet earns Underwood her first new hit on the Adult Pop Airplay chart in seven years. She last debuted a tune on the tally in 2017, when another collaboration brought her back. That year, “The Fighter,” which saw her team up with Keith Urban, only managed to settle in last place, at No. 40.

It’s been even longer since the Grammy winner appeared higher on the Adult Pop Airplay roster than she sits at the moment. She last rose to a loftier position than No. 37 more than a decade ago. In January 2013, her own single “Blown Away” climbed to No. 31.

Underwood has now sent nine tracks to the Adult Pop Airplay chart throughout her career. She first landed on the radio ranking back in 2005—just under two decades ago. “Some Hearts” earned the American Idol winner her first placement on the tally, and it eventually rose as high as No. 22.

A year later, her smash “Before He Cheats” debuted on the ranking, and it would go on to become her biggest single on the tally. That cross-genre win still stands as her only top 10 on the Adult Pop Airplay chart, as it peaked at No. 5.

Papa Roach, meanwhile, scores just their third hit on the roster. They haven’t placed a track on the Adult Pop Airplay tally for 15 years, which isn’t entirely surprising, as they’re far more successful on the rock radio lists.

“Leave a Light On (Talk Away The Dark)” was originally a Papa Roach solo single, taken from their most recent album Ego Trip. The band re-released it as a duet with Underwood, which surprised many. The two artists collaborated to bring more attention to the tune, which is meant to raise funds for suicide prevention. The cut was an immediate sales hit on several rock-leaning charts upon its arrival.