singer looks at life after "Idol"

country music star on life after "American Idol"

The last few years have been like a fairy tale for season 4 American Idol, Carrie Underwood with an armful of awards and hit after hit topping the country charts, she's nothing if not grateful.

I was very lucky and very blessed that I got to go through, and I got to win and everything has worked out and now I do look back and think, Holy Cow, Look at all the stuff that, you know, that I’ve been able to, been nominated for, and been a part of, and win, you know, songs that I’ve been able to sing, it's just, it’s all been great and wonderful.

But she knows in spite of all her success that life after Idol can be a rocky road.

I don't think anybody knew what to expect and nobody ever knows what to expect. When somebody wins the American Idol, you know, the public can continue to support them, you know they are the one that made them the American Idol. Ah, you just, you never know how things are gonna happen.

The 25-year-old Oklahoman says Idol’s relentless schedule and sometimes harsh criticism does a good job of preparing you for the music business.

Even that, I think it taught me a lot, and, um, definitely prepared me for the life I live now, it makes you a skinny little figure. If you can make it through all that, it's like, many boot camp, you know, you go through stuff that, you know, ten years of experiences, um, that somebody could earn and you know, go through, um, in a very short period of time.

Carrie Underwood.

Even four years later, no matter how calm she may look on the outside when she's on stage, inside she's all butterflies.

You get nervous, you get nervous before they, you know, announced the nominees, you get nervous before you are gonna perform in front of all kinds of people that, you know, your peers and the people that, you know, I grow up listening to and it’s just there's a lot to be nervous about, and you want to put together to get album, you know, right before that comes out, I think I might sick to my stomach for a month, woo, just being nervous about it, but it's good. I have been nervous as like you should top your game and I think when you stop getting nervous, it might mean you don't care as much, and I, I definitely wanna care.