Carrie Underwood Duets ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ With Guns N’ Roses in Atlanta Amid Reported Rock Pivot

Carrie Underwood stepped onto the stage with Guns N’ Roses at Truist Park in Atlanta on Saturday, September 19, 2026, sharing vocals with Axl Rose on “Sweet Child O’ Mine” before joining the band for “Paradise City.” The appearance comes as reports circulate that Underwood is working on new rock-leaning music with Rose serving as an informal mentor.

Underwood dressed for the occasion in a black tank top and leopard print shorts as she traded lines with Rose during the duet. TMZ reported that the country star has been developing music that departs sharply from her country catalog, with Rose guiding her through the transition.

Following the concert, Underwood posted photos from the night on Instagram, calling it “yet another amazing show from Guns N’ Roses” and thanking Rose, Duff McKagan, Slash and the rest of the crew “for letting me try and keep up on stage.” She added that the band members are “always so kind.”

Carrie Underwood’s History With Guns N’ Roses

Saturday’s performance was not Underwood’s first time sharing a stage with the band. She brought Rose out during her own set at Stagecoach in 2022 and performed “Sweet Child O’ Mine” alongside Guns N’ Roses at a London show that same year. Guns N’ Roses later booked her as an opening act on select dates of their 2023 tour.

How Carrie Underwood Has Been Leaning Into Rock

Underwood’s flirtation with heavier genres has surfaced elsewhere this month. On September 5, 2026, she covered Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff” during a set at Iowa’s Velocity Festival, a moment that drew a split reaction from fans online, with some praising her boldness and others pushing back on the genre swap.

In 2024, Underwood teamed up with rock band Papa Roach on the charity single “Leave A Light On (Talk Away The Dark),” another sign of her interest in music outside her country base.

Underwood has addressed her appetite for heavier sounds directly. Speaking with Audacy, she said, “You never really know with me. I never say never about anything. I feel like certain influences work their way into different songs and different moments, even if they’re not songs that I record.” She also said, “I do have an affinity for rock music and metal, and I just love the energy more than anything. I love going to rock concerts because it feels like freedom to me.”

Underwood’s connection to Rose’s voice dates back years. In a 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, she said, “The way I learned how to sing was I would pick really hard vocalists to try to emulate, and his voice always mesmerized me,” referring to Rose, adding, “I was like, ‘How is he doing the things that he’s doing?'”

More Info

• Carrie Underwood working on rock music project with the help of Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose – music-news.com | music-news.com
• Carrie Underwood switches music genre as she teams up with rock legend Axl Rose | thenews.com.pk
• Carrie Underwood Sings ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ With Guns N’ Roses | aol.com
• Carrie Underwood Sings Sweet Child O Mine With Guns N’ Roses | TMZ Music
• Carrie Underwood Is Reportedly Exploring a Rock Pivot With Help From Axl Rose | americansongwriter.com