In 2024, when Carrie Underwood agreed to sing a duet with rising country star Cody Johnson, he went into their recording session expecting that the “American Idol” judge might be a bit of a diva. But during an episode of Bobby Bones’ “BobbyCast” on February 9, 2026, Johnson said he was pleasantly surprised to find Underwood was the exact opposite.
“She was so awesome to work with, like really down to earth,” he told Bones. “Like, I think people have their vision of rock stars being this big ego. …There’s no ego. She’s just a freaking workhorse, man.”
Johnson also revealed how he and Underwood felt their duet was “meant to be,” even before it raced up the charts in the fall of 2024 to become his fourth number one hit and Underwood’s 29th, per Music Row
Carrie Underwood Finally Said ‘Yes’ to Song the 3rd Time It Was Pitched to Her
While talking to Bones about the experience of working with Underwood, Johnson said the fact that Underwood had turned down the song years before actually played a part in her saying yes when it came back around.
“I’m Gonna Love You” was written by Travis Denning, Chris Stevens, and Kelly Archer nine years before Johnson and Underwood recorded it. Denning decided that he was going to record it himself, Johnson told Bones on his podcast.
However, Johnson said, “It didn’t wind up on his record, and so they pitched it to Carrie. Carrie loved it, but said — and I didn’t know this — Carrie said, ‘I love it, but it doesn’t fit my project.’ So it goes back into the abyss until I said, ‘I want that song but I want Carrie on it.’ And I had no idea that she’d already had it. And so, that’s why she said yes. She’s like, ‘This is the second time this song’s come into my life.’ I mean, that’s kind of a meant-to-be scenario, you know?”
In fact, it had been pitched to Underwood twice before. Denning told Billboard in 2024 that he’d originally asked if she would sing it as a duet with him. He said her team “gave me the nicest answer of ‘no’ ever.” He told Billboard it was then pitched to Underwood as a solo recording.
“I thought it was a beautiful song,” Underwood told the outlet, “but I felt like it might be better for a male artist to sing, plus it didn’t really fit with the direction of where my new album at the time was going.”
Carrie Underwood Sang ‘I’m Gonna Love You’ With Cody Johnson & Slater Nalley on ‘American Idol’
When Johnson approached Underwood about doing the tune, she figured that the third time was the charm. At a celebration of the song’s success in August 2025, Underwood said that the way the song kept coming back to her made it all the more meaningful, per Musc Row.
“I feel like [the story of this song’s journey] is just a testament to ‘Gods got it,’” Underwood said at the event. “There’s so many things that are unsure about the music business. … No matter what happens, God knows what he’s doing. I feel very blessed and honored today to have played a small part in [the songwriters’] journeys and the song’s journey.”
Johnson made a surprise appearance on the season 23 finale of “American Idol” in May, walking onstage after Underwood and finalist Slater Nalley began singing “I’m Gonna Love You.”