Carrie Underwood says new Christmas album wasn’t complete without ‘Hallelujah’

Country music superstar Carrie Underwood recently released her first-ever full-length Christmas album My Gift, and revealed that it needed a Christian proclamation before it could be completed, and her single “Hallelujah” was it. 

With all the unrest in the world, the “American Idol” alum said her Christmas album was a “much-needed” creative escape for her in this season.

Underwood teamed up with award-winning artist John Legend for "Hallelujah." The single was written by Legend and submitted for Underwood to sing alone on My Gift, but she thought Legend should also be featured in the piece.

"I was deep into making the album, and this one kind of came in. He sent it to us kind of at the end," the singer recalled on an episode of "Today's Country Radio With Kelleigh Bannen" on Apple Music Country. 

"It was like, 'Well, I love the song. I feel like this is a puzzle piece I didn't know was missing. But now that I've heard it, I have to have it,'" Underwood said. "And so we just put the ask back, 'Thank you for sending, do you want to sing a part with me too?'"

The singer says the Christian proclamation was “needed,” and she wants others to feel that way too. 

In an interview with Taste of Country, Underwood said, “I really hope when people listen to it, they’re like, ‘Oh, I needed this.'”

The album also features popular classic songs such as “Silent Night,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “Mary, Did You Know?” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

On the song “Little Drummer Boy,” Underwood’s 5-year-old son, Isaiah Fisher, makes his singing debut. 

The mother of two told NBC's “Today” what it was like having her young son recording with her.

“I was in the booth with him and trying to get him to access all his little 5 year old emotions, which he can totally do on his own,” Underwood said.

“When I heard the song back with his sweet little voice on it, I was laughing and crying, and just so many emotions,” she continued. “I’m so proud of him.”

The vocalist was recently featured in an "I Am Second" web series with her husband titled, “Mike and Carrie: God & Country.” In the episodes the couple, who wed in 2010, spoke openly about their faith, family and what it’s like to be married with children. 

“We learn from each other, and we have spirited discussions about things that we disagree on,” Underwood revealed in the series. “But at the end of the day, we love each other very much.”