Carrie Underwood joined Taylor Swift as the two Nashville representatives performing on last night’s American Music Awards. Before the show Underwood told Rolling Stone she sees herself as an ambassador of the city’s music scene.

“I definitely want to represent our genre as best as I can,” she said. “And I want people to say, ‘Oh, that’s what I’ve been missing – I will listen more.’”

People certainly are paying more attention to Music City right now, thanks to the hit ABC show that carries the name of country music’s home. Underwood is a fan: “I feel like the show represents our town really well,” she said. “I love watching the show because I’m like, ‘I eat there.’”

While she is a fan, she hopes people realize the series takes some dramatic license to make for better TV. “I hope they don’t think all the ladies of country music are that scandalous, because I promise you we’re not,” she said, laughing. “I hope people don’t think it’s all backstabbing and everybody sleeping with everybody else. That’s really not [the case], at least to my knowledge. There might be all kinds of stuff going on that I don’t know about, but not in my world. People really are pretty open and friendly and normal.”

Underwood might have some acting in her future. Though vague on the subject, she promises there’s something very different in line for her in the new year. It’s “something really different that would be out of my comfort zone, a really wonderful thing to put on my ‘I did that’ list,” she said.

Before that she will spend time doing much more familiar activity, touring, with another 40 dates added to her spring 2013 itinerary. It makes for a lot of time on the road, but for Underwood it’s fine – it means people are interested. “Everything is going extremely well so far for the next leg. It’s exciting.”

Perhaps there will be some more duets in her future as well. She has performed in the past with Stevie Wonder and Tony Bennett, among others, and she just recorded “Can’t Stop Loving You” with Aerosmith. They’ve all been learning experiences for the country superstar.

“I grew up listening to Aerosmith. I love Tony Bennett. I’ve always loved Brad Paisley. I love Stevie Wonder, of course – who doesn’t?” she said. “So getting those opportunities to meet and talk with people and collaborate, even if it’s just on a little event like I did with Stevie and Tony last year, it’s amazing. And I feel really lucky, because I feel like I can hang with all those people and I don’t feel like, ‘Oh, I only sing country music.’ That’s my heart, that’s my home, but I like to do something different and unexpected and learn from them, because they are the masters.”

Source: Rolling Stone