Carrie Underwood will make Christmas come a little earlier this year

You’ve heard of Christmas in July. Now, Carrie Underwood is bringing us – Christmas in September?

The seven-time Grammy winner released her first Christmas album, “The Gift,” on Friday. HBO Max just announced that she’ll perform songs off the album in a holiday special on the streaming service.

“The journey of writing and recording this album started last year when I finished my tour and we could have never anticipated the circumstances we would be in this year,” Underwood told Deadline. “Creating this album has been good for my heart, and I’m thrilled to get to share it with the world.”

On Thursday morning, the country music star told “The Today Show” that “The Gift” was made possible only by starting work on it at the end of last year, before the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“We did everything very much like we’re doing this morning; we did things via Zoom,” Underwood told “Today” hosts. “And found new ways to just make it work. I didn’t wanna let this year stop us.”

The artist also made history earlier this month at the Academy of Country Music Awards, tying Thomas Rhett for the top entertainer of the year prize.

The 55th annual ACMs marked the first time the honor was split between two artists. Underwood also became the first woman to win the prize three times (she had previously been the first woman to win it twice.)

“2020, man?” Underwood asked in surprise. “I am more than happy to share this with Thomas Rhett,” she added.

Underwood also honored trailblazing female country artists in an ACM performance at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. She nodded to musical giants Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Martina McBride, Barbara Mandrell, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton before breaking into a musical tribute to the women.

The virtual awards show was relocated from Las Vegas to Nashville this year (as well as postponed from April) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.