Rasmusen was praised by her fans as having a wholesome, girlish appeal and for refusing to wear outfits she and her mother deemed "immodest" on stage. Her critics, however, were more vocal. In her performances, Rasmusen often had trouble controlling her natural vibrato. Judge Randy Jackson was often one of her harshest detractors.
Her fans, however, enjoyed her unique voice, including the vibrato. The general consensus was that her first four performances on the finals, including "You Can't Hurry Love," "Hopelessly Devoted to You," "Wild Angels," and "Turn the Beat Around" were quite good, while the remaining three, "Call Me," "And So It Goes," and "Love Will Lead You Back" were subpar.
As the only contestant in the second season under the age of eighteen, she had to spend three hours a day with an on-set tutor. Her mother had to accompany her with the other contestants to the special American Idol house, where they all lived during the competition. Carmen was brought back for the wildcard round (along with three other singers) without having competed in the previous rounds of 8. Judge Simon Cowell made her his surprise wildcard pick.
A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Rasmusen attended Brigham Young University for one year. She now spends much time in Nashville trying to establish a career in country music. She has been one of the most outspoken defenders of the show among the second season finalists in the wake of the scandal involving Corey Clark's allegations regarding Paula Abdul.
After her elimination she went on to appear in numerous shows promoting American Idol and she appeared on the last episode of the second season singing some songs with the another finalists. Rasmusen also appeared on the American Idol Season 2: All-Time Classic American Love Songs singing "How Do I Live" by LeAnn Rimes.
Rasmusen made her acting debut in 2003 in the feature film Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy as Charlotte Lucas.[1] In 2004, Carmen released an EP by R3 Records, Carmen.
On December 15 2005, Carmen married Bradley Herbert, the son of Utah Lt. Governor, Gary R. Herbert in Bountiful, Utah. Their marriage was announced on FOX 13 News in Salt Lake City, Utah. Rasmusen also appeared in a three episode series of NBC's Fear Factor, aired on June 13, 2006 to 27th, 2006 respectively. In the first episode, she was teamed with Anthony Fedorov, and won the first challenge involving a demolition derby, ultimately winning a trip to Africa. She finished in second place.
In June of 2006, Carmen played a news reporter in commercials for Maverik, a convenience store in the western USA.
In February, 2007, it was announced that Carmen signed with Lofton Creek Records.
Rasmusen is signed with Lofton Creek Records. Her debut album, Nothin' Like the Summer was released on August 28, 2007, and the first single, "Nothin' Like the Summer", debuted on April 24, 2007. The song was written by Rasmusen, Victoria Shaw and Jason Deere who also produced the song and her album.
Rasmusen is not only out doing the radio tour set up by Mike Borchetta of Lofton Creek Records, she also started a new program called “Hitching a Ride” where fans can hitch a ride and hang on the bus for a while. This is being done through the local radio stations.
Rasmusen also stopped at 30 radio stations and 10 Television shows including Fox, MSNBC, and Geraldo on Fox News Channel. She has done two live performances one which she opened for Tracy Byrd and Jason Michael Carroll.
On July 10, 2007, Rasmusen went to Today to talk about her career and her future plans.
"Nothin' Like the Summer" sold 2,500 copies to date.
Shine
Carmen Rasmusen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone sold all the truth you yearned,
Remember when you used to shine
And had no fear or sense of time
When it creeps up on you
You can cry now there¹s nothing to feel
No one¹s noticed our loneliness
And made us scream eternal time
I believed that you¹d always be here
And once you promised a life with no fear
Please don¹t break my ideals
And say what thing was always real
I was
Take me back again
The lyrics to Carmen Rasmusen's song "Shine" are introspective and poignant. The first line, "Who cares for the life we earned?" hints at a sense of disillusionment and questioning of one's path in life. The following line, "Someone sold all the truth you yearned," suggests a lack of control over one's own destiny, and a feeling of being misled.
The chorus of the song speaks to a longing for a time when the singer was carefree and unburdened by the worries of the world. "Remember when you used to shine, and had no fear or sense of time," she sings, invoking a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time. But as time passes, the passage of time and the challenges of life start to take their toll. "When it creeps up on you, you can cry now there's nothing to feel," she laments. The feeling of loneliness and isolation is palpable in the line "no one's noticed our loneliness."
The song is ultimately a plea to the listener to not give up on hope and to rediscover the things that once made them happy. "Take me back again" is a powerful refrain that encapsulates the longing for that simpler, more carefree time. Carmen Rasmusen's emotive delivery of the lyrics gives the song a raw and intimate quality that is relatable to anyone who has ever experienced a sense of loss or disillusionment.
Line by Line Meaning
Who cares for the life we earned?
Who values the life we've worked hard to attain?
Someone sold all the truth you yearned,
Someone has deceived you and taken away the truth you sought for
Remember when you used to shine
Recall the time when you radiated with happiness and luminosity
And had no fear or sense of time
During such moments you had no anxiety or urgency to be pressed by time
When it creeps up on you
When uncertainty or fear preys on you
You can cry now there's nothing to feel
You're free to express your emotions, even if it seems that there is nothing left to feel
No one's noticed our loneliness
Our loneliness has gone unnoticed by everyone else, leaving us with the burden of it.
Remember when you should have teased
Think back to that time when you could have played instead of worrying.
And made us scream eternal time
And by doing so, created an overwhelming sense of timelessness and joy that we will never forget.
I believed that you'd always be here
I had faith that you would be present with me always, no matter what.
And once you promised a life with no fear
I recall the promise you made of living life without fear
Please don't break my ideals
Please do not challenge or undermine the principles that I hold dear to me
And say what thing was always real
But say it if there was something that was always true and consistent all along.
Take me back again
Allow me to return to the time when everything was right and perfect.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CESAR LEMOS, JASON TODD DEERE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind