Scotty McCreery achieved what most artists only dream of, when he had a multi-week, No. 1 hit with his “Damn Strait” single. The song, his fifth consecutive run at the top of the charts, sealed his place as one of country music’s reigning hitmakers, while also propelling him to work harder, and smarter, than ever before.
“It’s easy to sit back, and you want to celebrate success — and it’s been fun with ‘Damn Strait’ — but now, it’s like, what’s next?'” McCreery reflects to People. “You know, let’s keep the train rolling. How can we keep it going and try to come back bigger and better?”
The payoff from “Damn Strait” has been swift and noticeable. Even before the song went to No. 1, it became a fan favorite, an appreciation that has only grown over time.
“The crowds are bigger, they’re more energetic,” McCreery says. “This has probably been the best summer we’ve had as far as headlining shows. As soon as we tease ‘Damn Strait’ with the music, everybody’s up. Their phones are going up. They’re smiling. They’re elbowing their neighbors. It’s been pretty cool.”
McCreery rose to fame as the Season 10 winner of American Idol in 2011. Although the TV show gave him instant popularity, it didn’t necessarily equate to musical success. It took six years from his time on Idol until he had his first No. 1 hit, with “Five More Minutes,” a season that he says was a time of growing and learning.
“I remember when I first started, people would be like, ‘What’s he gonna write about? He’s so young,'” McCreery remembers. “That used to really get under my skin. But now I look back and I’m like, ‘What was I gonna write about?’ Now I’ve lived a lot of life. I’ve been doing this for over a decade. I was single when I started, dated for a while, been engaged, been married, and now I’m having my first kid.”
The 29-year-old also learned, in the more than a decade since then, how to be who he authentically is, without trying to chase the latest trend or fad.
“There was a time back in 2014-2015 when I was maybe trying to figure out what’s hot at radio and how I could get in there,” McCreery acknowledges. “And now it’s like I’m just gonna do what I love and hopefully people love it, too. And luckily, it’s been connecting.”
McCreery is back at radio with “It Matters to Her,” written about the lessons he has learned since marrying his wife, Gabi, in 2018. His Same Truck: The Deluxe Album will be out on November 18. McCreery will take some time off the road when they welcome their firstborn son this fall, but that doesn’t mean he is giving his career a rest. In fact, after “Damn Strait,” he is ready to work harder than ever before.
“It’s constantly on my mind,” says the singer. “I’m so excited. I’m so nervous. I’m so everything. Every feeling that’s out there, that’s what I’m feeling right now.”
Find all of McCreery’s music and tour dates by visiting his website.
