Scotty McCreery is celebrating 15 years as a successful recording artist in a fitting way: with the release of his brand-new retrospective album, 15.
The 13-track collection, available today (Friday, July 17) on vinyl, CD, and digital platforms, commemorates the incredible milestone by offering a mix of the country music star’s biggest hits and new recordings that reflect his journey from winning Season 10’s American Idol to becoming a loving husband, father, and multi-Platinum artist.
Produced by Frank Rogers, Derek Wells, and Aaron Eshuis, 15 includes 13 songs and finds McCreery celebrating a career that’s outlasted television fame, evolved through Nashville’s ever-changing landscape, and grown into something far more meaningful than chart positions. Now at age 32, he’s reached a point where he’s appreciative of how far he’s come, and he wants to share that enjoyment with the fans who have followed him along the way.
“15 is looking back on where I started, how young I was, where I’ve come, family, I’ve got back home, the family I have on the road with me, and the family I have in Nashville,” the North Carolina native, who has spent half his life in the public eye, told Music Mayhem during a round robin held in Nashville. “A lot’s happened in 15 years that I’m very proud of. And I think sometimes it’s good to stop, smell the roses, and just appreciate where you’re at, keep working to keep moving forward. But I think it’s such a go, go, go world. Always new, new, new, and more, more, more. I think sometimes it’s good to stop and just appreciate where you’ve been. So that’s what I’m doing with 15.”
Over the years, the multi-Platinum hitmaker has scored big, even making history with a string of five consecutive No. 1 hits, including “Five More Minutes,” “This Is It,” “In Between,” “You Time,” and “Damn Strait.” All of those massive tunes are included on 15, along with additional hits like “Cab in a Solo.” The track listing also features the Platinum-certified “Bottle Rockets” with Hootie & The Blowfish. Rounding out the nine hits on the album are “See You Tonight,” a Top 10 country hit, and “It Matters To Her,” a No. 2 hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
To make the project even more special, McCreery recorded four brand-new tracks for the release. They are the original track “Been a Good Run,” co-written by McCreery, Rodney Clawson, Monty Criswell, and Derek George, and classic covers of Conway Twitty’s “Hello Darlin’” and Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me, Lord?”
And, if there’s one song that encapsulates the project’s full-circle spirit, it’s “Your Man.” McCreery performed the Josh Turner classic a cappella in front of judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler during his life-changing American Idol audition. Fifteen years later, he re-recorded the song as a duet with Turner himself.
The collaboration feels especially fitting considering Turner surprised the teenage McCreery during his 2011 hometown concert in Garner, North Carolina, in front of more than 30,000 fans. “Josh, he’s always been a hero of mine,” McCreery shared. “I grew up listening to all his records, and obviously you could tell I was inspired by him by singing the songs and a similar sound. I think we grew up in the Carolinas; it’s just that we grew up around the same kind of country music. So I don’t know. Singing his songs 15 years ago was a natural thing for me to do, and now having him on this record just means the world to me.”
“He’s become a buddy,” he continued. “They say don’t meet your heroes. I’m glad I did meet mine because he’s one of my good friends in the country music scene. So having him on this, 15 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it….”
The anniversary celebration extends beyond the album. On June 11, McCreery also took the stage at the Grand Ole Opry, marking another milestone, 15 years since making his Opry debut. The special occasion made it especially fitting that 15 includes his rendition of Twitty’s classic “Hello Darlin’,” a song that has become a fan favorite whenever he performs it on the Opry stage.
“‘Hello Darling’ was a song I did on the Opry stage every single night, people are still asking me to do it, and I grew up loving Conway,” McCreery explained of the decision to include the cover track on the album. “I remember 15 years ago, the first thing I did coming off of American Idol was go to CMA Fest and go to the Grand Ole Opry. And I remember stepping on stage and being like, ‘Holy cow, I’ve made it,’ that kind of feeling. So I’ve always loved the Opry. It’s always been my favorite stage to play on around the world to be a part of the family now. It’s still a pinch-me moment for me even a year or two later. So celebrating 15 years of the Opry is a special thing for me, a special night for me.”
As for why he closed out the project with his rendition of Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me, Lord?”, he admitted the spiritual track perfectly matches his perspective on his career.
“‘Why Me Lord?’ is kind of where I’m at right now,” McCreery explained. “Looking back on 15 years, I’ve asked that question, why me, Lord? There are a lot of talented folks out there. You can walk down Broadway, go down Music Row, and hear an amazing, amazing artist, amazing song. So not sure what I’ve done to deserve this, but very, very thankful.”
That signature gratitude is also woven into the album’s brand-new track, “Been A Good Run.” The reflective track co-written with Rodney Clawson, Monty Criswell, and Derek George nearly missed its moment. Written several years ago, the song never found a home on previous albums. Looking back now, McCreery realizes he was waiting for exactly this project. On 15, the tune, which finds McCreery raising a glass to the simple joys in life like good beer and close friends, finally found its perfect home.
“It’s been a good run, had a good time / Good friends, cold beer, had some big fish on the line / Rain or shine / I was yours and you were mine / I ain’t much for keeping score / But when I add it all up, I could not ask for more / So when the day comes and my days down here are done / It’s been a good run,” McCreery sings throughout the chorus of the track.
“We chased this idea down, and it turned into much more of a retrospective kind of song,” the North Carolina native explains. “It took me a while to stop looking at what other artists were doing, the songs they were having, the venues they were playing, and just think, ‘Man, this is really cool.’”
McCreery credits two songs with changing everything. “See You Tonight,” his first Top 10 hit, and “Five More Minutes,” which became the breakthrough he’d spent years chasing.
“’Five More Minutes,’ that song changed my life. It’s a song I wrote for my granddaddy, and it’s the first number one we had and a song that I really think got us started,” McCreery explained. “But I think ‘See You Tonight’ was the song that gave me a chance. I came out of the gate from American Idol and the record I made, and I was 17 years old. I had no clue what I wanted to say, hadn’t lived a lot of life, and didn’t have a lot to say. So ‘See You Tonight’ was the first co-write that I put out there. It’s the first top 10 record I ever had. I think it’s the first time people said, ‘Oh, he’s not just a TV guy. He’s an artist, a songwriter.’ So ‘See You Tonight’ was and still is a very important song to me.”
“’Five More Minutes’ in the moment was like, ‘Okay, I’ve done it, I’ve gotten here, I’ve made it’. And I still carry a little bit of that with me,” he added. “But I don’t think it’s just that. For me now, 15 years later, I think I’ve made it when I’m doing what I love, I’m having fun, I’m enjoying my time with my family, and I get to travel around the world doing country music. I’m just very thankful to be in this position. So I don’t think it’s about awards or number ones or I’ve played this venue so many times or X. I think it’s just finding that state where you’re thankful for what you get to do and that’s where I’m at right now.”
Offstage, McCreery’s proudest role is that of a devoted family man. He shares a beautiful life with his wife, Gabi Dugal McCreery. The definition of high school sweethearts is that the couple first met as kindergarten classmates and started dating in high school. They eventually tied the knot in North Carolina on June 16, 2018. Together, the country star and the pediatric nurse share two young sons, Merrick “Avery” McCreery and baby Oliver Cooke McCreery.
Looking back at his early romantic songs through the lens of fatherhood brings back sweet memories. This remains true even for the hits that didn’t make the cut for the final tracklist. Early fan-favorites like “The Trouble with Girls” and “I Love You This Big” still hold a very special place in McCreery’s heart.
“Even looking back on that music video, that was kind of how I courted Gabi to date me: making her the lead role in a music video,” McCreery recalled of his “The Trouble with Girls” music video, with a laugh. “I think I got that idea from Brad Paisley on the road that year. So I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been really a fun exercise looking back on 15 years.”
The singer’s desire to build a tight-knit family goes beyond his home to his road crew as well.
“I remember just talking about the Brad Paisley tour in 2012. I remember having dinner with Brad, and he was talking to me about his band, and he’s like, ‘Yeah, these guys have all been with me for 13 years now.’ And I told them there, I was like, ‘Man, that’s goals. I don’t want to come out and have new guys on the bus with me. I want to be a family out here.’ And for the most part, all of my band outside of our league guitar, but he’s family too. Everybody’s been with me now for 15 years. So it’s from day one on they’ve stuck by my side, and it’s a family out there on the road. So that’s one thing I’m very proud of. I love those guys. I do anything for them.”
Another major part of staying grounded throughout his 15-year career, thus far, has been keeping close to his roots. McCreery has intentionally stayed connected to his beloved home state of North Carolina.
“I loved home when I was growing up,” he shared. “I loved my buddies. I loved my church. I loved my family. I love playing ball. So when I got started, I was like, I didn’t want to lose all that. So that’s why I went back home to finish my senior year of high school and go to college at NC State, go pack for a little while. And through that, I kind of realized the system where I could still be on the road, still write songs, still record, and keep that little slice of home.”
“So yeah, there is a feeling of success in that,” he added. “But I think family, friends, faith, those are the important things at the end of the day. I love country music. It’ll always be a huge part of me, and I’m so thankful for this that it’s helped me be able to enjoy my family and my friends, and it’s only strengthened my faith. I still have a long way to go. So it also makes me excited for the next 15 years, and I feel like I’ve got a lot more to say and I’ve got a lot more fuel in the tank. I think a lot of times people are just getting started at 32 in this business, and I’ve been very fortunate to have had a great 15-year run.”
With no intentions of slowing down, Scotty McCreery has clear goals for the next chapter of his musical journey.
“I just want to keep making music that impacts people in a positive way and helps them enjoy a night out on the town, a party night, helps them enjoy their wedding day, helps them get through a loss,” he says. “I feel like for me, the most meaningful thing is when people come up to me at meet-and-greets and say, ‘Oh, ‘Five More Minutes’ helped me when I lost my aunt.’ Or, ‘Hey, in two weeks, my husband and I are going to walk down the aisle to ‘This Is It.’ That, to me, just makes it all worthwhile. It shows that people are taking in this music, and it means something to them. And so in 15 years, I hope that’s still happening. I hope I’m writing my best songs yet. I hope we’re out there on the road still seeing the fans, still playing country music.”
For more information on Scotty McCreery’s new music and more, visit their official website.
