Season 10 American Idol Winner Moves Up The Charts
Courtesy The Hollywood Reporter
By: Fred Bronson
BRIGHT ‘TONIGHT’: Scotty McCreery is moving in the right direction on several Billboard charts: up. With the holiday season upon us, his Christmas with Scotty McCreeryrebounds 4-3 on Top Country Catalog Albums, 24-18 on Top Pop Catalog Albums and 137-116 on The Billboard 200.
His current single, “See You Tonight,” is also doing well. It climbs 36-32 on Country Digital Songs, 28-26 on Hot Country Songs, 23-21 on Country Airplay and 27-23 on Country Detections. The parent album of the same name holds at No 8 on Top Country Albums.
Scotty McCreery Launches See You Tonight Tour in January That Will Debut Songs From Second No. 1 Album
Scotty McCreery Launches See You Tonight Tour in January That Will Debut Songs From Second No. 1 Album
Performs at Nashville’s Historic Ryman Auditorium on Feb. 18
Platinum-selling country singer-songwriter Scotty McCreery will launch his new See You Tonight Tour in January. The tour, named for his current album, will make a stop at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium on Feb. 18.
McCreery will feature songs from See You Tonight, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and received rave reviews from critics.
McCreery wrote five songs on his new album, which was released in October, and he’s eager to perform them live. “It’s cool to be able to sing the songs for people that I wrote because they came from my heart,” he says. “This tour will capture more of who I am than anything I have ever done.”
The tour will include stops around the United States as well as potential stops abroad since he has an international following. He’s very excited about performing at the historic Ryman Auditorium on Feb. 18.
"It has been a dream of mine to play the Ryman,” he says. “It is the mother church of country music and it is a true honor.”
The album’s debut single and title track, “See You Tonight,” is approaching the country charts’ Top 20. He is nominated for Breakthrough Artist at the American Country Awards, which will air live on Fox on Dec. 10.
Cities are still being added to the tour, so visit www.ScottyMcCreery.com for the latest updates. Below are tour stops that can be currently announced:
Jan. 24 – Ashland, KY – Paramount Arts Center
Jan. 25 – Hampton, VA – Hampton Coliseum (WGH WinterFest)
Feb. 15 – Fort Worth, TX – Billy Bob’s
Feb. 18 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
March 1 – Orlando, FL – Sea World
March 12 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
May 16-17 – Harris, MI – Island Resort Casino
With album sales approaching 2 million in less than two years, McCreery has emerged as one of country's hottest new stars. He has earned a gold and platinum album, two gold singles, and two consecutive album debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. His social numbers are equally impressive with a combined 2.4 million followers on Facebook and Twitter.
His first headlining tour has been so successful—with numerous sell-outs and additional shows added to meet demand--that a fall 2013 run was added.
Scotty McCreery Rocks Hometown Carolina Crowd for Ram Country Live: Watch Again Dec. 11!
Courtesy Yahoo Music
Scotty McCreery performs at Durham's Carolina Theater 11/19
"This is a good vibe for me," announced a grinning Scotty McCreery, addressing a cheering crowd at the historic Carolina Theater in Durham, NC. Truer words were never spoken: McCreery, himself a Carolina boy from neighboring Raleigh, no doubt felt completely at home with an adoring hometown audience cheering him on.
McCreery's Nov. 19 special performance for Ram Country Live attracted a line of fans stretching around the block for a chance to see the Season 10 "American Idol" winner deliver his special brand of traditional-yet-fresh country. While they waited, McCreery chatted with Ram Country about his latest album (See You Tonight, released last month), life as a college sophomore at North Carolina State University, and some of his guilty pleasures (Katy Perry tunes, cookies-n-cream Hershey bars).
As loyal followers of the 20-year-old's career might expect, McCreery noted that the growth between his 2011 debut and the current record is noticable due to the perspective he's gained leaving his teenage years. However, the singer was not a bit short of youthful exuberance when he hit the stage, treating the crowd to a mix of hits from both of his studio albums, including "The Trouble With Girls," "I Love You This Big," "Write My Number On Your Hand," and first single off the new record, "See You Tonight."
In all, McCreery rocked out 13 songs with two encores...but that wasn't it. Fans were instructed to remain in their seats for a special treat. The singer (who also has a Christmas album under his belt, and says he'd like to record more seasonal music) then returned and performed two Christmas tunes to get everyone in the holiday spirit!
If you missed McCreery's boot-stompin' show, which was live streamed on Ram Country that night -- never fear. Just mark your calendars to visit Ram Country on Dec. 11: We'll be offering select performances from the concert, plus McCreery's interview, and more!
Scotty McCreery had liftoff in rocketing to the top
Courtesy - Anchorage Daily News
There is something of a superhero saga at work in Scotty McCreery's career. You can almost hear the dramatic voiceover.
"By day, a mild-mannered college sophomore ..."
Technically it's Mondays and Wednesdays. That's when he attends classes in media studies at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
"But on weekends, he becomes a country music star ..."
Bolstered by taking top honors in the 10th season of "American Idol" in 2011, McCreery became an immediate celebrity. But unlike many of the show's champions, his popularity continues to mount. Last year he was named the top new artist by Billboard magazine, the Academy of Country Music Awards, the American Country Awards and the CMT Awards.
"Able to leap the charts in a single bound ..."
That's not an exaggeration. His new album, "See You Tonight," entered Billboard's country charts at No. 1. Two years ago, after his "Idol" win, McCreery became the youngest artist to have a debut album (in his case, "Clear as Day," released five days before his 18th birthday) hit the top of Billboard's all-genre Top 200 chart during its first week of release.
Add to that his first run as a headlining concert act and a recent appearance on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," and you get a sense of the other life this NC State student leads.
"It's definitely a challenge balancing everything, but it's fun," said McCreery. "We're enjoying it, and I think it will be good for me in the long run. But it's a lot that we're trying to do right now. We're just trying to have a good time with it all."
A native of Garner, N.C., McCreery stood out immediately from the usual array of pop hopefuls on "American Idol" in 2011, largely because his age (he was 17) didn't match his tough-as-oak baritone or the versed phrasing that came with it.
Read more: Scotty McCreery had liftoff in rocketing to the top
Scotty McCreery Delivers Second Consecutive No. 1 Billboard Debut with See You Tonight
SCOTTY MCCREERY DELIVERS SECOND CONSECUTIVE NO. 1 BILLBOARD DEBUT
WITH SEE YOU TONIGHT
McCreery Continues Album Release Events with Performance on
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Oct. 25Country star Scotty McCreery delivers his second consecutive No. 1 Billboard debut with his latest album, See You Tonight (Mercury Nashville / 19 / Interscope Records). With more than 52,000 units sold the first week, McCreery lands at the top of the Billboard Country Albums chart and No. 6 on the Top 200. The sophomore album from the platinum-selling artist, produced by Mark Bright and Frank Rogers, features five songs co-written by McCreery, including the current single and title track, “See You Tonight.”
“It's just incredible that this is my second album to debut at No. 1 on country Billboard,” shared McCreery. “I owe so much to the fans who got me here as well as everyone in Nashville who has supported me along the way.”
McCreery began his Oct. 15 release week in New York City with a CD release party for fans at Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square followed by “See You Tonight” performances on NBC’s “TODAY Show” (view HERE) and Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” (view HERE; bonus online segment HERE – performance of “Now” at 5:15 mark). The artist the L.A. Times now calls “a bona-fide country star,” then headed south to the home of country music to appear on Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and included an in-store signing at the Grand Ole Opry House.
McCreery continued his fan-centric release events with two nights at the N.C. State Fair near his hometown in Raleigh, N.C. where he played for nearly 9,000 concert-goers over the course of two nights at Dorton Arena. Each day also included a special meet & greet release party for over 800 fans.
See You Tonight is being met with glowing reviews from the Chicago Tribune saying “Scotty delivers with refreshing introspection … I can't recall enjoying a 'Country' genre album as much as Scotty McCreery's ‘See You Tonight,’” the Associated Press stating “McCreery combines the traditional aspects of heroes Josh Turner and Randy Travis with contemporary touches brought in by producer Frank Rogers (Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker). The result shows McCreery moving into a style of his own that should win him fans beyond the "Idol" fan base,” Rolling Stone affirming McCreery will “strike a chord on either side of the Mason-Dixon,” and PEOPLE noting that McCreery is “proving once again that America got it right, the 2011 Idol champ delivers one of the fall’s best country albums.”
Next up for McCreery is a performance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” this Friday, Oct. 25 (11:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 CT) before continuing on with tour dates in Ohio and Tenn.
McCreery offers three versions of See You Tonight: the standard 13-track version, a special 16-track deluxe edition, available anywhere you buy music, and an exclusive 18-track deluxe available only at Wal-Mart and www.walmart.com.
For new, photos, tour dates and more, visit www.ScottyMcCreery.com. Fans can also connect with McCreery via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Scotty McCreery Takes Us Behind the Scenes of His ‘See You Tonight’ Video
Courtesy - Taste of Country
Scotty McCreery takes fans behind the scenes of his ’See You Tonight’ music video in this new clip, and as no surprise, he’s as down to earth off-screen as he is onstage.
The singer’s music video was shot on campus at his school, North Carolina State University — a lush and beautiful campus. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Roman White, the ‘See You Tonight’ shoot appeared to be super relaxed and stress-free, thanks to McCreery’s laid-back personality and White’s talent and experience.
“It’s a cool concept, I’m glad that we’re shooting it here — at my college,” reveals the young country singer. “It’s a cool thing for me to be here, at home, doing it.”
This marks the first time he’s had his band in a music video, which McCreery says he was pumped about, and White joked with the band, “It’s important you don’t suck tonight.” McCreery shares that he loved working with White, saying, “He’s a funny dude, but he’s top of the line.”
When the singer wasn’t behind the mic, lip-syncing to his lyrics, he was the picture of poise, never looking harried or frustrated or shouting out demands. We should have known he’d handle everything with ease, as he brushed off a recent onstage fall with humor.
Although he’s only 19 years old (with a birthday on Oct. 9), McCreery’s maturity is well beyond his years. His sophomore album will be available on Oct. 15.