Scotty McCreery Returns to “American Idol” Stage to Perform “Cab in a Solo”

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a special homecoming for Scotty McCreery…

The 30-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer and former American Idol champion returned to the AI stage on Sunday to perform his single “Cab in a Solo.”

The North Carolina native, who dominated Season 10 all the way to the finale and then bested Lauren Alaina for the crown. has released five albums and gained entry into the Grand Ole Opry.

He returned to the American Idol stage to show off the vocal chops that won him the title in the first place.

McCreery released the breakup ballad “Cab in a Solo” in August 2023 as the lead single off his upcoming sixth studio album, Rise and Fall, which comes out on May 10.

The “Damn Strait” singer made lost love sound downright charming on the American Idol stage: So now I’m finding out how a heartbreak taste / With a Silver Oak, 1998 / Drinking cab in a solo / Solo in the cab of my truck.

McCreery, who was a wise-beyond-his-years teenager in 2011, is all grown up. He’s now a husband, a father, a hitmaker, and a Grand Ole Opry member.

But for some longtime fans of American Idol, his victory still “feels like yesterday.” “You’re my favorite AI grand winner..,” one X/Twitter user wrote.

“Cab in a Solo” climbed to No. 2 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Performing it on the stage where his career began was a surreal moment for McCreery.

More than that, though, the “I Love You This Big” singer couldn’t wait to offer some support to season 22’s top 10 contestants.

“I’m always happy to chat and help them any way I can. I mean, it’s a ringer they put you through on Idol,” McCreery told Country Now. “Any of those TV shows, not just Idol. It’s a lot at once and you’ve got to just do your best to get through it and sound good and pick great songs and look confident. If I can help, I love doing that stuff.”

Scotty McCreery Wins First-Ever CMT Music Awards Trophy for ““It Matters To Her” Digital-First Performance

Posted on April 8, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Scotty McCreery is celebrating a special first…

The CMT Music Awards have been doled out, with the 30-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer earning his first-ever trophy at the awards show.

Ahead of the 2024 CMT Awards live show, McCreery – who rose to acclaim after winning the 10th season of American Idol – took home an early win for the CMT Digital-First Performance for his performance of “It Matters To Her” (from CMT Stages).

Joining from Zoom, McCreery accepted the award from Raleigh, North Carolina, gushing about his wife and mentioning his excitement for his upcoming induction to the Grand Ole Opry on April 20.

“Thank you CMT, the fans. What a nice little surprise. Thank you very much,” McCreery said.

McCreery won out over a roster of top contenders, including Chase Rice‘s Goodnight Nancy, Dylan Scott‘s Don’t Close Your Eyes, Megan Moroney‘s I’m Not Pretty, Nate Smith‘s Whiskey On You, Stephen Wilson Jr.‘s Year to Be Young 1994 and The Castellows‘ I Know It Will Never End.

McCreery’ wrote the song with Lee Thomas Miller and Rhett Akins. It was released on September 12, 2022 as the third single from his fifth studio album Same Truck.

McCreery told Music Mayhem magazine that the song was inspired by a conversation between him and Akins about their relationships with their wives. He also said that he was inspired by the music of Brooks & Dunn when composing it. McCreery’s wife, Gabi, also appears in the corresponding music video.

“It Matters to Her” peaked at number three on the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated June 10, 2023, becoming McCreery’s first single to miss the number one position since “Southern Belle” in 2015.

Here is a full list of CMT Music Awards winners.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Jelly Roll – “Need A Favor”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Lainey Wilson – “Watermelon Moonshine”

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll – “Need A Favor”

DUO/GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Dan + Shay – “Save Me The Trouble”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Carly Pearce feat. Chris Stapleton – “We Don’t Fight Anymore”

BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR, presented by Walt Disney World
Ashley Cooke – “your place”

BREAKTHROUGH MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR, presented by Walt Disney World
Warren Zeiders – “Pretty Little Poison”

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll – “Need a Favor” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)

CMT DIGITAL-FIRST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Scotty McCreery – “It Matters To Her” (from CMT Stages)

Scotty McCreery Earns Fifth No. 1 on Billboard Country Airplay Chart with “Damn Strait”

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Scotty McCreery is celebrating a Strait flush…

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer’s latest track “Damn Strait” has risen to the No. 1 spot on the July 23-dated Billboard Country Airplay chart.

That gives the former American Idol champion his fifth total and consecutive No. 1 on the chart.

In the tracking week ending July 17, the song drew 27.2 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.

McCreery has notably topped Country Airplay with each single that he has released since he signed with Triple Tigers Records in 2017.

“My first country music concert was George Strait, and along with my love for Elvis [Presley], he inspired me to become a country music singer myself,” says McCreery. “When I did American Idol, George called me and requested I sing his [1995] hit ‘Check Yes or No,’ and I still sing it from time to time in concert. Now, having my fifth straight No. 1 on a song that pays tribute to George, while at the same time being a classic country heartbreaker such as he might have sung, is such a full-circle moment that means the world to me. Trent Tomlinson and Jim Collins wrote a clever song that reaches beyond name-dropping Strait hits to tell a meaningful story.”

“Damn Strait” is the sophomore single from McCreery’s album Same Truck, which arrived at its No. 10 high on Top Country Albums last October, marking the seventh top 10 for the Garner, N.C., native. He earned his third and most recent No. 1 set with Seasons Change in March 2018.

Same Truck lead single “You Time” became McCreery’s fourth Country Airplay No. 1 for a week last October. He first ruled Country Airplay with “Five More Minutes” (one week, March 2018) and led again with “This Is It” (two, February 2019) and “In Between” (one, June 2020).

McCreery first appeared on Country Airplay with the No. 15-peaking “I Love You This Big” in August 2011 and has posted two top 10s in addition to his No. 1s: “See You Tonight” (No. 8, March 2014) and “Feelin’ It” (No. 10, December 2014).

On the multi-metric Hot Country Songs chart, “Damn Strait” ranks at No. 8, after hitting No. 6 in June. It drew 4.6 million U.S. streams and sold 2,000 downloads in the week ending July 14.

Meanwhile, as the song crowns Country Airplay, it’s just the fourth No. 1 to namecheck another artist in its title. Eric Church’s “Springsteen,” his ode to Bruce Springsteen, was boss of the chart for two weeks in 2012; Brad Paisley’s “Old Alabama,” featuring Alabama, reigned for two frames in 2011; and Joe Diffie’s “Bigger Than the Beatles” topped the chart for two weeks in 1996. (Strait and Alabama boast 26 and seven No. 1s, respectively, since the survey began in 1990.)

Scotty McCreery’s “Five More Minutes” Getting Hallmark Television Movie Treatment

Posted on October 22, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Scotty McCreery is getting five more minutes on television…

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer and former American Idol champion’s 2018 Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper “Five More Minutes” will be getting the Hallmark television movie treatment.

The song has inspired a movie by the same title, which will air on November 20 at 10:00 pm ET on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel.

In the movie, which stars Nikki DeLoach and David Haydn-Jones, a woman’s holiday wish is answered in unexpected ways when her late grandfather’s journal is discovered, revealing a previously untold romance.

Though McCreery will not appear in the movie, he does serve as an executive producer on the project.

McCreery wrote “Five More Minutes” alongside Frank Rogers and Monty Criswell, and the song was one of three consecutive No. 1 Country Airplay hits from McCreery’s 2018 album Seasons Change.

“It’s [about] my grandaddy. That’s my story, but I think people relate to every part of the song,” McCreery told Billboard of “Five More Minutes” in 2018.

In that same interview, McCreery also recalled a key moment when he realized the song stood a good chance of becoming a hit. “We sang [‘Five More’] live at the Grand Ole Opry, and kinda debuted it for the fans in [June] 2016, and I’ve never had a standing ovation at the Opry like that, period. Somebody said the other day, ‘The Opry crowd, they wanna sit. They don’t wanna stand up.’ Opry put it on their YouTube channel — we didn’t know they were gonna do it, and I woke up the next morning and I’m the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter and Facebook. I was like, ‘Crap, what did I do last night?’ Trying to jog my memory. Then I saw it was that video, and I was like, ‘Dang!’ It was getting shared like hotcakes. We had a good indication that it was gonna work [as a single].”

McCreery recently earned his fourth consecutive Country Airplay No. 1 hit with “You Time,” a single from his latest album Same Truck, which was released last month.

Scotty McCreery Earns Fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay

Posted on September 28, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Scotty McCreery is spending more (you) time at the summit…

The 27-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer and former American Idol champion has earned his fourth total and consecutive No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, as “You Time” rises to the top of the list dated October 2.

In the week ending September 26, the song increased by 8% to 27.7 million audience impressions, according to MRC Data.

“You Time” is the lead single from McCreery’s new studio set Same Truck, which launches at No. 10 on Top Country Albums.

“I wrote this song with Frank [Rogers] and Aaron [Eshuis] in 2019, but it still feels brand new, McCreery tells Billboard. “Now that I’m back on the road, it’s been fun to see the audience get excited and dance when we play ‘You Time.’ It gets a great reaction from the crowd every night. I appreciate country radio for playing and supporting the song, my label [Triple Tigers] and management. Most of all, my gratitude is to the fans who are always there for me. Having ‘You Time’ hit No. 1 is a great way to celebrate 10 years of making music.”

McCreery, who won American Idol in 2011, first appeared on Country Airplay that June with the eventual No. 15-peaking “I Love You This Big.” “You Time” is his 12th entry; he’s notched all four of his leaders on Triple Tigers, where he signed in 2017.

McCreery first led Country Airplay for a week in March 2018 with “Five More Minutes.” He followed with “This Is It” (two weeks, February 2019, two weeks) and “In Between” (one week, June 2020).

Meanwhile, “You Time” enters the top 10 of the airplay-, sales- and streaming-based Hot Country Songs chart (13-8), with 3.6 million U.S. streams (up 17%) and 1,300 sold (up 17%), in addition to its airplay, in the week ending Sept. 23. It’s McCreery’s fourth top 10 on the tally.

Concurrently, “You Time” parent LP Same Truck rolls in at No. 10 on Top Country Albums, starting as McCreery’s seventh top 10. It enters with 10,000 equivalent album units, including 6,000 in album sales. The set follows Seasons Change, which opened atop the survey in March 2018 as his third No. 1.

Scotty McCreery’s “In Between” Soars to No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Make that three in a row for Scotty McCreery…

The 26-year-old part-Puerto Rican country music singer and former American Idol champion hasnotched his third consecutive and total No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “In Between” blasts from No. 8 to the top spot on the list dated June 27.

In the tracking week ending June 21, McCreery’s song increased 25% to 26.7 million audience impressions. It drew its biggest gains on WIVK Knoxville, Tenn., WKHK Richmond, Va. (up 260,000 impressions); WNSH New York (up 247,000) and KSCS Dallas (up 235,000).

The track’s 8-1 rise is the second greatest to the Country Airplay summit in the chart’s 30-year history.

On the October 12, 1991-dated chart, another song with the word “between” in its title leapt 9-1: Ricky Van Shelton’s “Keep It Between the Lines.”

Scotty McCreery Earns Second No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart with “This Is It”

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Scotty McCreery is back at the top of the charts…

The 25-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer and former American Idol champion has notched his second No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, as “This Is It” ascends 2-1 in its 37th week on the chart dated February 16.

The ballad increased by 8 percent to 39.6 million audience impressions in the week ending February 10, according to Nielsen Music.

On the airplay-, streaming- and sales-blended Hot Country Songschart, it enters the top five (6-4).

McCreery co-authored the song, with Frank Rogersand Aaron Eshuis, for his then-longtime girlfriend Gabi Dugal, and sang it at their wedding last June 16.

“Two weeks before I proposed, we wrote ‘This Is It’ as a love song for Gabi,” McCreery tells Billboard. “It’s our story. If the song existed solely for she and I, that would be completely fine with me. But to have our story on the radio and then reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart just makes my heart sing. Gabi is my world, she inspires me every day, and I think people can feel the realness of our love story when they listen to the song and watch the video. The fact that so many couples are now using ‘This’ in their own weddings gives me chills.”

McCreery, who won American Idol in 2011, earns his second Country Airplay leader in a row from his album Seasons Change, which became his third Top Country AlbumsNo. 1 in March 2018. He notched his first Country Airplay No. 1 with the album’s first single, “Five More Minutes,” which led for a week the same month.

Dorough & the Backstreet Boys Return to the Billboard Hot 100 with Their Florida Georgia Line Collaboration “God, Your Mama, And Me”

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s the end of a decade-long drought for Howie Dorough…

The 42-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer and his fellow Backstreet Boys band mates have returned to the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time since 2007, as Florida Georgia Line‘s “God, Your Mama, And Me,” featuring the boy band, debuts at No. 92 on the chart (dated March 18).

Backstreet Boys

The Backstreet Boys had last appeared on the Hot 100 with “Inconsolable,” which reached No. 86 in September 2007.

The new collaboration is BSB‘s 17th Hot 100 hit (and first in a featured role). The group has tallied six top 10s, led by its highest-charting, No. 2-peaking 1997 breakthrough smash “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart).”

On the Hot Country Songs chart, “God, Your Mama, And Me” enters the top 20 (21-16) as the top Streaming Gainer, following the February 20 arrival of its official video, which stars both FGL and BSB. The song enters Country Streaming Songs at No. 15, up 31 percent to 2.8 million U.S. streams in the week ending March 2, according to Nielsen Music. It also pushes 6-5 on Country Digital Song Sales (20,000 downloads sold, up 27 percent) and 34-31 on Country Airplay (6.5 million in audience, up 14 percent).

Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley remembers seeing Backstreet Boys in concert in 1998. “It was nuts,” he recently told Billboard. “People were just screaming, hooting and hollering all around.”

“To have the Backstreet Boys featured on [“God”] was something we kind of envisioned in the studio while recording it,” the duo’s Tyler Hubbard added. “To have that come to fruition was amazing. It really, really took that song to the next level.”

Said Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson, “I’m a father of two boys, so I like how the song could have a double meaning. You could be talking about your children, or your spouse, or your love interest. I think it’s poetic, and it’s got a great melody.”

Shakira and Blake Shelton Perform “Medicine” at the ACM Awards

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

She’s not a registered nurse, but Shakira is a Florence Nightingale when it comes to delivering musical medicine.

The 37-year-old Colombian singer and fellow The Voice coach Blake Shelton offered television viewers a taste of “Medicine,” their new country-tinged duet, at Sunday’s ACM Awards.

Donning a rockin’ red dress and above-the-knee black boots, Shakira delivered a spirited version of the pa-pa-pa-pounding love anthem with the country music superstar. Following their performance Shakira and Shelton exchanged a huge smile and a hug.

The duet is the result of Shakira’s desire to go a little bit country, having approached Shelton after the two worked together on The Voice.

“I told him I wanted to work with Nashville people,” Shakira told Billboard last month. “I was a little tired of L.A. I wanted people with another point of view, real people with roots with whom I feel comfortable working in the same room. And I told Blake I wanted to do a song that had the narrative of a country song, that was picturesque, that was a real song. But it also needed to suit me, because after all, I’m Colombian.”

“Medicine” hit No. 57 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after the release of her self-titled album in late March, netting her first entry on a country chart.

Shakira to Perform “Medicine” with Blake Shelton at the ACM Awards

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Shakira will be upping her medicine this weekend…

The 37-year-old Colombian superstar and The Voice coach will perform alongside Blake Shelton at Sunday’s ACM Awards.

Shakira and her fellow coach on NBC’s reality singing competition will perform their collaboration “Medicine” during the country music awards celebration, which will be televised live on CBS from Las Vegas.

“Medicine” is one of the singles from Shakira’s recently released self-titled tenth album.

The Shakira-Shelton duet came from “Shakira’s folks reaching out to us, saying we have this opportunity and would you be interested? As producers we’re always looking for these moments when we can bring folks together. We think its great for the show.”

“Medicine” will debut this week on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart this week at No. 57.

The ACM Awards are handed out by the Academy of Country Music.

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Tag Archives: Country Airplay