When Scotty McCreery sits down with Elaina Smith on Backstage Country, one thing becomes immediately clear—his music doesn’t come from imagination alone. It comes from life.
The country star has built his career on songs rooted in real experiences, and during his guest-hosting appearance, he leaned into exactly that, sharing how his everyday moments often become the foundation for his lyrics.
Scotty McCreery on Writing What He Lives
McCreery, who started in the industry quite young, revealed the criticism during his early days that seemed to rub him the wrong way. “People used to tell me when I was just starting out, you know, I was a teenager, and the critique I'd see, I think back then, it was either Facebook or Twitter,” he said. “But they'd be like, ‘He's only 17. He's got nothing to sing about. He hasn't lived any life. And that used to just tick me off. I'm like, ‘What are you talking about? I've lived!’”
He added, “But now, I think once I got to album number three, I was like, ‘Oh, what was I singing about back then?’” He chuckled, “I was so young. I hadn't had any highs or lows or nothing. But album three was when I took the time to write songs from the heart. And that's where ‘Five More Minutes’ came from.”
Scotty McCreery - Five More Minutes (Official Video)
Singing Country Songs
McCreery revealed it was also around this time when he realized country music is about real people telling real stories: “You don't always have to write about the truck beds and the cold beer, and there's a time and place for that. I love those songs, but sometimes people just want to hear what's on your heart. And that was the first time I took the time to do that.”
The American Idol alum shared that it was also when he started feeling confident with his songwriting. “I think it took me a few years to get confident, to kind of reveal what's on your heart to co-writers or buddies. And the first time I felt confident to put that out there. Before, it was just like, ‘Oh, you have to put on this image of being this guy’ or whatever. And it's like I think you just gotta be real people. People are smart. They can tell when you're being authentic.”
Want the latest on Scotty McCreery? Check out his official website for news and tour updates here.
