VOA常速英语:Scotty McCreery's Future Career Looks 'Clear As Day'

“American Idol” 2011 winner Scotty McCreery has just released his debut album and he's already setting records.

“Clear As Day” is the debut album by Country singer Scotty McCreery.  With first-week sales totaling close to 197,000 copies, he became this year’s first new Country artist to debut at Number One on the Billboard 200 chart.  Scotty was only 17 years old when “Clear As Day” was released, making him the youngest male in history to enter at the top of the all-genre chart with a debut album.

The North Carolina native turned 18 just five days after “Clear As Day” hit the market.  He celebrated both events with a free hometown concert attended by nearly 15,000 fans.

Scotty’s deep voice has brought him comparisons to Josh Turner and Randy Travis.  Drawing from a wide range of musical influences that include George Strait, Jamey Johnson, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash, Scotty feels that “Clear As Day” contains a good mix of contemporary and traditional styles.

And, he says the songs are a true representation of his life and values.

“I wouldn’t cut a song that’s not me, you know.  That’s what I really wanted to accomplish on this album," he said. "Create something that really showed who I am as a person and I think every single song on this album speaks a little bit about me.”

"I Love You This Big” was the lead single from “Clear As Day.”  The song opened at Number 32 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, which was the highest debut entry for a new artist since 1984.

After wrapping up the “American Idols Live Tour,” Scotty returned home to finish his senior year of high school.  He says following graduation he plans to attend college while juggling the demands of his music career.

The second single from “Clear As Day” is currently climbing the Country chart.  Scotty explains why he decided to record the track.

“’The Trouble With Girls,’ my second single, it’s probably one of my favorites on the album," he said.  "It’s got a haunting melody, and I found myself, the day after I heard the demo, singing it in my head.  The lyrics to it, they’re sweet.  The girls want to hear it and the guys are feeling it, so I figured it would be a good one to put on the album.”