Scotty McCreery Says ‘Southern Belle’ Is Part of His Evolution

Scotty McCreery is currently climbing the charts with "Southern Belle," his debut single from his upcoming third studio album. With lines like "Somewhere down South / There’s a swinging screen door / Sundressed beauty on a hot front porch / Knocking one back, baby / Oh my Lord, have mercy," the song is a departure from the squeaky-clean 17-year-old who won Season 10 of American Idol in 2011 -- which is exactly what he wanted.

"We’re just stretching. We're just trying new things," McCreery tells The Boot. "From the four years ago when I started, we kind of evolved. We’re still evolving. Every artist is evolving. So this is the product of a 21-year-old Scotty."

McCreery says he knew right away that the song would indicate somewhat of a shift in his career, which is why he decided to record the tune.

"When I got into the studio, I was drawn to it," he recalls. "I heard the song, and I was like, ‘Man, that’s interesting. That’s different,’ and then I was like, ‘Let’s make that a single' ...

"You think this is different, you should have heard the demo. It was pretty wild and really bass heavy, R&B-sounding," McCreery continues. "I thought, ‘Man, I love this song. Can we make it kind of me?’ and he said, ‘Oh, yeah. We can 'Scottify' it.’"

Although "Southern Belle" shows a more mature side of the singer, McCreery hints that his upcoming album has a little something for everyone.

"We’ve got some other songs that are more thought-provoking, deep songs," he adds. "We’ve got fun songs. It’s a snapshot. A little sample spoon."

However, fans will have to wait a few more months to hear the rest of the new record.

"The album will probably not be out until a few months into the next year," the North Carolina native reveals. "We’re going to try and put it out when, hopefully, "Southern Belle" is climbing up the charts."

Although McCreery doesn't feel the need to write all of the songs on his records, he does want to write as much as possible.

"It’s just more of a personal effect on the songs. Fans get a little more taste as to what’s going on in this head of mine," he explains. "I enjoy it. I enjoy the process of writing. I enjoy getting there and then having an idea and then making it into a song and seeing it all come into fruition."

Download "Southern Belle" on iTunes.

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