Scotty McCreery was thrust into the spotlight in 2011, when he was crowned the Season 10 winner of American Idol. Since then, he has released two studio albums, plus a Christmas album, and has toured with artists such as Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts, as well as headlined his own shows. Still, the 22-year-old concedes that the idea of people being interested in his personal life is difficult for him to understand.

"I think I’m slowly but surely getting used to fame," he tells The Boot. "I don’t know if you ever get used to being out in public and someone recognizing you and taking a picture. I guess you learn how to handle those [incidents], but it’s still a little -- you don’t think of yourself as famous. You just think of yourself as yourself, so I’m always a little caught off guard when that person comes up to you."

In spite of his almost instantaneous worldwide fame, McCreery has managed to live largely out of the media spotlight, taking classes at North Carolina State University and, perhaps most surprisingly of all, maintaining a relationship with his girlfriend for over a year, away from the public eye.

"It’s just something [where] you’ve got to know if you want to talk about it or keep it under wraps," McCreery says of his romantic life. "With me still living in North Carolina, I guess it’s a little easier than being in Nashville and going to all the events together. But she’s sweet, and I’m lucky. We’ve been together a while now, so I’m glad that it has been kept under wraps."

The singer will indulge his fans a little bit next year by allowing them a look into his personal life through the biography that he is penning for release in May. Go Big or Go Home: The Journey Toward the Dream will follow McCreery from his childhood to his appearance on the TV singing competition to what things are like now in his country music career.

“God gave me a voice, and America gave me a chance,” McCreery says. “This book is about those two things, and about the amazing journey that began the moment I decided to say two words about this show I knew and loved: ‘Why not?’”

McCreery is currently climbing the charts with his single, "Southern Belle," which is the first release from his upcoming new album. Download the song on iTunes.

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