I used to cringe just at the mention of this genre. I like to consider myself an individual with diverse musical taste. I listen to a little bit of everything; pop, alternative, rock, jazz, you name it. But country has always been a genre that I could never learn to like. That is, until I listened to American Idol Season 11 winner Scotty McCreery’s debut album Clear As Day. 

Classic country beats accompany a distinct, rich depth in McCreery’s voice. But while his vocal chords may be developed far beyond his true age of 17, the song topics are not. Not only is each and every word relatable, but sung with genuine feeling. McCreery’s commitment to the words he’s singing set him apart from other country songs on the radio today.

The single “Better Than That” instantly makes you want to confess your feelings to the friend you’ve been crushing on for years. “Water Tower Town” invokes an intense need to get in my car and head out to the lake, leaving behind all the city lights and commotion for a small town. “The Trouble With Girls” manages to sum up, well, the trouble with girls. Not to mention it leaves even a girl admitting that the lyrics speak the truth.

However, one single stands above the rest. McCreery’s hit “I Love You This Big” has me singing along with my hair brush in the mirror. In fact, I might even have to invest in a pair of cowboy boots.

“You can take it to the fans, to my family or my savior Christ–’I Love You This Big’. There are so many ways you can interpret this song, and that’s why I loved it so much, because anyone can relate to it. It fits me well and I hope I’ll be singing it for 30 years,” McCreery said.