Scotty McCreery‘s long-awaited Rise and Fall album is out. The 13-track record, his first since Same Truck came out in 2021, is a new musical chapter for McCreery, who wrote all but one of the songs on the record. Creating an album that felt authentic to him was the biggest priority, making Rise and Fall his favorite and most personal project he has ever released.
“I do think there’s a song on there for everybody,” McCreery tells Everything Nash. “My previous records used to be so autobiographical. They were autobiographical. And this one, there’s a couple of those songs on there, but I really feel like there are songs for different seasons of life, and different times. Your party songs, your serious songs, your love songs, your heartbreak songs. We got a little taste of everything on there.”
McCreery just celebrated his sixth No. 1 single with “Cab In A Solo,” the debut single from Rise and Fall. He also released “Lonely,” “Slow Dance,” “Can’t Pass The Bar” and “Red Letter Blueprint” ahead of the release of Rise and Fall, the latter a testament to his strong faith.
“It’s a special one,” McCreery says of “Red Letter Blueprint,” which he wrote with Derek George, Brent Anderson, Jeremy Bussey and Monty Criswell. “My faith has always been a huge part of who I am as a man, let alone as an artist. I always say my three are faith, family and friends. I think it’s a crazy world out there right now, and for me, I’ve seen the ups and the downs of all of it, so I think it’s easy to get lost out there.
“To me, when you get that way, there’s an easy road map,” he continues, “an easy blueprint, and it’s right there in the good book. That’s where the song came from.”
It’s been 13 years since McCreery won American Idol. In the time since then, the North Carolina native has had hit singles, a lost record deal, successful tours and more. Through it all, McCreery learned what he did, and didn’t want to say, which is evident on Rise and Fall.
“I just think for me, I’m at a place where I wasn’t going to make a record chasing trends, or chasing the top of the charts, or what sound is selling more tickets on the road,” McCreery explains. “I just want to make an album that feels good to me, feels good to my soul, touches on influences that I had growing up. I really think we did that on this record. To me, it’s the most ‘me’ record, and the most proud I’ve been of a record yet.”
“Every song has a story,” he adds. “Every song is one I’m passionate about.”
McCreery wrapped up Cab In A Solo Tour this year, but he still plans on spending most of the year performing in front of his fans.
“I’ll be on the road all year long, so I’ve kind of been a road dog for 12, 13 years now,” the new Grand Ole Opry member says. “I go January through December, with a few breaks here and there, but that’s it … We’re all over the country this year.”
See a track list for Rise and Fall below. Find the record and all of McCreery’s music and upcoming shows at ScottyMcCreery.com.
Rise and Fall Track List:
1. Little More Gone (Scotty McCreery, Brent Anderson, Derek George, Frank Rogers, Bobby Hamrick, Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell)
2. Cab in a Solo (Scotty McCreery, Brent Anderson, Frank Rogers)
3. Lonely (Scotty McCreery, Brent Anderson, Derek George, Frank Rogers, Bobby Hamrick, Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell)
4. Can’t Pass the Bar (Scotty McCreery, Brent Anderson, Cale Dodds, Frank Rogers)
5. Hey Rose (Jay Brunswick, Jeremy Bussey, Bobby Hamrick)
6. Fall of Summer (Scotty McCreery, Brent Anderson, Derek George, Frank Rogers, Monty Criswell)
7. Love Like This (Scotty McCreery, Frank Rogers, Aaron Eshuis)
8. Slow Dance (Scotty McCreery, Brent Anderson, Derek George, Monty Criswell)
9. No Country for Old Men (Scotty McCreery, Brent Anderson, Derek George, Frank Rogers, Monty Criswell)
10. And Countin’ (Scotty McCreery, Frank Rogers, Bobby Hamrick, Jeremy Bussey)
11. Stuck Behind a Tractor (Scotty McCreery, Chase McGill, Rhett Akins)
12. Red Letter Blueprint (Scotty McCreery, Derek George, Brent Anderson, Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell)
13. Porch (Scotty McCreery, Greylan James, Heather Morgan)