Clear as Day explained

Clear as Day
Type:studio
Artist:Scotty McCreery
Cover:ClearasDay.jpg
Border:yes
Recorded:May – July 2011
Studio:
  • Starstruck Studios (Nashville, Tennessee)
  • Dead Aunt Thelma's Studio (Portland, Oregon)
  • Nightbird Recording Studios (Hollywood, California)
  • Record Plant (Los Angeles, California)
  • Threshold Sound and Interscope Studios (Santa Monica, California)
Genre:Country
Length:40:49
Producer:Mark Bright
Next Title:Christmas with Scotty McCreery
Next Year:2012

Clear as Day is the debut studio album by season ten American Idol winner Scotty McCreery. The album was released on October 4, 2011 in the United States.[1] Clear as Day also became the first debut album from an American Idol winner to reach number one on the US Billboard 200 since Ruben Studdard's Soulful in 2003, selling 197,000 copies in its first week.[2] [3]

McCreery broke records as the first country act to debut at number one with their first studio album, and at 18 years old, the youngest man to open at the top of the chart with their debut release.[2] The album had since been certified platinum on January 6, 2012.

Background

Scotty McCreery began working on his album soon after he was crowned the winner of the tenth season of American Idol. McCreery described the album as having "some old country influences and elements" that he grew up with, such as Hank Williams, Conway Twitty and Merle Haggard, but "it also has a contemporary feel with fun up-tempo songs."[4] He said the title track, "Clear as Day", is one of his favorites on the album and he loves the message behind the song.[5] The album includes a cover of a song by Keith Urban, "Walkin’ the Country", released when he was in the band The Ranch.[6] [7]

Singles

Reception

Upon its release, Clear as Day received generally mixed reviews from most music critics.[11] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 51, based on 8 reviews, which indicates "Mixed or average reviews".[11]

Jerry Shriver of USA Today gave the album 2 stars out of 4, saying that the album was "strictly paint-by-numbers country, with some mildly interesting colors occasionally dabbed inside the lines."[12] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave it two stars out of five, saying that although some of the songs had "signs of life" to them, "the songs and production demand that all energy come from young Scotty, who amiably sleepwalks through the tunes, expecting his 'aw shucks' smile will translate onto record. That it doesn’t is not necessarily on his shoulders -- it’s better to place the blame on the machine, here run by producer Mark Bright."[13] Rolling Stone critic Caryn Ganz also gave the album two stars out of five, stating that "his debut – a ho-hum jaunt through an America full of dog-eared Bibles, rugged pickup trucks and girls 'hot as July, sweet as sunshine' – works overtime playing up his wide-eyed charm."[14] Chris Willman, writing for Reuters, gave it a mixed review, singling out "The Trouble With Girls" as having "sweetly playful lyrics" but adding that "the sappy music seems to have been written for a different set of words, as if McCreery were supposed to be singing about Jesus taking the wheel, not chick magnetism."[15]

Melinda Newman, writing for HitFix, gave it a B− rating, saying "McCreery has a voice meant for country. It’s deep, resonant, and for someone so young, he also had a good command of nuance...the sound is so clean and clear, if it were a floor, you could eat off it...there is no attempt whatsoever to make any song here palatable for a country crossover to pop — and that is a compliment."[16] Joey Guerra, writing for the Houston Chronicle, gave it a positive review, noting that "there are a surprising and refreshing number of uptempo numbers, and the entire thing clearly establishes his persona, unlike so many post-Idol debut efforts." Additionally, he said that of the two albums being released by the 2011 American Idol finalists (referring to Lauren Alaina's debut album, which would be released a week after Clear As Day), "(Clear As Day) is clearly the stronger of the two, and it's no surprise. He's a more natural performer and seems unfettered by NashVegas trappings or mainstream radio cynicism. Country music just seems to be an extension of who he is. The songs are age-appropriate, heartfelt and sincere.".[17]

Chart performance

Clear as Day debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of 197,000 copies. McCreery became the first country act to debut at number one with their first studio album. At 18-years old, McCreery also became the youngest man to debut at the top of the chart with their debut release breaking Omarion's record, who was 20 when O debuted at number one in 2005.[18]

As of April 2013, the album had sold 1,166,000 copies in the United States.[19]

Personnel

Adapted from Clear As Day liner notes.[20]

Production

Charts

Weekly Charts

Chart (2011)Peak
position
Canadian Albums Chart[21] 4
New Zealand Albums Chart[22] 32
South African Albums Chart[23] 19
UK Country Artist Albums Chart[24] 5
US Billboard 2001
US Billboard Top Country Albums1

Year-End Charts

Chart (2011)Peak
position
US Billboard 20057
US Billboard Top Country Albums12
Chart (2012)Peak
position
US Billboard 20032
US Billboard Top Country Albums8

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positionsSalesCertifications
US Country
[26] [27] 		US
[28] [29] 		CAN
2011"I Love You This Big"151121
  • US: Platinum
"The Trouble with Girls"1755—
  • US: Platinum
2012"Water Tower Town"38——

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina Announce Release Date and Title of New Albums . Dukes . Billy . Taste of Country . August 11, 2011 . September 1, 2011.
  2. 'Idol's' Scotty McCreery Makes History at No. 1 on Billboard 200. Billboard.
  3. News: Kelly Clarkson stays in top 10 for a second week . Mansfield . Brian . Idol Chatter . USA Today . November 9, 2011 . November 14, 2011.
  4. Web site: SCOTTY MCCREERY, LAUREN ALAINA ANNOUNCE ALBUM TITLES, RELEASE DATES . Shetler . Scott . PopCrush . August 12, 2011 . September 1, 2011.
  5. Web site: Scotty McCreery's 'Clear As Day' Demo Reportedly Discovered Online . Hensel . Amanda . Taste of Country . August 13, 2011 . September 1, 2011.
  6. Web site: Scotty McCreery's 'Clear as Day' Album to Include a Keith Urban Track . Hensel . Amanda . Taste of Country . 2011-08-27 . September 1, 2011.
  7. Web site: CW Exclusive: Scotty McCreery Reveals Title of Keith Urban Song on New Album . Nicholson . Jessica . Country Weekly . September 1, 2011 . September 1, 2011.
  8. News: Dukes. Billy. Scotty McCreery's New Single 'The Trouble With Girls' Debuts Tomorrow. September 8, 2011. Taste of Country. August 29, 2011.
  9. News: Scotty McCreery debuts new single, 'The Trouble With Girls' . Mansfield . Brian . Idol Chatter . USA Today . August 30, 2011 . September 1, 2011.
  10. Web site: Scotty McCreery Featured in New Bojangles Commercials. November 8, 2012 .
  11. Web site: Clear as Day Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic . . February 29, 2012.
  12. News: Listen Up: Albums from McCreery, Indigo Girls . . . Shriver . Jerry . October 3, 2011 . April 23, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140202193720/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/story/2011-10-03/listen-up-scotty-mccreery/50648416/1 . February 2, 2014.
  13. Web site: Clear as Day - Scotty McCreery . Erlewine . Stephen Thomas . Stephen Thomas Erlewine . . October 13, 2011.
  14. Scotty McCreery Clear as Day . Ganz . Caryn . . . October 4, 2011 . October 4, 2011.
  15. News: Review: "Idol" Scotty McCreery aims for the mushy middle . . Willman . Chris . October 3, 2011 . October 4, 2011.
  16. Web site: Album Review: 'American Idol' Scotty McCreery's 'Clear As Day' . Newman . Melinda . . October 3, 2011 . October 4, 2011.
  17. News: Teen Idols make their big debuts . Guerra . Joey . . . October 3, 2011 . October 4, 2011.
  18. 'Idol's' Scotty McCreery Makes History at No. 1 on Billboard 200. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. October 12, 2011. October 12, 2011.
  19. News: 'Idol' sales: Scotty's new single, more . Mansfield . Brian . Idol Chatter . USA Today . April 21, 2013 . April 22, 2013.
  20. Clear As Day . Scotty McCreery . 2011 . CD booklet . Mercury Records Nashville/19 Recordings . B001602202.
  21. [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=scotty mccreery|chart=all}} Chart listing for ''Clear as Day'']. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. October 13, 2011.
  22. Web site: Scotty McCreery Discography . charts.nz. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. December 7, 2011.
  23. Web site: South African Top 20 Albums Chart. RSG (Recording Industry of South Africa). https://web.archive.org/web/20121107022731/http://www.rsg.co.za/. November 7, 2012.
  24. Web site: Archive Chart . . July 23, 2012.
  25. Decade-End Charts: Billboard 200. Billboard. November 23, 2019.
  26. Scotty McCreery Makes Historic Start, Lauren Alaina Bows On Country Songs. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. May 30, 2011.
  27. Chart Highlights: Kelly Clarkson Debuts on Adult Pop Songs. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. September 5, 2011.
  28. 'Idols' Scotty McCreery & Lauren Alaina Top Hot 100 Debuts, Adele Still No. 1. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. June 1, 2011.
  29. http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/467458/kelly-clarksons-know-it-all-debuts-on-hot-100-rihannas-cheers-rises Kelly Clarkson's 'Know It All' Debuts on Hot 100, Rihanna's 'Cheers' Rises
  30. Web site: Billboard Country Update . February 21, 2014 . February 26, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140226011953/http://www1.billboard.biz/bbbiz/photos/pdf/2013/country_update_0218.pdf . dead .
  31. Web site: Billboard Country Update . February 21, 2014 . February 26, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140226011953/http://www1.billboard.biz/bbbiz/photos/pdf/2013/country_update_0218.pdf . dead .
  32. Web site: 'Don't You Wanna Stay' passes 2 million downloads . Mansfield . Brian . Idol Chatter . USA Today . April 4, 2012 . April 4, 2012.

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