Clear As Day by Scotty McCreery

Album: Clear As Day (2011)

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This ballad is the title track from American Idol season ten winner Scotty McCreery's debut album. Scotty explained why the LP was named after this Phil O'Donnell, Casey Beathard and Adam Wheeler penned song: "'Clear as Day' felt like the perfect title for the album. It's not too fancy, but it got the point across. 'Scotty McCreery: Clear as Day,' I like the sound of it and I thought it fit perfectly with what we were trying to accomplish with the album."
Scotty explained why this is one of his favorites on Clear As Day. He said: "It's got a great feel to it and a great message too. It's relatable for me, with the after-football game kind of thing in the parking lot, and then the after-football-game parties at Cook Out Restaurant. We sit on the back of the trucks. Of course, the song takes a twist at the end and gets really serious, talking about how the girl never made it home because of the fog and pouring rain."
Clear As Day was produced by Mark Bright who's worked with previous American Idol winner Carrie Underwood and also helmed Scotty's debut single, "I Love You This Big."
The first time this song was played to Scotty, it was without the turn at the end. He recalled to The Boot: "Right at the beginning, we were hooked on the [story of] after the football game, going to the after-football parties. That's my life on Friday nights - we have the football games and the cookouts after the game. We chill in the parking lot." He added that the first time he heard it with the final twist, "it really ripped my heart out. It's just a song I felt the need to get out there."
The Clear As Day album topped the Billboard 200 chart in its debut week selling 197,000 copies. In doing so Scotty achieved the following:
(1) The first Country artist to debut at #1 with their first studio album.
(2) At just 18-years-old Scotty was the youngest male singer to top the Billboard 200 on the first week of his solo debut. The record was previously held by Omarion, who was 20 when O debuted at #1 in 2005.
(3) The first male Country American Idol winner to reach #1 on the Billboard 200.

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