Learning From Yesterday: Scotty McCreery’s ‘Seasons Change’

The country singer honors the past with his upcoming album release.

Musician Scotty McCreery at the 2018 iHeartCountry Festival in Austin, Texas. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

“I’m a guy who loves to look back,” says musician Scotty McCreery, who doesn’t shy away from sentiment.

After 14 years in the country music industry, the singer-songwriter certainly does have a lot to look back on. He’s come a long way since his 2011 audition for Season 10 of American Idol. The judges were immediately blown away by the soulful baritone voice that emanated from the 16-year-old. His audition included a performance of fellow baritone Josh Turner’s hit single “Your Man.” McCreery went on to win the competition.

Now, he’s getting ready to release an expanded edition of an album that he called “life-changing.” From a wide-eyed talent show competitor to a quietly confident concert headliner, McCreery’s new album “Seasons Change: Platinum Edition” exemplifies his growth as an artist. The project also features plenty of reminiscing, and it shows that McCreery’s current success is due in part to his appreciation of a past that helped shape his future with music.

Scotty McCreery’s “Seasons Change: Platinum Edition" will be widely available on June 20, 2025. Triple Tigers/Scotty McCreery

Quintessential Country Songs

Ever since McCreery released his “Clear as Day” album shortly after he won American Idol, he’s carried the torch for country artists who stick to the basics of classic country music. McCreery is a storyteller at heart, and many of his songs take on the narrative format that is the genre’s specialty. His music is wholesome, family friendly, and covers universal experiences everyone can relate to.

Compact disc pamphlet of Scotty McCreery’s 2011 album "Clear As Day." Internet Archive. Public Domain

The title track to “Seasons Change: Platinum Edition” is an uplifting song about persevering through hard times because adversity makes the good times that much sweeter. McCreery co-wrote every song on the album, a first for the artist. For the “Seasons Change” track, he uses weather metaphors to illustrate his message with lines like, “Just when you think you can’t make it through the rain/ Your seasons change,” and, “'Cause sometimes going through all the bad weather/ Makes the sun shine that much better.”

The record also features chart-topping singles. McCreery’s “Five More Minutes” is a quintessential country song. It pulls on the heartstrings and acts as an anthem to the album’s overall message about honoring the past. The song finds the musician looking back on life’s important moments, from playing the final down of his last high school football game to the final moments he shared with his grandfather. He wishes he could go back and have more time to fully appreciate and understand the gravity of those experiences. The composition offers a valuable lesson on the importance of being present and giving attention to what one values most.

Listener-favorite track “Still” is a tender love ballad, with McCreery singing about how his adoration for his wife remains a steady force in his life. He married Gabi Dugal in 2018 and the two have a son together, Merrick Avery, who was born in 2022.

‘Making New Dreams’

McCreery’s original “Seasons Change” album debuted in 2018, and the expanded edition arrives on June 20, 2025. The new release features acoustic versions of several songs from the original track listing, including the album’s multiple No. 1 hit single “This Is It,” which chronicles the singer’s mountaintop proposal to his wife.

Cover of Scotty McCreery’s 2018 “Seasons Change” album. Triple Tigers/Scotty McCreery

Along with updated artwork, “Seasons Change: Platinum Edition” also features a section of expanded liner notes and thank you notes. Media outlet RTT News shared that McCreery was inspired to pen them while looking “back on the last few years of his career since the original album was released.”

A limited number of copies of the vinyl edition of the album will be made available as well.

While promoting the record, McCreery discussed how “Seasons Change” is one of the most authentic works he’s ever released.

“The Seasons Change album was truly life-changing for me. After experiencing both some career highs and lows, I was starting over. For the first time, I co-wrote all the songs and felt like the project was truly me.”

McCreery has spent plenty of time reflecting on the past. Even so, he’s also excited about what the future holds.

“I’m a guy who loves to look back, and I celebrate the release of this new expanded edition and all the accomplishments we’ve made since the original album came out.”

In keeping with the album’s hit single “In Between,” about the importance of balance in one’s life, he added that he’s also focused on “looking ahead to making new dreams come true.”

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