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Clear as Day

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Clear as Day is the debut studio album by season ten American Idol winner Scotty McCreery, released on October 4, 2011 in the United States.[1]

Clear as Day
Studio album by
Scotty McCreery
ReleasedOctober 4, 2011 (2011-10-04)
RecordedMay – 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)
GenreCountry
Length40:49
Label
ProducerMark Bright
Scotty McCreery chronology
Clear as Day
(2011) 		Christmas with Scotty McCreery
(2012)
Singles from Clear as Day
  1. "I Love You This Big"
    Released: May 25, 2011
  2. "The Trouble with Girls"
    Released: August 30, 2011
  3. "Water Tower Town"
    Released: April 9, 2012

Background

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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."[2] He said the title track, "Clear as Day", is one of his favorites on the album and he loves the message behind the song.[3] The album includes a cover of a song by Keith Urban, "Walkin’ the Country", released when he was in the band The Ranch.[4][5]

Singles

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Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [9]
Rolling Stone     [10]
USA Today    [11]

Upon its release, Clear as Day received generally mixed reviews from most music critics.[12] 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".[12]

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."[11] 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."[9] 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."[10] 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."[13]

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."[14] 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.".[15]

Chart performance

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Clear as Day debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of 197,000 copies, subsequently becoming the first debut album from an American Idol winner to top the chart since Ruben Studdard's Soulful in 2003. 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; the record had previously been held by Omarion, who was 20 when O debuted at number one in 2005.[16][17]

As of April 2013, the album had sold 1,166,000 copies in the United States,[18] having been certified platinum on January 6, 2012.[19]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Out of Summertime"
3:42
2."I Love You This Big"
4:06
3."Clear as Day"
3:56
4."The Trouble with Girls"
3:49
5."Water Tower Town"
2:44
6."Walk in the Country"
2:59
7."Better than That"
3:10
8."Write My Number on Your Hand"
2:59
9."Dirty Dishes"
3:36
10."You Make That Look Good"
3:01
11."Back on the Ground"
  • Thrasher
  • Beathard
  • Martin
3:19
12."That Old King James"
3:29
Total length:40:49

Personnel

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Adapted from Clear As Day liner notes.[20]

Production

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  • Larry Jackson, Iain Pirie and Brian Wright – A&R
  • Mark Bright – producer
  • Derek Bason – recording, mixing (1, 3-12), digital editing
  • Mitch Kenny – additional recording, recording assistant
  • Todd Tidwell – additional recording, mixing (2)
  • Chris Ashburn – recording assistant, mix assistant (1, 3-12)
  • Angelo Caputo – recording assistant
  • Josh Millman – recording assistant
  • Chris Small – recording assistant, mix assistant (2)
  • Mike Gaydusek – recording assistant (4, 5, 11)
  • Juliette Amoroso – recording assistant (5, 10)
  • Christopher Rowe – digital editing
  • Adam Ayan – mastering at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine)
  • Mike "Frog" Griffith – production coordinator
  • Kirsten Wines – production assistant
  • Andrew Southam – photography
  • Cori Bardo – hair, make-up
  • Rita Rago – wardrobe stylist
  • 19 Entertainment and XIX Entertainment – management

Charts

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Weekly Charts

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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 200[21] 1
US Billboard Top Country Albums[21] 1

Year-End Charts

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Chart (2011) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[21] 57
US Billboard Top Country Albums[21] 12
Chart (2012) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[21] 32
US Billboard Top Country Albums[21] 8

Decade-end charts

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Chart (2010–2019) Position
US Billboard 200[25] 191

Singles

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Year Single Peak chart positions Sales Certifications
US Country
[26][27] 		US
[28][29] 		CAN
2011 "I Love You This Big" 15 11 21
"The Trouble with Girls" 17 55 —
2012 "Water Tower Town" 38 — —

Certifications

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Region Certification
United States (RIAA)[35] Platinum

References

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  1. ^ Dukes, Billy (11 August 2011). "Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina Announce Release Date and Title of New Albums". Taste of Country. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  2. ^ Shetler, Scott (12 August 2011). "SCOTTY MCCREERY, LAUREN ALAINA ANNOUNCE ALBUM TITLES, RELEASE DATES". PopCrush. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  3. ^ Hensel, Amanda (13 August 2011). "Scotty McCreery's 'Clear As Day' Demo Reportedly Discovered Online". Taste of Country. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  4. ^ Hensel, Amanda (27 August 2011). "Scotty McCreery's 'Clear as Day' Album to Include a Keith Urban Track". Taste of Country. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  5. ^ Nicholson, Jessica (1 September 2011). "CW Exclusive: Scotty McCreery Reveals Title of Keith Urban Song on New Album". Country Weekly. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  6. ^ Dukes, Billy (29 August 2011). "Scotty McCreery's New Single 'The Trouble With Girls' Debuts Tomorrow". Taste of Country. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  7. ^ Mansfield, Brian (30 August 2011). "Scotty McCreery debuts new single, 'The Trouble With Girls'". Idol Chatter. USA Today. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  8. ^ "Scotty McCreery Featured in New Bojangles Commercials". 8 November 2012.
  9. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Clear as Day - Scotty McCreery". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  10. ^ a b Ganz, Caryn (4 October 2011). "Scotty McCreery Clear as Day". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  11. ^ a b Shriver, Jerry (3 October 2011). "Listen Up: Albums from McCreery, Indigo Girls". USA Today. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  12. ^ a b "Clear as Day Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  13. ^ Willman, Chris (3 October 2011). "Review: "Idol" Scotty McCreery aims for the mushy middle". Reuters. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  14. ^ Newman, Melinda (3 October 2011). "Album Review: 'American Idol' Scotty McCreery's 'Clear As Day'". HitFix. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  15. ^ Guerra, Joey (3 October 2011). "Teen Idols make their big debuts". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  16. ^ "'Idol's' Scotty McCreery Makes History at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  17. ^ Mansfield, Brian (9 November 2011). "Kelly Clarkson stays in top 10 for a second week". Idol Chatter. USA Today. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  18. ^ Mansfield, Brian (21 April 2013). "'Idol' sales: Scotty's new single, more". Idol Chatter. USA Today. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  19. ^ "American single certifications – Scotty McCreery – Clear As Day". Recording Industry Association of America.
  20. ^ Clear As Day (CD booklet). Scotty McCreery. Mercury Records Nashville/19 Recordings. 2011. B001602202.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ a b c d e f g "Chart listing for Clear as Day". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  22. ^ "Scotty McCreery Discography". charts.nz. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  23. ^ "South African Top 20 Albums Chart". RSG (Recording Industry of South Africa). Archived from the original on 7 November 2012.
  24. ^ "Archive Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  25. ^ "Decade-End Charts: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  26. ^ "Scotty McCreery Makes Historic Start, Lauren Alaina Bows On Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  27. ^ "Chart Highlights: Kelly Clarkson Debuts on Adult Pop Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  28. ^ "'Idols' Scotty McCreery & Lauren Alaina Top Hot 100 Debuts, Adele Still No. 1". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  29. ^ Kelly Clarkson's 'Know It All' Debuts on Hot 100, Rihanna's 'Cheers' Rises
  30. ^ "Billboard Country Update" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  31. ^ "American single certifications – Scotty McCreery – I Love You This Big". Recording Industry Association of America.
  32. ^ "Billboard Country Update" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  33. ^ "American single certifications – Scotty McCreery – The Trouble with Girls". Recording Industry Association of America.
  34. ^ Mansfield, Brian (4 April 2012). "'Don't You Wanna Stay' passes 2 million downloads". Idol Chatter. USA Today. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  35. ^ "American album certifications – Scotty McCreery – Clear as Day". Recording Industry Association of America.
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