WATCH: Kelly Clarkson Takes a Dig at Blake Shelton Before Scotty McCreery’s ‘Damn Strait’ Performance

Kelly Clarkson welcomed fellow American Idol alum Scotty McCreery to The Kelly Clarkson Show on Tuesday (Oct. 19) for a…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

October 19, 2021

6:16 pm

Kelly Clarkson, Scotty McCreery; Photos via YouTube

Kelly Clarkson welcomed fellow American Idol alum Scotty McCreery to The Kelly Clarkson Show on Tuesday (Oct. 19) for a performance of his brand new single, “Damn Strait.”

His performance aired during the “What I’m Liking” segment, as Clarkson gushed over McCreery and all of the “amazing things” he’s done since winning American Idol in 2011.

Just moments before introducing his virtual performance, Clarkson held up McCreery’s new album, Same Truck, and took a hilarious dig at fellow The Voice coach Blake Shelton.

“His latest is called ‘Same Truck’ and it features a song that pays tribute to the King of Country – not you Shelton – George Strait,” Clarkson quipped.

https://youtu.be/OS5bArmDwf8

McCreery then appeared to perform the new track. Click above to watch.

“Damn Strait” is a standout among the 12-track Same Truck album and finds the North Carolina native tipping his hat to the legendary George Strait, with shout outs to some of his most iconic songs.

The opening line references Strait’s “Nobody In His Right Mind Would’ve Left Her” and throughout the song he mentions “Marina Del Rey,” “Baby Blue,” “Blue Clear Sky,” “Give It Away,” and “I Hate Everything.”

“Damn Strait” is one of two songs McCreery didn’t have a hand in writing for his just-released album and will follow the success of his latest single, “You Time.”

“I had an email from Kevin Herring at my label and he said, ‘Hey, take a listen to this song. It just came through for you,’ and I kind of had a little mini freak out session because I’m a huge George Strait fan,” McCreery shared with Billboard of the track. “I love the different tidbits in there of songs of his… It’s a classic country breakup song, but [it’s also] paying homage to George Strait throughout the song. It’s so cleverly written. If you’re a country fan, a George Strait fan, this song is so cool.”

The former American Idol champ is taking his new music on the road this fall, with tour dates planned through mid-November.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.