In their own style, Scotty McCreery and Lauren
Alaina are the newest duo on the country scene.
Just a week following the season finale of "American Idol,"
the teenagers are together doing press like a team -- and this team
doesn't roll alone: They're equipped with publicists, security
guards, managers, record label extras and their real bosses -- their
mothers.
McCreery beat Alaina to become the season 10 champ, but the fact
that they are both young country singers with similar goals puts
them on the same career track.
Ahead of their "Idol" Top 11 tour -- which starts next month --
they will visit Nashville to begin prep on their debut albums.
"We're going to work with the record people down there and get
some songs straightened out and hopefully I'll get to listen to
them, get to learn them," McCreery said.
"American Idol" -- the No. 1 rated show on TV -- can make you a
star, but not all of the show's winners actually come out on top.
Remember Taylor Hicks? What about Ruben Studdard?
Alaina, 16, thinks country music fans are what kept her and
McCreery in the running.
"Well, country fans are really loyal, so I think that's why
Scotty and I did so good," she said. "We're young and so we
appeal to a younger crowd, and I think that the combination of
those two things really helped us out."
McCreery, a 17-year-old from Garner, N.C., said growing up his
friends listened to Backstreet Boys and `N Sync, while he jammed to
Elvis and Johnny Cash.
"I guess you could say I was the weird one. But, no, I was the
one who listened to good music," he said. McCreery says that
uniqueness -- along with his baritone-styled voice -- is what led to
his victory.
McCreery and Alaina are also on same page about recording pop
music: While there's interest, staying true to their country roots
is their top priority.
Alaina wants to follow in Carrie Underwood's footsteps, while
McCreery is hoping to maintain a classic country sound with a
"contemporary twist to keep it up-to-date."
"With the album I just want to establish myself as an artist
and put my stamp on that album," he said. "My main focus is going
to be country music, that's what I grew up with and what I love."
So far, the country world has been accepting: McCreery and
Alaina's first singles have hit the Top 40 on the country charts
and the Top 20 on the pop charts. Their label, Mercury Nashville,
ran an ad in the Billboard Country Update, a web newsletter,
welcoming the singers and thanking "Country Radio for a great
start."
But McCreery may already be on the pop route: His song, "I Love
You This Big," was co-written by Ester Dean, who's writing credits
include No. 1 hits for Rihanna ("S&M," "Rude Boy," "What's My
Name?") and Katy Perry ("Firework"). Dean has also written for
Nicki Minaj and Usher.
"(Dean has) written a lot of other pop and R&B songs as well so
... if we can get that kind of flavor in my songs and make it
country and still make it current, then that would be fine with
me," McCreery said.
When asked if he felt pressure to match the success of Carrie
Underwood -- or surpass the disappointing sales from albums by Lee
DeWyze and Kris Allen -- the teen seems unfazed.
"I wouldn't call it pressure," he said. "I want to go out
there and make the best record that I can, and I think if I do that
people will buy it. It's just up to me to put good songs on the
album and get songs on that thing that people want to hear."
Then he paused, and said: "I guess that's kind of pressure."
