2024 was another milestone year for Triple Tigers Recording artist Scotty McCreery. From being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry to headlining his blockbuster Fall of Summer Tour to releasing his critically acclaimed album Rise & Fall, named one of the 30 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2024 by Rolling Stone, the singer/songwriter continued to push himself to new heights creatively.
Showing no signs of slowing down, McCreery is starting 2025 with a moment of reflection releasing an updated version of his country and gospel blending “Red Letter Blueprint” featuring GRAMMY and Dove Award winning Christian artist, Jason Crabb. Called “nostalgic yet fresh, with faith references that candidly reflect the singer’s real-life core beliefs” by Taste of Country upon release last year, listen to the new version of “Red Letter Blueprint” HERE.
The pair are set to give their first live performance of the song on the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday, Feb. 11. This will also be McCreery’s first performance on the stage during the Opry100 year-long celebration. Visit Opry.com to purchase tickets.
“Jason’s voice is just out of this world powerful,” McCreery shares. “When he sings, you can feel the emotion in every note and the belief in every word. I’m a fan, and it’s an honor to have him sing this song with me.”
“I’m so excited to be joining my friend Scotty on such an incredible song as ‘Red Letter Blueprint,’” said Crabb. “His talent is beyond compare, and he’s one of the greatest guys I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. It’s an honor to be singing alongside him, and I can’t wait to play this song live for everyone next week on the Grand Ole Opry stage!”
McCreery’s lead guitarist Spence Peppard, who used to play in Crabb’s band, connected the two singers for the collaboration. A road-family-affair of sorts, Peppard co-produced the new track along with McCreery’s bass player Nathan Thomas and long-time McCreery producer Frank Rogers.
Written by McCreery, Derek George, Brent Anderson, Jeremy Bussey, and Monty Criswell, “Red Letter Blueprint” is a comforting ballad of faith and inner strength. Both patient and gentle, yet solid and strong, McCreery leans on the plans that never fail. Building from a tender piano melody and the crooner’s convicted yet empathetic vocal, the track implores the listener to take solace in the belief that no matter how far away true peace seems, the path to get there is clearly marked.
Where can you go when you ain’t gettin’ nowhere?
Every turn is a dead end road
The rain starts to fall and you’re so lost out there
Really only one place I know
When your whole world falls to pieces
And you don’t know how to build it back
There’s a red letter blueprint in King James black
Rise & Fall, which features the original version of “Red Letter Blueprint,” is McCreery’s most critically acclaimed album to date, with Billboard naming it one of the 50 Best Albums of 2024 (So Far). The album’s first single, “Cab in a Solo,” became his sixth No. 1 hit. Listen to the album Rolling Stone says is “every bit as legit as Jamey Johnson’s That Lonesome Song, Garth Brooks’ In Pieces, or Randy Travis’ Storms of Life,” HERE.
“Across the 13-track collection, McCreery exhibits his continued growth as a vocalist and songwriter,” notes Holler. People echoes the sentiment, writing that the album “brims with a newfound confidence and maturity,” while Country Now calls it “his best record yet,” and American Songwriter declares it a “career album” as Rise & Fall finds him exploring not only heartbreak but rowdy nights, nostalgia, faith, newfound joy, fatherhood and enduring love, resulting in a project full of insightful storytelling. The album was produced by McCreery’s longtime production team of Frank Rogers, Derek Wells and Aaron Eshuis.
McCreery co-wrote 12 of the 13 songs on the album, which Billboard observes, “Light-hearted fare such as ‘Stuck Behind a Tractor’ and ‘And Countin’’ mesh with heartbreak brushoffs such as ‘Lonely,’ the bluegrass-inflected album-closer ‘Porch’ and the faith-filled ‘Red Letter Blueprint.’” It is available digitally as well as on CD and vinyl. Order autographed vinyl and CDs of Rise & Fall HERE.
McCreery will join Kane Brown for his The High Road Tour as direct support on March 27 (including Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on April 11), with tickets on sale now at Ticketmaster. Brown recently released his track “Says I Can (The High Road Tour Version)” featuring his tourmates McCreery, Mitchell Tenpenny, Ashley Cooke, and Dasha to streaming outlets.
