Scotty McCreery Reflects on “the Greatest Year” of His Life

Things were not going well for Scotty McCreery in 2016. Despite winning the American Idol title five years prior, the country star found himself in a rut.

“If I’m being honest, things sucked,” the 25-year-old admitted to People backstage before a show in Chicago. “2016 was a really rough year. I was questioning a lot of stuff. I was looking for advice from everybody. There was a light at the end of the tunnel but that light felt really far away. It was a long ass tunnel, that’s for sure.”

But the North Carolina native isn’t one to throw in the towel. “I could either mope and pout or I could pick myself up by the bootstraps and keep marching on,” he recalled. “I chose the latter and I’m definitely better for it now.”

The next year, he released his first No. 1 single, “Five More Minutes.” In 2018, he dropped a chart-topping album, Seasons Change, and as the year comes to a close his current single “This Is It” is also moving up the charts.

While success is great, what made 2018 the singer-songwriter’s best year yet was his wedding. Over the summer, McCreery married his longtime girlfriend, Gabi Dugal.

“2018 has been the greatest year of my life, especially because it’s the year I got to marry her,” he gushed, while his wife sat next to him on the couch. “She’s incredible and we make a great team, and to be able to go through life together is one of my biggest joys. She always sees the best in people so it rubs off on me when I’m having a down day. Just going home to her perks me up a little.”

McCreery launched his Seasons Change Tour in November and will continue touring the country in January.