With “I Love You This Big” Amercian Idol has one of the few ‘coronation songs’ that is an actual song that suits the singer instead of being something deplorable like Carrie Underwood’s “Inside Your Heaven” or the other ‘dreams come true’ moments (outside of Kelly Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This” and David Cook’s “Time of My Life”).  So with “I Love You This Big,” Scotty McCreery has a better chance at scoring a hit with audiences outside of the TV show.  While that may be the case with fans from the show, making the single a digital success, many in country radio are already on board with finding any reason to not like Scotty McCreery due to his love of singing Josh Turner songs so early in the American Idol program’s tenure.  The problem with them writing him off so soon is they hadn’t even heard this song yet. 

With a voice on record that sounds most like a cross between Blaine Larsen and Paul Brandt, Scotty now has one more thing going against him as it seems that country radio never really took to either of those talented artists (although Paul Brandt is still a star in Canada).  While a tad cheesy lyrically, the song “I Love You This Big” is a mid-tempo, age appropriate ballad that at times feels like a long-lost George Strait song and that can only help Scotty score with the traditionalist audience that is looking for more actual, real country singers.  But that being said, even the polish of Scotty’s new label mate Easton Corbin has rubbed off at radio a little bit so this song may have a tough road ahead of it. 

The production features steel guitar, accents of mandolin and a breezy 90s country feel (that only enhances the George Strait vibe) and while fans of that era may actually take a shine to the song, it might not be the song that younger fans like, although with Scotty’s built-in audience from American Idol, radio would be fools to not at least play this song into the Top 20 so that they could perhaps gain new fans who will realize that country music is better than they’re told it was.

The one thing Scotty’s really going to need to do after this single is to find out a way to get stronger material that forces country radio to have to play him and make him a superstar so that he’s not considered a big ole failure a couple years from now.