After a year of "twerking" and controversial performances from one particular artist with country roots, another young country star has made it clear that is not the type of thing his fans can expect from him.
Three years after he claimed the title of "American Idol," 20-year-old Scotty McCreery is sticking by his Christian faith. In the book "Once-a-Day Country Faith: 56 Reflections From Today's Leading Country Music Stars," McCreery shares the importance of his faith.
The book includes thoughts about his time on his high school baseball team and the scripture verse that he relied on.
"I keep a lot of my old baseball hats, and if you look in the hats I've had since I started pitching, you'll see Philippians 4:13 written on the brim," CMT reported McCreery saying. "That's the scripture that gets me through the day because sometimes you can't do it all by yourself. You can't do it on your own, so you lean on him."
In fact, McCreery attributes much of his success on the reality TV show "American Idol" to his reliance on his faith and family.
"It was the best time of my life, but it was tough and definitely stressful," CMT reported McCreery saying. "That was when I'd have to really dig into the word and pray and ask for prayers from my friends back home. I leaned on that verse, and I got through it."
Since then, McCreery has grown and begun to adjust to his new lifestyle, while striving to stay true to who he is.
"The road is a fun place, and it's a great place to get out there and explore the country," McCreery told Fox 411. "But as far as the road life with the 'rock and roll temptations,' there's not much of that with me."
McCreery then joked with Fox 411 when asked about how he will stick to his beliefs in a business that is not known for its standards.
"I don't want to put anyone down," McCreery said, "but you won't see any 'twerking' from me."
Not only has McCreery made statements regarding his personal conduct, but he has also made it clear that his music will represent his beliefs, as well.
"I’m not ever going to sing about me getting drunk at a bar because that’s not me," McCreery says on his website.
"I grew up with the older-style country, so you hear the more heartfelt things, whether it was somebody hurting or dying. These are songs that had a deep meaning to them and are more than just riding around in a truck and falling in love with a hot girl. I enjoy listening to something that has a deep meaning to it."
Email: spetersen@deseretnews.com