Scotty McCreery Flattered by Bieber Comparison but Insists on Different Styles

Gaining meteoric fame in such a young age, 17-year-old Scotty McCreery has drawn comparison to another teen idol Justin Bieber who got a big break in the music industry a couple years back. Talking about the comparison in two different interviews, he said he's flattered but also a bit baffled. 


In a chat with MTV recently, Scotty said it was cool to be dubbed a "Country Bieber" because the Canadian singer "is the epitome of [a] big star." Talking about their alikeness, he mentioned their young age, "I mean, Justin's a whole lot further ahead than I am ... so, I guess it's mainly because of our age. ..." 


His fellow "American Idol" graduate Lauren Alaine then pointed out their boyish look as another factor which lured the girls to them. "Girls love Scotty McCreery like they love Justin Bieber," she gushed. "It's true." Scotty laughed, saying "Thank you, Lauren. I just figure it's because of our age. Me and Justin are pretty much two young guns." 


Meanwhile, the aspiring country music singer insisted their music is different when talking to Ok! Magazine. Still, he once again said he feels flattered by the comparison, "Me and Justin, we are both pretty young, but Justin's far more ahead then I am. He's got a great career. He's a star. It's cool to be referred to him. He's a major guy right now." 


Both Scotty and Justin, along with Lauren, have been set to attend 2011 CMT Awards on June 8. The invitation comes hot on heels on the official announcement that he and Lauren have inked a deal with Mercury Nashvile. To cap the good news, his debut single "I Love You This Big" reached No. 1 on iTunes chart. It also bowed at number 32 on Billboard Hot Country Songs, becoming the highest chart debut for a new artist on the chart in the SoundScan era.