For anyone who has been following the last month or so of "American Idol," which has narrowed the contestant field from tens of thousands to 24 semifinalists, the journey of North Carolina country crooner Scotty McCreery has, in large part, been due to his repeat performance of Josh Turner's "Your Man."
When MTV news caught up with the deep-voiced high school junior at the afterparty celebrating this year's "Idol" top 13 on Thursday, we asked him if, given the resurgence of interest in Turner's 2005 hit single, he's met or heard from the Nashville star yet.
"I actually met him the day I auditioned for the show at a meet-and-greet," McCreery revealed. "He sent me a message today, and he just told me he was rooting for me and that he was proud of me. So that meant a lot to me."
With regard to what McCreery plans to sing during the 10th season of the reality singing competition, the 17-year-old hinted at a few big country names and accepted our suggestion that he take on fellow deep-voiced singer Trace Adkins.
"Trace is the man! I saw him in concert this summer," McCreery said, admitting his admiration for Adkins but no plans to sing any of his tunes. "Maybe some Tim McGraw, some Garth Brooks," he teased. "[I'll] change it up a little bit."
McCreery went on to say that while he wants to focus on his strengths in country music, he also wants to keep America guessing.
"I want to stay true to myself and sing country," he said, "But I'll switch it up here and there, give America something different. We'll see where that goes."
What do you want to hear McCreery sing? Tell us in the comments!
Don't miss "Idol Party Live" every Thursday on MTV.com, following the "American Idol" results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.