Scotty McCreery’s digging deep into his faith on Good Friday with a heartfelt new song, “Red Letter Blueprint.”
Co-written with Brent Anderson, Derek George, Jeremy Bussey and Monty Criswell, the track centers around McCreery’s bible — a family heirloom providing comfort, wisdom and a new lease of life across generations.
“It’s been passed down / Gold leaf and worn out leather / It leaves no doubt between what’s right and wrong / I found a note stuck in the pages / It looks like Grandpa’s writin’ / The ink is gettin’ faded, but the truth is just as strong,” McCreery recounts in the opening verse.
He then professes in the chorus, “Where can you go when you ain’t gettin’ nowhere? / Every turn is a dead-end road / The rain starts to fall and you’re so lost out there / Really only one place I know / When your whole world falls to pieces / And you don’t know how to build it back / There’s a red letter blueprint in King James black.”
In the second verse, listeners get painted a classic prodigal son story. Here, McCreery reflects on the times he’s strayed away from Jesus and faith and how, despite that, God’s love has never wavered or faltered.
“I’ll admit I lеft it on that nightstand / Until the dust on it started settlin’ on my soul / Yеah, but ain’t it just like Jesus to keep his arms wide open? / When I bring Him all my broken, He always makes me whole,” McCreery sings with conviction.
Sonically and thematically, “Red Letter Blueprint” harkens back to the North Carolina native’s earlier releases like 2011’s “That Old King James” and 2013’s “The Dash.” The throughline across all three songs is McCreery’s proud display of his faith and a production that blends neo-traditional with contemporary country. It’s nostalgic yet fresh, with faith references that candidly reflect the singer’s real-life core beliefs.
“This song has some deep meaning for me and I can’t wait to share it with you,” McCreery told fans ahead of the song’s release.
“Red Letter Blueprint” previews McCreery’s upcoming fifth studio album, Rise & Fall. The 13-song record drops May 10 and includes its lead single, “Cab in a Solo,” as well as “Can’t Pass the Bar,” “Slow Dance” and “Love Like This” — all of which are out now.
Rise & Fall is available to pre-order and pre-save now.