Scotty McCreery is full of surprises and recently shocked fans with an unexpected collaboration. The American Idol alum, who is a small percentage Puerto Rican, has joined forces with Colombian singer/songwriter GUSI.
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The two released a new track titled “Why She Gotta Be Like That” on Thursday morning (May 4). The up-tempo melody is different from your typical country song, as they created a bilingual jam that would resonate with their diverse fan base. While McCreery tackles the sing-along-worthy song in English, GUSI delivers each verse in Spanish.
The imagery-heavy lyrics convey a steamy story about a man head-over-heels for his lady. The frisky chorus explains that the couple will be “fashionably late” to a party to spend more time alone.
According to a press release, McCreery stumbled upon GUSI on social media while covering his 2021 track “Why You Gotta Be Like That” and said that he instantly wanted to make a duet with the Spanish-speaking artist.
“I’ve always thought it would be fun to bring the Latin part of my heritage into some of my music,” said McCreery. “I met GUSI after hearing him perform ‘Why You Gotta Be Like That’ on Instagram. It is always flattering to have someone cover one of your songs, and he’s so talented, so I asked him if he would want to bring some Latin flavor to the track. He brought so much to it. It was so much fun to do a new take on this song as a duet with GUSI, so we decided to call this version ‘Why She Gotta Be Like That.’”
McCreery co-wrote the radio-ready hit alongside esteemed songsmiths James McNair and Jordan Schmidt. GUSI, on the other hand, contributed to the Spanish translation. The reimagined version intertwines country and Latin musical elements.
”I am very grateful to Scotty and his team for inviting me to participate in this song,” said GUSI in a statement. “For me, it gives me pride to collaborate with him since I admire his music a lot. Additionally, I have grown up listening to country music, and recording this song with this great performer was more than I imagined.”
They also released an abstract music video for “Why She Gotta Be Like That,” directed by frequent collaborator Jeff Ray. The Texas-based filmmaker is the mastermind behind several of McCreery’s videos, such as “Five More Minutes,” “This is It,’ “In Between,” “Damn Strait,” and “It Matters to Her.”
“Why She Gotta Be Like That” follows McCreery’s Same Truck: The Deluxe Album, which includes his top-10 and climbing single “It Matters To Her.” The love song has become his fastest-rising song to date.
McCreery’s career is at an all-time high, as he is one of the musicians featured in the new American Currents: State of the Music exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. He also kicked off his run on the Brooks & Dunn REBOOT Tour this week.
(Jeff Ray/Courtesy of Essential Broadcast Media)
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