Scotty McCreery Pens Heartfelt Song On The Night His Son Was Born
Scotty McCreery found the ultimate source of inspiration on October 24, 2022 — the night his son, Merrick Avery, was born. The American Idol alum welcomed the baby boy with his wife, Gabi, and in the hours following Avery’s arrival, McCreery poured his emotions into a brand-new song that would later become “Love Like This.”
A Night Filled With Emotion
McCreery recalls being overwhelmed the moment he held his newborn son. “It was just instant, unconditional love,” he told PEOPLE. “I’ve never felt a love like that, never knew a love like that could exist, and at the same time was just so proud of Gabi and all the hard work she did during this time. She was so awesome through the nine months of pregnancy and the delivery — she’s a champ.”
@scottymccreery I’ve never known a love like this🥹
The baby, named after Gabi’s father, Merrick, but called Avery by the family, arrived 11 days early, weighing 7 lbs, 13 oz. That same night, McCreery began crafting a song that would serve as a permanent keepsake of the life-changing moment.
Writing “Love Like This”
The result was “Love Like This,” a tender track included on McCreery’s fifth album, Rise & Fall. Fans first got a taste of the song back in January, when the singer shared a short video paired with family snapshots and clips.
The lyrics capture the awe he felt as a brand-new father:
“When I first laid eyes on you /
That’s when I knew /
I’ve never known a love like this /
I’ve never felt this way /
Girl, I think I might have thought I did /
But everything changed today.”
Songs Straight From Life
For McCreery, writing about real-life experiences has always been his approach, and becoming a father only deepened that instinct. In a May interview with Music Mayhem, he admitted that parenthood reshaped his songwriting completely.
@musicmayhemmagazine.com @Scotty McCreery opened up about being a dad, how fatherhood has changed him, if he and Gabi plan to expand their family and his son Avery’s reaction to his music in an exclusive interview before becoming a member of the @Grand Ole Opry! #ScottyMcCreery #Fatherhood #Dad #CountryMusic ♬ original sound – Music Mayhem
“I’ve always written from the heart. For me, it’s easier to write a song if I’ve lived it, if I know it, if I believe in it,” he explained. “Fatherhood, that’s the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me in my life. So how could you not write songs? Just sitting there looking at him and Gabi, I was like, ‘Man, I’ve known love but not like this.’ So I was taking pictures of the room number he was in so I could put it in the song and all sorts of stuff.”
A Family Built On Love
Now nearly two years old, Avery has already inspired unforgettable memories for his parents. For his first birthday, Scotty and Gabi threw a Toy Story-themed party, celebrating their little boy in playful fashion.
But perhaps the sweetest gift of all will forever be the song that captures the very night he entered the world — proof that for Scotty McCreery, music and family are inseparable.