Scotty McCreery Performs ‘Clear as Day’ Hits, Reflects on 2011

2011 has truly been a life changing year for Scotty McCreery, whose career had only just begun when he was announced the winner of 'American Idol' earlier this year. In a recent interview with AOL Sessions, the 18-year-old budding country star revealed that he thinks his win is an indication of something bigger: country's growing influence.

"It shows that country music is going more mainstream now," the 'I Love You This Big' hitmaker quipped. "More people are listening, more people are watching. It's not realistic to think that every person was a country fan that was watching, but it shows that country music is kind of making the move into more mainstream music. It's a good thing for the genre."

It's a good thing for Scotty McCreery, too, though he said his newfound fame means staying home more. "It's tough for me to go out nowadays, 'cause there's a lot of people that watched the show," he said, sharing how often he gets recognized. "So, it's tough. Not a lot of places out there. Maybe a deserted island out there -- I don't know."

2012 is slated to be an even bigger year for the young star as he continues to grow in his career, and it will most likely include college -- perhaps in Nashville. McCreery admitted that he's still young with a lot to learn, and may pursue music business as a major, which would be a "really cool option."

While McCreery was in the studio, he performed a handful of hits from his 'Clear as Day' album, including the title track and his latest successful single, 'The Trouble With Girls.'

Watch Scotty McCreery Perform 'The Trouble With Girls' at AOL Sessions