Scotty McCreery Has Become a Fan of Bananagrams in Quarantine

Like everyone forced inside in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Scotty McCreery has had to come up with a few new hobbies, one of which turned out to be the word game Bananagrams. In a video shared by Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, McCreery opened up about his and wife Gabi’s newfound love for the game, revealing that he has his in-laws to thank for the new at-home activity.

“We’re getting a whole lot of ‘you time,’” McCreery said, referencing his new single “You Time.” “Playing Bananagrams. Her family’s where we got that came from. I’m loving it. She’s probably ready for me to get back on the road at some point.” McCreery was at the Ryman to play a livestream show with a handful of socially distanced fans in attendance, and he reflected on the history of the building and all the country music legends who have played there.

“If you want to get to know country music, you should start with the Ryman Auditorium,” he said. “The history here and everybody, looking at a wall with all these names and I just saw mind. I was like, ‘Holy cow, I’m on the same wall, I’m looking at Willie Nelson and Garth.’ Everybody’s played here, so you just feel that. You feel the ghost of country music past just right here when you walk in, and it’s a really cool feeling.”

The North Carolina native added that the first time he played at the Ryman was shortly after he won Season 10 of American Idol in 2011. “We came here to Nashville and got to walk in and I just knew that all my heroes had played here,” he recalled. “It was just so special to be able to get on that stage and sing.”

During his latest show at the historic venue, McCreery gave the live performance debut of “You Time,” which was inspired by Gabi. “I wrote this song was I was on the road a lot,” he shared. “My wife was a nurse and I’d be coming home and she’d be going to the hospital, just passing, so we weren’t getting a lot of ‘you time.’” The 27-year-old told Taste of Country that his wife is not only his muse but also his best sounding board when it comes to new music. “She’s honest,” he said. “She’ll tell me if she loves it… or there’s been plenty more times where she’s kind of like, ‘Well, that’s not your best. Try again tomorrow.’”