"[1] The single was chosen in a fan-voted poll that featured samples of six songs from her upcoming record; "Not That Far Away," with 30% of the total votes, was selected for release.

He stated that while he believes McCurdy "proves herself a generally capable vocalist," he noted that her voice "lacks Underwood’s pristine tonal quality, outstanding vocal control and incredible power.

"[3] Jim Kiest remarked, "A perfectly credible, fairly forgettable, country debut about chasing dreams...Fans of her show might have been expecting McCurdy to be a mean-girl counterpart to Taylor Swift; keep hoping, kids, but it hasn't happened yet.

"[4] The music video, which was directed by Roman White and shot in Watertown, Tennessee, premiered on Nickelodeon and CMT on August 14, 2010.

She then takes her guitar and walks through town, eventually making her way to a coffee shop, where she performs the song during open mic night.