Shaboozey is having a moment. He walked into the Grammy Awards this Sunday with five nominations . This includes big categories like Song Of The Year Country Song Of The Year and Country Solo Performance. These nominations are for his popular song “ A Bar Song (Tipsy) ”. This track became a hit across different genres.
His song dropped shortly after he appeared on two tracks from Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album. He also snagged a nomination for Best Melodic Rap Performance for their song “Spaghettii”. It's safe to say things are moving fast for Shaboozey.
These Grammy nods are just some recent high points for Shaboozey. He is set to star in a Super Bowl commercial for Nerds candy. Plus he's going to perform at Coachella and Stagecoach festivals. Coachella is known for pop and rock while Stagecoach is country focused. This shows his wide appeal.
From Virginia Boy to Music Sensation: Shaboozey's Path to Country Music
You could say no Black artist has ever made such a big entrance into country music as Shaboozey. Historically country music has not seen many Black artists with long careers. Darius Rucker is one example but his prior success with Hootie & the Blowfish helped him cross over. Shaboozey's rise feels different and very impactful.
This 29 year old artist from Virginia grew up listening to his dad’s Kenny Rogers records. He also absorbed pop and hip-hop from MTV and BET. This mix resulted in his signature sound a blend of country and hip-hop. Rissi Palmer a musician and host of Apple Radio’s “Color Me Country” played Shaboozey's music early on. She recognized his unique style even before his hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”. Palmer noted his sound has always been in between genres similar to Norman North and early Jelly Roll.
"A Bar Song (Tipsy)": The Hit Song That Catapulted Shaboozey to Stardom
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is a song all about enjoying drinks. This theme is common in country music. The song became incredibly popular in the country scene. It made history as the first song by a Black man to top both Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and the Country Airplay chart at the same time. It stayed at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart for a long time 27 weeks. It led the Country Airplay chart for seven weeks. country radio 's support is significant. This format has not often played viral hits from Black artists.
The song's success even reached the all-genre Hot 100 chart. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” spent 19 weeks at No. 1 tying with Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road”. “Old Town Road” also mixed country and rap and was a huge hit in 2019. However “Old Town Road” was removed from Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart despite its popularity and Western themes. Billboard said it lacked enough country elements. “Old Town Road” did win a CMA Award but it was given off camera. Lil Nas X then shifted to pop music.
Navigating the Country Music Scene: Shaboozey's Journey and Reception
Shaboozey has performed in diverse venues. He’s been at the MTV Video Music Awards and the BET Awards. He has also performed in country spaces like the Grand Ole Opry and the CMA Music Festival. He was even nominated for Single of the Year and New Artist of the Year at the CMA Awards. Some jokes about Shaboozey’s name at the CMA Awards caused controversy. But Shaboozey has mostly avoided public comments on politics or the lack of variety in country music.
Other Black artists like Blanco Brown and Breland have seen some success in country. Blanco Brown had a hit with “The Git Up” in 2019. It reached No. 1 on Hot Country Songs but did not do as well on Country Airplay. He had label support in Nashville unlike Lil Nas X initially. Breland also found some success. However consistent radio play and long term success can be hard to achieve for artists of color in country music.
Andrea Williams a columnist for The Tennessean suggests Black male artists in country might get one hit and then industry support fades. She mentions Blanco Brown Breland and Shaboozey as examples. She thinks they might get a “song of the summer” type hit but then struggle to maintain momentum. This could limit their long term impact on country music history.
What's Next for Shaboozey? Doubling Down on Country and Future Prospects
Shaboozey is signed to Empire a record label that also helped Kane Brown’s country career. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was Empire Nashville's first No. 1 country radio hit. Empire helped Shaboozey build connections with country radio program directors. This personal connection is very important in country music radio.
Beyoncé took a different approach with “Cowboy Carter”. She did not try to win over country music insiders. The album still topped the Billboard Country Albums chart. She became the first Black woman with a No. 1 country single “Texas Hold ’Em”. Yet she received no CMA Award nominations last year.
Interestingly white male hip-hop artists seem to find it easier to cross over to country radio. Jelly Roll for instance is nominated for country Grammys this year after hip-hop albums. He has had multiple country radio hits. Post Malone another rap/pop star has also had country radio success. His country album “F-1 Trillion” is nominated for a Grammy.
Shaboozey’s follow up songs to “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” are not climbing the charts as quickly. Grammy wins could help boost songs like “Good News” and “Highway”. Shaboozey is committed to country music. He told Billboard his next project will be “even more country”.
Rissi Palmer hopes Shaboozey achieves long term success in country radio. She wants him seen as a real country artist not just a novelty act. Andrea Williams is less optimistic. She notes Shaboozey’s lack of CMA Awards wins despite having a huge hit. This might suggest his story could be a short one in the mainstream country scene. Whether Shaboozey becomes a lasting name in country music remains to be seen but his current success is undeniable.