Shaboozey: How An Igbo Man Came to Rule American Country Music

It was his father who introduced him to country artists like Kenny Rogers and Garth Brooks, while Shaboozey also listened to the likes of Ja Rule and Usher. It’s this fusion that exists at the core of his sound. When Shaboozey and his friends began making music — he started releasing songs officially about ten years ago — it was a natural synthesis of sensibilities. Shaboozey’s early dream was to be a novelist. “I was always telling stories, always trying to find ways to create something,” he revealed to Harper’s Bazaar. “Maybe that was a short film with my friends, or writing, but I was always drawn to stories.”

Lady Wrangler, his 2018 debut album, shines as a versatile collection of eleven songs. Shaboozey floats over anything — whether it’s a melancholic number padded with country influences (“Dream”) or a trap-suffused rodeo (“Angels”), he consistently delivers memorable performances. On deep cut “I Came Up,” the bouncy, sparkling production spurs an all-time verse from Shaboozey, a glittering portrait of the celebrity lifestyle which is encapsulated in the first line of the chorus: “Can’t wait for you to hear all these songs I wrote…”

When Shaboozey appeared on two songs from Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter, it opened up a conversation about African country musicians. Beyonce’s pre-release letter recognized Black America’s peculiar history with the genre, and through his more encompassing influences, Shaboozey unites both the American and the African scenes. It’s not been the least surprising to see he’s been getting love from the motherland.

The outsized rap and country cadences he brought to Beyonce’s “Spaghettii” and “Sweet Honey Buckiin’” are prevalent in his sophomore album, Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die. Its bold soundscape was further cemented by Shaboozey’s quirky but purposeful flow, as always utilizing his vocals as poignantly as a musical instrument, moving between meters as every beat demands. It’s a wonderful thing that the same person made “GAS!” and “Why Can’t Love Be The Reason,” the former’s upbeat vibe well complemented by its drill undertones. On the latter, a stringent guitar base gives Shaboozey the balance for him to explore the humane quality of relationships.

By the time Shaboozey collaborated with Beyonce, he was already a strong fixture in the American country scene. He recalls a member of Bey’s team hearing him perform “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” live and wanting to bring him into the singer’s camp to record. “We were pretty prepared for this moment,” he told Billboard, reiterating the fact that the quality of his solo material was what led to him collaborating with arguably the world’s biggest artist.

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” interpolates J-Kwon’s 2004 rap-pop number “Tipsy.” Its guitar-led production carries a wistful undertone, however it’s a song that urges positive connection with one’s immediate surroundings — in this case, a bar. Songs about the soothing effects of good booze on a hard day are barely new, but that gives Shaboozey’s hit and its success even more brilliance.

From the brooding storm of Nina Simone’s “Lilac Wine” to T-Pain’s smash “Buy U a Drank,” artists have used the imagery of a bottle to probe into the heady details of existence. “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” in comparison, calls up the image of a super fun guy at the bar, cheering everyone on to sing a forgotten anthem of their childhood. It’s no surprise that the record has a bluesy 2000s American pop lilt (think: Christina Perri and Jennifer Lopez), even though Shaboozey’s inflections align more vibrantly with the country singers he heard growing up.

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is the anthemic centerpiece of Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, Shaboozey’s third and latest album. Currently in its fourth week on the Hot Country Songs chart, it has spent thirteen weeks on the Hot 100 chart, and the song has been described as an “unprecedented crossover hit” — it is the only song ever to have reached top 10 on the Billboard charts of Country Airplay, Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay.

Combining the intricacies of his earlier albums have given his music a rounded form, and his growing popularity comes as no surprise. And with every move he makes, it becomes clear to see that Shaboozey indeed holds a lifelong vision for his art.