Earlier this year, before the record-breaking success of “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Shaboozey said he lived by the mantra: “Create art, create your world, leave impact.”
There’s no doubt the singer did just that in 2024. Shaboozey, who will perform on the Billboard Music Awards tonight, notched the most consumed track of 2024, according to Luminate. The song is certified six times platinum and holds the record for the longest-running Hot 100 No. 1 by a solo artist. The bop also topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay Chart, and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts. He made history as the first artist to top all four charts: Country Airplay, Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay, and Rhythmic Airplay. He’s the first Black male artist to hit No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Country Songs Charts.
He also earned six nominations at the 2025 GRAMMY Awards, including an all-genre nod for Best New Artist.
It is too soon to be sure that Shaboozey won’t be a one-smash wonder – his second single, “Good News,” is No. 18 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. But he is definitely not an overnight success.
Shaboozey collaborated with Beyonce on her Cowboy Carter album, then strategically timed his “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” release on its heels. His plan to capitalize on the buzz surrounding Cowboy Carter worked, and Shaboozey dropped his breakthrough album Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going at the end of May. He released “Good News” in November.
Videos by American Songwriter
“I had to think outside the box, just getting to where I’m at right now,” he said. “If you want to just be able to connect with people in a real way, organically, it has to be authentic for sure.”
Shaboozey’s Real Name: Collins Obinna Chibueze
Shaboozey, born Collins Obinna Chibueze, left his native Virginia for California about a decade ago to chase his dream of doing anything creative. Before he wrote albums, he penned novels. All he knew for sure was that there were no career opportunities for artists in Virginia.
In the beginning, he didn’t want to leave his home state. Shaboozey wanted to build spaces where he grew up to foster creativity. Then he realized he might have a better chance of succeeding if he left home, moved to California, and made a name for himself. He could return to Virginia with name recognition and financial stability. Shaboozey estimates he was 19 or 20 when he left Virginia for the West Coast.
The singer explained that he bases his projects on concepts or metaphors he likes to explore thoroughly. He loves series like Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings – stories creators took time to map out and decipher how they relate to modern culture.
He asks himself what story he wants to tell during his creative process and goes from there.
Born to Nigerian immigrants, Shaboozey inherited much of his musical taste from his father – now a farmer in Nigeria. But the genre-bending artist spent his youth in the U.S. His dad loved all things American — including Westerns. As a child, Shaboozey wondered why his dad wore camouflage and Wranglers or a cowboy hat and overalls. He remembers being surrounded by farmland on road trips. His dad told him about Kenny Rogers, and he discovered Garth Brooks.
Shaboozey Didn’t Understand Camouflage
“You see the roads and the trees, and you start to think, ‘What is this place about?’” he said. “‘What is this culture that I’m growing up in?’ I asked my dad, ‘Why are you dressed like that?’”
Shaboozey’s father taught him about music and that there was no such thing as luck, only hard work. He told his son he had to take responsibility for his future.
Legacy was also crucial to Shaboozey’s father. He wanted to make history.
“It’s kind of sad to see him work a regular job,” Shaboozey said. “He always wanted to do more. He was always looking for a different idea or way he could empower people and give back to the community and his people. He’s doing that through me, so that’s awesome.”
Now that his dad has returned to Nigeria, the singer sees parallels between the U.S. and the West African nation. With that knowledge, Shaboozey’s place in the large country music sphere makes sense to him. He wants to be known as a creator and a storyteller. Writing appeals to him because it’s less divided by genre.
Shaboozey Looks Up to Beyonce, Garth Brooks
His first project with his distribution company, Empire, was a concept album based on Westerns that he wanted to turn into a movie. It was too expensive, and he moved on to something else.
Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going is his first project without a concept. However, he still believes the best place from which to create music is storytelling.
“I look up to people like Beyoncé and Garth Brooks,” he said. “These people stand alone as pillars of music, and I want to be a pillar of music. It’s like, ‘Hey, you can create what speaks to you.’”
(Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.