Shaboozey


Collins Obinna Chibueze , known professionally as Shaboozey, is a Nigerian-American singer and rapper. His music combines country, Americana and hip-hop. After releasing two albums, he gained wider recognition through his appearance on the soundtrack to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and later featured on two songs from Beyoncé's album Cowboy Carter.
His commercial breakthrough came with his third album, Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going, whose single "A Bar Song ", which spent nineteen weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, tying with Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" as the then-longest running Hot 100 number one song of all time. The follow-up single "Good News" topped the US Country Airplay chart. In 2025, he collaborated with Jelly Roll on "Amen", which won the Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
He has also received three Billboard Music Awards, two People's Choice Country Awards and an IHeartRadio Music Award.

Early life

Chibueze was born and raised in Woodbridge, Virginia, in the Washington metropolitan area. His parents are Igbo Nigerians; his father was a farmer in Nigeria who attended college in Texas. In his childhood, he was inspired by hip-hop music videos on 106 & Park, as well as his father's cowboy style of dress and love of country music. For junior high, he spent two years at a boarding school in Nigeria. In 2013, he graduated from Gar-Field Senior High School in Woodbridge, Virginia, where he played football as a freshman. As a teenager, Shaboozey planned to be a novelist. However, by the time he graduated high school, in addition to earning money from shooting music videos and photography, he also earned "a few hundred bucks here and there" from music gigs and decided to take music more seriously.

Career

His stage name originated from the mispronunciation of his last name, Chibueze – an Igbo word meaning "God is king" – by his high school football coach.
In 2014, Shaboozey released his first single, "Jeff Gordon", referring to NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon. It is described as "a sparse trap song with a stealthy piano beat" and begins with overlapping audio from a NASCAR race.
Also in 2014, Shaboozey founded V Picture Films, a production company, with the goal of becoming a writer, director, and producer.
In August 2016, Shaboozey signed a recording, co-publishing and ancillary rights agreement with Terence Sheldon dba Homeless Records, giving up 50% of the rights to his compositions while the agreement was in effect. The publishing agreement was terminated in November 2019.
In October 2018, Shaboozey released his debut studio album Lady Wrangler on Republic Records.
In 2018, Shaboozey was asked by Duckwrth to sing the hook for the song "Start a Riot". It went so well that Shaboozey was also asked to sing the second verse. The song, released in December 2018, was included in the soundtrack to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and led to national recognition for Shaboozey.
Shaboozey's second studio album, Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die, was released in October 2022 via Empire Distribution. On the album, Shaboozey attempts to highlight the common themes between contemporary hip-hop and 19th century outlaw music in the American frontier.
In January 2024, after a member of Beyoncé's team heard Shaboozey's then-unreleased "A Bar Song ", Shaboozey was asked to sing on two songs with Beyoncé. The tracks were included on her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, released in March 2024. "A Bar Song ", which interpolates J-Kwon's 2004 single "Tipsy", was released in April 2024. The song spent nineteen weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, tying with Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" as the longest-running Hot 100 number-one song ever at the time.
Shaboozey's third studio album, Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going, was released in May 2024. Though his earlier music had more of a trap influence, this album has more of a folk-pop sound with acoustic guitar. As of May 2024, Jared Cotter was Shaboozey's co-talent manager.
In November 2024, Shaboozey released "Good News". That month he also performed at the halftime show of the 2024 Chicago Bears–Detroit Lions Thanksgiving game.
In December 2024, Shaboozey was a musical guest on Saturday Night Live, where he performed "A Bar Song " and "Good News". He also performed alongside Post Malone in the Beyoncé 2024 NFL Halftime Show at the Christmas Day Game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans.
In October 2025, Domino's Pizza announced they had collaborated with Shaboozey in their first refresh in 13 years. In addition to their updated branding, Shaboozey sings their new jingle.

Musical style and influences

Shaboozey's music combines hip-hop, country, rock, and Americana.
Shaboozey has cited the Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin as influences, as well as Martin Scorsese films such as Taxi Driver. Other influences include Fela Kuti, Clipse, Roger Waters, Backstreet Boys, Pharrell Williams, Missy Elliott, Lead Belly, and Johnny Cash.

Tours

Headlining

  • Europe + UK Tour
  • The Great American Roadshow

    Opening act

  • Jessie Murph – Live in the Sticks Tour
  • Jelly Roll – Beautifully Broken Tour

    Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Other charted songs

Awards and nominations

Shaboozey received nominations at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards for Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Country Song, Best Country Solo Performance, and Best Melodic Rap Performance. He also received nominations at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Country Song, and Best Country Solo Performance.
AwardYearWorkCategoryResult
APRA Awards 2025"A Bar Song "Most Performed International WorkNomitated
Billboard Music Awards2024HimselfTop New ArtistNomitated
Billboard Music Awards2024HimselfTop Song Sales ArtistWon
Billboard Music Awards2024"A Bar Song "Top Hot 100 SongNomitated
Billboard Music Awards2024"A Bar Song "Top Streaming SongNomitated
Billboard Music Awards2024"A Bar Song "Top Selling SongWon
Billboard Music Awards2024"A Bar Song "Top Country SongWon
Brit Awards2024"A Bar Song "International Song of the Year
Country Music Association Awards2024HimselfNew Artist of the Year
Country Music Association Awards2024"A Bar Song "Single of the Year
Grammy Awards2025HimselfBest New ArtistNomitated
Grammy Awards2025"Spaghettii" Best Melodic Rap PerformanceNomitated
Grammy Awards2025"A Bar Song "Song of the YearNomitated
Grammy Awards2025"A Bar Song "Best Country SongNomitated
Grammy Awards2025"A Bar Song "Best Country Solo PerformanceNomitated
Grammy Awards2026"Good News"Best Country Solo Performance
Grammy Awards2026"Amen" Best Country Duo/Group PerformanceWon
Grammy Awards2026"Good News"Best Country Song
iHeartRadio Music Awards2025HimselfBest New Country ArtistWon
iHeartRadio Music Awards2025HimselfBest New Pop Artist
iHeartRadio Music Awards2025"A Bar Song "Song of the Year
iHeartRadio Music Awards2025"A Bar Song "Country Song of the Year
MTV Video Music Awards2024HimselfBest New ArtistNomitated
MTV Video Music Awards2024"A Bar Song "Song of SummerNomitated
NAACP Image Awards2025HimselfOutstanding New ArtistNomitated
People's Choice Country Awards2024HimselfNew Artist of 2024Won
People's Choice Country Awards2024Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm GoingAlbum of 2024Nomitated
People's Choice Country Awards2024"A Bar Song "Song of 2024Nomitated
People's Choice Country Awards2024"A Bar Song "Male Song of 2024Nomitated
People's Choice Country Awards2024"A Bar Song "New Artist Song of 2024Won
People's Choice Country Awards2024"My Fault" Crossover Song of 2024Nomitated
People's Choice Country Awards2024"Let It Burn"Music Video of 2024Nomitated