What Shaboozey Thought of Lil Nas X’s ‘Old Town Road’ and Why He’s Different
Country music is fusing with hip-hop more than ever before since the release of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” Shaboozey is a big name name in this fusion. Still, Shaboozey feels that he’s very different from Lil Nas X and identifies heavily with “the rebels, the outlaws, [and] the outliers.”
Shaboozey wasn’t sure Lil Nas X was dedicated to county after ‘Old Town Road’
Lil Nas X made his debut with an unassuming country-trap song called “Old Town Road,” which turned the industry upside down and became one of the biggest surprise hits of all time. Since then, he has performed other country songs and branched out into red-meat hip-hop and pop. Shaboozey, on the other hand, made country music for years, even appearing on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, before breaking through with “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”
During a 2014 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Shabozey said he was aware “Old Town Road” changed the music industry, but he wasn’t sure if Lil Nas X was all that interested in being a country musician. “At the end of the day, it’s one of the biggest songs of all time,” he said.
Shaboozey revealed his own ambitions for his time in country music. “I want to continue to be in this world, and evolve here,” Shaboozey said. “I want to make music like this for the next couple of projects, and tell stories from this point of view. I’m going to keep picking up a guitar and figuring out how to get better at crafting and telling this story, which is what I’ve been doing for the last 10 years.”
The ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ singer wants to be part of an alternative country community
Shaboozey wants to remain a country singer, even if he’s not a mainstream country singer. “I tend to lean toward outlaw music,” he said. “In Nashville, that’s who me and my friends are: We’re the rebels, the outlaws, the outliers. So seeing my success and the success of my friends, we’re happy to be a part of this more alternative community, because we’ll always support each other.”
The rising star discussed his approach to art. “I had to learn to embrace being different, embrace being my own artist,” he revealed. “I just had to start making the music I would want to hear.”
How Lil Nas X’s and Shaboozey’s biggest hits performed
“Old Town Road” became the sort of hit that most artists will only dream of creating. The track topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a whopping 19 weeks. The tune remained on the Billboard Hot 100 for 45 weeks in total. The track appeared on the EP 7. That record peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and charted for 71 weeks in total.
Shaboozey’s biggest hit, “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” is currently the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. It might become as big as “Old Town Road,” but that’s highly unlikely. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for a single week, charting for 13 weeks so far. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is part of Shaboozey’s album Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going. That record has reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and it’s spent six weeks on the chart.
While Lil Nas X may have paved the way for Shaboozey, Shaboozey has different plans for his career.
