Shaboozey - Where Iâve Been, Isnât Where Iâm Going
Rapper and singer Shaboozey is having a moment right now, isnât he? After being featured twice on BeyoncĂ©âs latest country and country-adjacent album, Cowboy Carter, Shaboozey dropped a couple singles for his third album, Where Iâve Been, Isnât Where Iâve Been Going, but he really got some exposure with the viral smash âA Bar Song (Tipsy).â Itâs a fun little country song that interpolates the 2004 hit âTipsy,â but does so in a countrified lens. Itâs such a fun little tune, and I hope itâs the song of the summer (especially over that mid Post Malone and Morgan Wallen song), but thereâs a lot to say about Shaboozey, his place in country music, how the last two top country songs are from Black artists, and how the genre itself is becoming way more inclusive.
I wrote a piece about this last year, where is reviewed the latest albums from Willie Jones and Tanner Adell, two artists also featured on Cowboy Carter. I talked about how despite country music having its moment in the mainstream, it was stlll just straight white guys that were popular, but I was starting to find more women and people of color. Jones and Adell are two artists that add other styles of music, such as pop and R&B, but infuse them with country in a way that feels less pandering to pop audiences and more like a genuine fusion. Shaboozey is no exception, as his second album (and my introduction to his music), 2022âs Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die, combined blues, folk, country, and hip-hop to make a fun, catchy, energetic, and somewhat menacing album that really lives up to its titles.
I was obsessed with that album last year, and really excited for a follow-up, so Iâve been eagerly awaiting this new album. If you think âA Bar Song (Tipsy)â is what this album encompasses, youâd be mistaken. This album seems to be the sequel to Cowboys Live Forever, as this album is a country and folk album at its core with a little bit of hip-hop, but this record is more introspective, sadder, and remorseful, versus angry, menacing, and boastful. It almost feels as though this record is the comedown from Cowboysâ crime spree, and Shaboozey is reckoning with his actions, especially with how there are themes of running away, being a disappointment to people, and being regretful of various things. A lot of songs that deal with heartbreak are here, too, at least in different forms.
The sound of this record is where it really shines, because Shaboozeyâs unique baritone works well against the folksy, Americana, and country sounds that this album provides, but there are a couple of hip-hop tracks that are pretty fun and donât feel out of place, either. Even the country songs have some variety, because songs like âAnnabelle,â âLet It Burn,â and âHighwayâ are pretty catchy Americana tunes, but âMy Faultâ with Noah Cyrus, or âEast Of The Massanuttenâ are slower ballads that hit you in the feels. The lyrics itself are quite emotional, and theyâre very well-written. This album has a different mood than the last one, but the lyrics are still very much in the outlaw country vein, so itâs a spiritual successor to Cowboys.
If you couldnât tell, this is one of my favorite albums of the year. Where Iâve Been is a record that hits hard in every way, shape, and form. I love the sound, its lyrics, the songwriting is catchy and diverse, as well as Shaboozeyâs voice is so unique, but itâs such a wonderful record. This album is such an addicting one, especially if you love country, or country-adjacent stuff. Who would have thought that the artist featured on BeyoncĂ©âs Cowboy Carter that got a top five Billboard 100 hit, as well as a number one country hit, would be Shaboozey. His sound was the most âintense,â at least on his last album, but he mellowed out for a mainstream audience, although he can still get rowdy and fun. I really hope this album gets him even more fame, and this is one case I can say I knew who Shaboozey was before he got big.
