I love this! Shaboozey covers this week’s issue of People Magazine, the “Hot Guy Summer” issue. Shaboozey IS hot – he’s a good-looking, tall, Nigerian-American country artist who has had a huge breakout over the past year. He collaborated with Beyonce on Cowboy Carter, and his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is one of the biggest hits of the past year. He’s from Virginia too, I love that. The radio stations here in Virginia play his music all the time. Shaboozey just turned 30 years old, and he seemed so chill in this People profile:
His birthday: “I’m not a huge birthday person, but I was able to see my family, and that was really special. I hadn’t seen them in probably a year, I’m definitely proud of how my 20s turned out. The way my career is, the way I am, the name — it just shows anything’s possible. My whole life is literally just a pinch-me moment.”
The massive success of “A Bar Song”: “I want to outdo what I did last year. I want to outdo this song. You’ll drive yourself crazy trying to compare or compete, but I want to continue to make music that people know across the world.”
His real name is Collins Obinna Chibueze: He grew up in Woodbridge, Va., the second of four children born to Nigerian parents. His father, who attended college in Texas after immigrating to the United States, is a longtime fan of Americana and the Old West, and his penchant for artists like Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton served as Shaboozey’s first taste of country. He was a role model in other ways too. “[My dad] told me a story the other day about how he told his parents, ‘Hey, I’m going to make you guys proud,’ ” Shaboozey says. “He washed dishes and figured out any menial jobs he could to pay his way through college. He’s always telling me about individual responsibility. It’s on you to really make something of yourself. I definitely put a lot of those principles into my work ethic. My mom also worked pretty tirelessly. It’s very inspiring. I’m grateful for them.”
His surname is pronounced “Chee-BWAY-zay”: “Shaboozey” came about after it was mispronounced by his high school football coach. “Growing up, it was always just a thing, trying to pronounce the name. That was the nickname everyone called me back home, and it shows how far I probably thought this was actually going to go. I remember asking one of my friends, ‘What do y’all think my stage name should be? Should I just keep this?’ And they were like, ‘Yeah, just keep it.’ Little did they know.”
Whether he was concerned about being accepted in country music: “I loved that there was so much room for some diversity in the space and to stand out. I love standing out. I love that I’m different. I think it’s my superpower. [I’m] not feeling like I’m not allowed in this space because of the way I look or the way I dress or the way I present myself. If anything, hopefully it opens doors for people.”
This is great: “I love that I’m different. I think it’s my superpower.” He’s already been targeted by unkind comments and racial microaggressions (if not outright racism) in the country music industry. But his reaction has been to shrug it off and just keep it moving. I hope that’s genuinely how he feels too, like “yeah, I’m different, and people will come around.” The man gave up his Christmas to perform with Beyonce in Texas, so… yeah, people will come around. Apparently, several country artists are already requesting him for collabs.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, cover courtesy of People.
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