Make no mistake: Shaboozey deserves every bit of his rapid rise to stardom.
If you were anywhere in Lawrence on Friday evening, you were, uh, stuck in traffic. People came out en masse for the rising country superstar and Downtown was backed up good and early. Though his early career primarily had more of a trap-sound, the genre-blending artist is finding his best role in folk and country. This is a natural fit for him, coming from Virginia.
Just this week, he took home two awards (“New Artist” and “New Artist Song”) at the People’s Choice Country Awards. A couple of days later, he was playing a free show to a packed crowd in Downtown Lawrence as part of the Rock Chalk Block Party to celebrate KU Football. The fact that this even happened is nearly unbelievable. Shaboozey’s every-endearing “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has held the top spot in the Billboard Hot 100 for much of the year, and if you spent any amount of time at the pool this Summer, you heard the song no less than a billion times over the speakers. Shaboozey was everywhere, and he pretty much had the song of the Summer.
And though his songs sometimes center around alcohol, Shaboozey is for the kids. Most of the crowd was made up of children. Like, itty bitty children! And they knew ALL the words, screaming them back at him throughout the show (and even singing together before Shaboozey even took the stage). We guarantee that in the coming weeks, he’ll be sweeping all the awards shows. When you watch him live, it’s easy to see why. He’s got star quality, a staggering frame that commands the stage, and a smile that lights up a room. My God, that entire crowd was wrapped around his little finger, hanging on his every word. There’s a relatable connection with Shaboozey with his “everyman” approach to lyrics and genuine demeanor. He shot to stardom so quickly this year, but it hasn’t gone to his head. Part of his relatability may also come from the fact that he embodies a bit of the American dream (hear us out). Where else can a man born to Nigerian parents become the top country star of the year and the first black man to hold the Number 1 Billboard Hot 100 and Number 1 Billboard Hot Country Song spots at the same time?
He played a shorter set than what he normally does on tour, likely due to the nature of the event, and fans dutifully hung on through the end. He disappeared for a brief moment before returning for the encore in a custom Jayhawks jersey with his name on the back. This is when the show really took off, as he performed his big hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” not once, but TWICE (TWICE!!!). The first time, he performed it onstage. The second time, he performed it in the crowd (which made everyone’s night). He’s known to perform this song twice and sometimes even thrice on tour, and it’s a testament to his quick wit and knowing how to give his fans what they want without being too “big” for stunts like this. Hell yeah, we’ll take two servings of the Bar Song! When he finished, he bolted to a portion of the fence in the back where fans didn’t have the best view, and immediately took selfies with them. Shaboozey: America’s Sweetheart.
Fellow Virginian David Morris opened the night with a quick but no less exciting set. While Shaboozey brought an entire band along, Morris brought just a drummer AND THAT IS ALL HE NEEDED because that fella was out of his mind with stick tricks (you can watch a clip from our Instagram below).
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