Shaboozey

Collins Obinna Chibueze, known professionally as Shaboozey, is an American singer born May 9, 1995. His music blends country, Americana, rock, and hip-hop. He gained early prominence through soundtrack features and high-profile collaborations before achieving widespread commercial success with chart-topping country and pop releases.

Chibueze was raised in Woodbridge, Virginia. His parents are Igbo Nigerians; his father farmed in Nigeria and attended college in Texas, and his mother is a retired nurse. In his youth, Chibueze was inspired by hip-hop music videos, as well as his father's affection for country music and cowboy clothing. He spent two years at a Nigerian boarding school during junior high before returning to graduate from Gar-Field Senior High School in 2013, where he played freshman football. His stage name stems from a high school football coach mispronouncing his surname, Chibuze, an Igbo name meaning "God is king." Though he originally planned to write novels, he began earning money from photography, video production, and music gigs, prompting a full commitment to music.

In 2014, Shaboozey released his first single, "Jeff Gordon," and founded the production company V Picture Films. He signed a deal with Homeless Records in 2016, which was assigned to Republic Records' Kreshendo Entertainment division in 2017 before terminating in 2019. He released his debut album, Lady Wrangler, in October 2018. That December, his performance on the track "Start a Riot" with Duckwrth for the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack brought him national recognition. His second studio album, Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die, followed in October 2022 under Empire Distribution.

Shaboozey's main commercial breakthrough occurred in 2024. After attracting the attention of Beyoncé's team, he featured on two tracks on her album Cowboy Carter. In April 2024, he released "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," which spent nineteen weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, tying the historical chart record at the time. His folk-pop-leaning third album, Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going, arrived in May 2024. He later released the single "Good News," which topped the US Country Airplay chart, and performed on Saturday Night Live as well as multiple holiday football halftime broadcasts.

Shaboozey's achievements include three Billboard Music Awards, two People's Choice Country Awards, and two iHeartRadio Music Awards. In 2025, his collaboration with Jelly Roll, "Amen," won the Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. During a 2026 Grammy acceptance speech, he highlighted immigrant contributions, later offering a public statement honoring Black history in America. Continuing his creative work, he created a jingle for Domino's in 2025 and announced his fourth album, The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales, alongside plans for his Outlaws Never Die Tour.