I don't play "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" and necessarily think of outlaw country. That's not explicitly a bad thing. It certainly can be, there's an abundance of aesthetic grifting or just bad mixes of hip-hop. But it's not always bad and it can coexist with the teflon subgenre of outlaw country. Shaboozey particular threads the line pretty well, even if his big hit song lifts its interpolation pretty heavily. But to imagine DNA of artists like Willie Nelson in his work feels strange. But apparently, it's always been a part of his life.
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Recently, Shaboozey spoke with PEOPLE Magazine after a memorable night at the GRAMMYs. There, he shares some of his primary musical influences that brought him to country music. "I would say Johnny Cash was some[one] that resonated with me very early on. Marty Robbins, too. I loved [him]. His voice was just so sweet and distinct. Marty was really cool, especially in my later years and seeing the parallels between country music, storytelling, country music and hip-hop," Shaboozey says.
Shaboozey Cites Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins as Big Musical Influences
Elsewhere in the interview, Shaboozey talks about working with another country import in Beyoncé on her GRAMMY winning album Cowboy Carter. He admits that he felt a little bit of impostor syndrome working with her. "When I was recording the songs on her album, [I was like], 'Oh man, I can't do these runs' or 'I am nowhere near the vocalist, performer or anything Beyoncé is.' And I kind of got in my head about that," he reveals.
However, Shaboozey recalls a vital piece of advice from her and her team that gave him the courage to execute. "What they told me was, 'Hey, we brought you here for you to do you, for you to be yourself,'" the singer explains. "Just be confident in the fact that you are different, you are unique and that's what people are going to resonate with."
