For a decade, Shaboozey quietly built a career in country music, even landing collaborations with Beyoncé on her 11-time Grammy-nominated Cowboy Carter. This year, though, Shaboozey went from behind-the-scenes to center stage.
In April, Shaboozey released Bar Song (Tipsy), the breakout hit leading his third album, Where I’ve Been Isn’t Where I’m Going.
The song debuted modestly at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100, but over the next 12 weeks, Bar Song methodically climbed the charts, hitting the coveted No. 1 spot on July 13—where it’s stayed ever since.
Bar Song is closing in on its 18th week at No. 1, marking the longest run for any song this decade. If it spends just 10 more days at the summit, it will take the crown for longest reign of the Billboard Hot 100 in it’s 66-year history.
Chart-Topping and Record-Breaking
Currently, the record for the longest nonconsecutive No. 1 run on the Billboard Hot 100 belongs to another country-infused anthem: Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’s Old Town Road, which dominated for 19 weeks back in 2019.
The success of Bar Song (Tipsy) marks a monumental breakout for Shaboozey. Not only is it the singer-songwriter’s first-ever top 10 hit, but it also became his first song to go platinum, achieving that milestone on May 30. By September 28, the track had gone platinum an impressive five times over.
Shaboozey made his first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 just two weeks before the release of Bar Song (Tipsy), featuring on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tracks Sweet * Honey * Buckiin’ and Spaghettii. However, neither of those songs managed to crack the Top 10.
Bar Song (Tipsy) has catapulted Shaboozey to a level of commercial success most artists only dream of. The track recently surpassed 900 million streams on Spotify, putting the billion-stream milestone well within reach. For context, none of his other songs have crossed 50 million streams; his second most-played track sits at just 38 million. The song’s music video has also racked up over 150 million views on YouTube.
Grammy Nod in the Company of Legends
It’s earned the Virginia-native a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year in the company of industry titans Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Kendrick Lamar.
On Friday, still basking in the warmth of Bar Song‘s massive success, Shaboozey released a new song, Good News on Nov. 15.
Shaboozey’s success is impossible not to root for. After years of paying his dues, the musician finally stepping into the spotlight feels like a win for all of us—proof that, someday, in our own ways, we might get the recognition we deserve.
The Country Revolution
It’s also yet another compelling chapter in the ongoing fusion of mainstream music and country, specifically, pop and hip-hop. After all, it was a country-infused rap sing by Lil Nas X that set the record for the longest No. 1 reign—the very record Bar Song (Tipsy) is currently challenging. The last serious contender to Old Town Road‘s title was yet another country track: Morgan Wallen’s Last Night, which spent 16 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.
It’s also hard to forget that Taylor Swift, the most commercially successful artist of our time, got her start in country.
Will Shaboozey’s Bar Song (Tipsy) take the crown for the longest reign over the Billboard Hot 100?
We’ll find out soon enough.
Related: Grammy Nominations 2025: Beyoncé, Charli XCX, Up-and-Comers Lead the Charge
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