“How did all these people find out about Shaboozey?” an audience member could be heard asking at the country star's headlining show at Brooklyn's Baby's All Right on May 17.
It's the kind of question longtime fans are faced with when their favorite artists have breakthrough moments, but in Shaboozey's case, the answer is pretty clear. Ten years removed from “Jeff Gordon,” a trap track that gave him his first near-viral moment, the Nigerian-American singer-songwriter has combined his own dynamic, double-feature brilliance with Beyoncé. Cowboy Carter and an authentic understanding of the timeless line between outlaw country and hip-hop to arrive at his superb third studio album, Where I've been is not where I'm going.
The months-long creation of Shaboozey's third LP led to a series of live moments, each bigger than the last. Despite a third of the album already being released worldwide as singles – with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” leading the way, courtesy of No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 – Where I've been overcomes the lack of cohesion by framing these separate singles (“Annabelle,” “Let It Burn,” and “Vegas,” among them) into a narrative that subverts the idea of westward expansion.
In May Advertising sign profile, Shaboozey explained the similarities between “the outlaw Old West and hip-hop” as “talking about the same things: going out and going after what's yours and having to finesse it to get by.”
“If you listen to any old western music, especially gunfighter ballads… Marty Robbins is good, [he] he was a thug! It's like stealing cattle, stealing trains, [he] knows [his] Mom is disappointed,” he said. “It's the same s–t Bossman Dlow [is] speaking of, it's just painted in a different world. Free Draco for a six. Swap your Balmain jeans for jeans or Wrangler jeans.”
The urgency of this middle ground – as well as this particular aesthetic's preoccupation with forward (and westward) movement while always honoring the past – makes it a natural sonic space for Boozey's third LP to inhabit.
Where I've been begins with “Horses & Hellcats,” a song whose title immediately sums up Shaboozey's penchant for hip-hop, country, and western aesthetics. “We ride palominos like they're SRTs/ Once I pick a gear, it ain't got me,” he sings on the chorus, using a beat rooted in melodic rap, his swagger drawn to the most obvious. country elements of the song (ie the guitars and horses neighing in the background). Shaboozey's goal isn't to chase the shock value of the juxtaposition of the two genres – it's the way these two genres are intrinsically linked together in Shaboozey's artistic, sonic and personal profile that makes the sound so striking.
“Last of My Kind,” featuring East Texas country rocker Paul Cauthen, highlights the outlaw feel of Shaboozey's sound, with Cauthen's dramatic croon blending well with the rock influences of the song's arrangement. “I can't wait much longer, baby, yeah, it's my time/ You'll never find another one like me, I'm the last of my kind,” Boozey closes the song, once again contemplating new destinations. both literally and figuratively. Standout tracks “Highway” and “East of the Massanutten” – which find Shaboozey “running full speed ahead of the West” for his “freedom” and his “40 acres” – keep this theme of the new frontier at the fore disc line, despite occasional detours into poppy, more saccharine affairs. While these tracks balance out the darker moments of the record, they still feel like superficial examples of where Shaboozey can get their sound. In those moments, the outlaw cowboy becomes a law-abiding citizen of the country-pop state – a concession Boozey doesn't really have to make.
Advanced singles “A Bar Song” and “Anabelle” continue to be great showcases of Shaboozey's melodic prowess, as is the BigXThaPlug-assisted “Drink Don't Need No Mix,” which finds two of the hottest new southern stars standing proudly in the legacy of country rappers like Nelly. Boozey and BigX have the best chemistry of any of the other collaborators on the album. Both their voices glide effortlessly over the trap beat as they provide a festive complement to the escapist feast of “A Bar Song”.
Besides Cauthen and BigXThaPlug, Grammy nominee Noah Cyrus is the only other artist on the album. Always a strong duet partner (her previous collaborations with Demi Lovato and big sister Miley Cyrus are both gorgeous), Noah provides a tender lead harmony on “My Fault” that highlights the emotional fragility of the track's acoustic guitar. Here, the glory and wonder of unknown roads is tempered by grueling frustration – a testament to Shaboozey's ability to embrace and honor the full range of what it means to move forward. “But this road you're leading me on is too long/ It's nothing like the roads I grew up on/ When I beg you not to go, you leave again/ Well, I guess I didn't make it after all,” they croon.
On a tight 12 track, there's no real filler Where I've been is not where I'm going. Shaboozey has brought together his strongest hooks and smartest arrangements to create a record that embraces both country music tradition and modernity. A decade after the game, his unique vision of the 21st century urban outlaw cowboy has finally coalesced into something that's not just coherent, but downright irresistible. Whether he's belting out heartbreaking ballads like 'Let It Burn' or dissecting the aftermath of the wreck on 'Steal Her From Me', Shaboozey has delivered an amazing record of songs tailor-made to rock arenas – which will definitely be where he is going.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/country/shaboozey-where-ive-been-isnt-where-im-going-album-review-1235700659/