Shaboozey Goes West in His New Rural-Inspired Concept Album

Shaboozey's fourth album, ‘The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales,’ dropped July 31 as a 20-track narrative following a fictional gunslinger avenging her murdered sheriff father across Texas and Montana. The album features spoken interludes from Jamie Foxx, Teyana Taylor, and Sam Elliott, and blends hip-hop, bluegrass, folk, and Americana.

The record follows Shaboozey's chart-topping 2024 hit ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ but reflects a Western fascination stretching back through earlier albums and a scrapped country concept record from before his 2018 debut. Critics have responded favorably, and the project may factor into Grammy conversations, raising questions about how the Recording Academy will categorize genre-blending country work after splitting its Best Country Album award into two categories following Beyoncé's contested 2025 win.

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