Shaboozey spent 2025 doing what true breakout artists do: make a massive hit that’s only the beginning. This is exactly why he deserves consideration as a frontrunner for Best New Artist.

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” tied the record for the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 19, and it made him only the second Black artist ever to top Billboard’s pop and country singles charts at the same time. That chart-topping fact alone has made Shaboozey impossible to box in or ignore. 

The song worked because the album behind it had real weight. “Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going,” released in 2024 and expanded with a complete edition in April 2025, debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and gave Shaboozey a full artistic world beyond the hit. Pitchfork called the album “remarkably assured,” while Rolling Stone said he comes across like someone raised on country, who also appreciates hip-hop, which is a pretty clean way of saying the project actually bridges the gap instead of pretending the gap was never there. 

What keeps Shaboozey interesting is that he never feels like a novelty act. Born Collins Chibueze to Nigerian parents, he brings a diasporic perspective to country music that makes his crossover feel bigger than a trend.

He spent 2025 and early 2026 widening his reach with new songs and collaborations, including “Blink Twice” with Myles Smith and “Amen” with Jelly Roll. People reported that he had talked about feeling “directionless” before his rise, and that his first Grammy win in 2026 for “Amen” with Jelly Roll felt deeply personal. 

That is why he belongs in the BET Awards conversation. Shaboozey’s year was not just about one crossover hit; it was about making his country presence feel mainstream, undeniable, and fully his own.