This year country music megastar Collins Obinna Chibueze, A.KA. Shaboozey, made history with his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” According to Billboard’s Hot 100, a weekly chart that tracks the top 100 songs in the United States, A Bar Song stayed at the #1 spot for 17 weeks making it the longest #1 by a single artist without a feature in the history of the chart. This has been a very good year for Shaboozey and his career but it has not come without challenges.
This year’s 58th annual Country Music Association (CMA) awards, took place on Nov. 20 in Nashville, TN the home of American country music. Shaboozey was thought to be a shoo-in to win in most categories and to everyone’s surprise, Shaboozey did not win a single award.
“I think it is unfair that Shaboozey was snubbed at the 2024 CMAs. It’s almost as if they don’t want to give him a chance to tell his story,” Braxton Mitchell, a senior Graphic Design major said. He is the owner of a YouTube page B Rax @Brax2574 dedicated to his music where he tells his story. Telling your story in music is important to Mitchell. “When I was younger I listened to a lot of country music on the radio and got a good understanding that country music tells a story,” he said.
If his snub was not enough, there were many racist jokes thrown his way, the most controversial coming from country singer Cody Johnson, who made a joke about “Licking Shaboozey” at this year’s CMAs. Shaboozey was quick to respond by posting on social media, “No one is Kicking me.” Fans are calling for the CMAs to apologize to Shaboozey for having to endure a night of racial jokes.
The CMAs have had their fair share of controversy. Fans have called out the organization before after it was announced that Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter album would not be nominated for a single award this year. Her hit record “Texas Hold ’em” debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 100. It also hit #1 on the Hot Country Songs Chart making Beyonce the first Black woman in the history of the chart to do so.
If the CMAs will not recognize the contributions of Black Americans maybe it is time they make their own charts and award shows.