Shaboozey said Beyoncé is now “a really good friend,” after teaming up on her country record, COWBOY CARTER.

Beyoncé featured Shaboozey on “SPAGHETTII” and “SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN’” on the Grammy-winning 2024 record. COWBOY CARTER also included collaborations with Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Post Malone and many more. Shaboozey said he’s still in contact with the Texas-born megastar in a new interview with GQ, which published on Thursday (August 6). The publication caught up with Shaboozey about his new studio record (The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales), the evolution of his style, and more. He told GQ when asked whether he's still in contact with Beyoncé:

“Man, for sure. I honestly consider her a really good friend at this point. Anytime there's anything going on, she's always sending congratulations, posting me on the page, always celebrating my accomplishments. We need that. This is random, but I was in an Uber the other day, and they were just talking about, ‘Man, we need to celebrate each other a lot more.’ She's really someone who does that every step of the way.”

“That goes without saying. Thank you [Beyoncé] for opening a door for us, starting a conversation, and giving us one of the most innovative country albums of all time!” Shaboozey wrote on his Instagram story in September 2024. He previously said that he’s “honored to be in the company of two historically significant black voices,” referring to Beyoncé and Linda Martell. “Thank you for always being the one to step up and kick in a door when others are afraid to. Texas born & raised, worked hard for yours. You are country. Put her in the Grand Ol’ Opry NOW! Love you!🖤🤠🐐”

Shaboozey released his new concept project, The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales, on July 31. The Grammy-winning artist delivered the 20-track storytelling record with collaborations featuring Leon Bridges, Jamie Foxx, Gunna, Tayana Taylor, Kehlani and Sam Elliott. It’s hailed his “most cinematic and diverse album yet.

“I've always had these crazy, ambitious ideas,” Shaboozey said in a statement when the album arrived on July 31. Some of his inspirations for Cherie Lee include Pink Floyd’s The Wall and other iconic concept records, plus Sergio Leone films, according to a press release issued at that time. “Cherie Lee is just me wanting to be a storyteller. I love Westerns, and they’re an awesome form of storytelling — American folk tales and folklore, gunfighter ballads, trail songs. Country music isn’t always as clean as people think. I wanted to create a world of villains, romance, violence, and vulnerability — the throughlines of country and hip-hop.”

Bill Ellis