Why Shaboozey’s New Single ‘Highway’ Is Better Than ‘A Bar Song’

Lost in the hook of Shaboozey‘s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was a resolute sadness anyone born without a silver spoon knows well. There’s no missing the country star’s heart with his follow-up, “Highway.”

You’ll hear whispers of his crossover smash throughout this heartbreaker in the same kind of way you hear “Son of a Sinner’ in every Jelly Roll song. His patter rides a breeze of acoustic guitar, gang vocals and simple percussion. Patience and pacing leads to a catharsis between each verse and chorus, even when there’s not much added to the arrangement.

Shaboozey (Real name: Collins Obinna Chibueze), McKay Stevens and Sean Cook wrote “Highway.” The lyrics recall “Gentle On My Mind” and so much of what Zach Bryan has produced in the last three years, but the singer’s ability to own the pain separates him from anything on country radio.

Related: Top 20 Country Songs of 2024, So Far

“And I don’t want to go down this road by myself / No, I don’t want to be the story / That others tell,” he sings before a final chorus that twists the knife a quarter-turn. That takes courage in a format that prefers booze and boots before anything that stings.

It’s hard to imagine “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” not winning some sort of Single of the Year trophy in 2024-25.

“Highway” aims for Song of the Year, and if enough fans pivot inward with him, Shaboozey just might get a nomination.

Shaboozey, “Highway” Lyrics:

I see dead ends but we still going strong / We been heading down a one-way street / But it feel like it’s wrong / Moving like a freight train getting tired of chugging along / I’ve been trying say goodbye / But I’m gone miss you, girl, the second you gone.

Pre-Chorus:
Gave me your heart, gave you heartbreak (I let you down) / Sorry I’m lost in this dark place (I’ll fight it out) / Somehow I’ll make it to Sunday / I promise I’ll be coming back.

Chorus:
I might die on the highway / With all my regrets / I’ve been driving for miles and miles and miles / I can’t see where it ends / I’ve been trying to find ways / To tell you how I feel, yeah / But I can’t tell you goodbye / ‘Cause I know it’ll hurt if I let go of the wheel.

Since you stop riding shotgun, I ain’t been myself / Going out looking for a good time but I’m going through hell / Got Jesus on the hotline saying, You need help / Put the liquor on the shelf, tell the Devil, farewell.

Repeat Pre-Chorus

Repeat Chorus

And I don’t want to go down this road by myself / No, I don’t want to be the story / That others tell.

Chorus, Variation:
The guy who died on the highway / With all his regrets / He was driving for miles and miles and miles / Couldn’t see where it ends / He was trying to find ways / To tell her how he feels / But when he looked in her eyes / He could tell she was hurt so he let go of the wheel.