Shaboozey’s ‘A Bar Song’ Leaves the CMA Awards Crowd Jumping

Shaboozey brought something old and something new to the stage during his first-ever performance at the CMA Awards.

It’s been a landmark year for the breakout star, who soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts for a record-breaking 17 weeks (and counting!) with his J-Kwon-inspired hit, “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

“A Bar Song” made up one half of Shaboozey’s CMAs performance at the awards show on Wednesday night (Nov. 20). But he also treated the crowd to a rendition of his follow-up single “Highway,” a song that’s set to prove he’s no fluke as a rising country hitmaker.

The singer actually started with “Highway,” performing the song from a bar stool as his peers looked on. They he asked the crowd to turn the CMAs into a very large dive bar and ripped through “A Bar Song.”

Read More: Why Shaboozey’s New Single “Highway” Is Better Than “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was nominated for Single of the Year at the CMA Awards this year, and Shaboozey is also in the running in the New Artist of the Year category. Stars in the audience mostly loved the performance, with Brothers Osborne, Keith Urban and Maddie Marlow among those seen dancing and singing along.

He’s been one of country music’s biggest success stories in 2024, and that hot streak will continue into the new year: Shaboozey is a five-time nominee at the Grammy Awards in 2025. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is nominated for the all-genre Song of the Year award, and it’s up for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance, too. Shaboozey is also nominated for the all-genre Best New Artist award at that show.