After a wild couple of years that has resulted in two collaborations with Beyoncé, a Grammy award, and the second-longest running Billboard Hot 100 number one hit, Shaboozey has been riding a wave of success that most artists could only dream about. Now that he’s a few years removed from “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”, he is rolling out his next project, a concept album called The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales. He just dropped the trailer to the album this week along with its first single “Born to Die”, officially marking the beginning of his new era.

The trailer is narrated by the one and only Jamie Foxx and it’s clear that he has taken a page out of Beyoncé’s book when it comes to using visuals to help further the story of the music.

Shaboozey held a pop-up saloon experience at Stagecoach festival over the weekend to build momentum for the project and new single. For those who aren’t aware, Stagecoach takes place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio and happens the weekend after Coachella. Some have even dubbed it the “country Coachella”, country music’s biggest party. The festival was the talk of social media over the weekend with Shaboozey performing as a special guest during Post Malone’s headlining set. But it’s this moment with him dancing with Sydney Sweeney as one of the surprise guests at her “Syrn” pop-up experience that has sent the internet ablaze. It’s a sweet video and the two have a cute chemistry. That or maybe they both had one too many beers. Regardless, there’s no better press for any brand than two good looking people having a good time. I would take Shaboozey over Scooter Braun any day, is it just me?

Country music has been experiencing a new peak in terms of commercial dominance. Ella Langley currently has three songs in the Billboard Hot 100 top ten and her new album Dandelion has topped the Billboard 200 charts. “Choosin’ Texas” is the big hit that keeps returning to the top of the summit and while it may not be my cup of dandelion tea, it’s clearly resonating with a certain section of the American public. Ella herself held her own set at Stagecoach over the weekend. However, what makes an artist like Shaboozey stand out from all the other country darlings is that much like Queen Beyoncé, he is bending the genre to fit his own vision. The cinematic storytelling that is serving as the stepping stone of this new era is helping to create a piece of art that feels distinctly his.

Next week will see the release of a couple new Lady Gaga tracks courtesy of The Devil Wears Prada 2 soundtrack. Plus, “Bring Your Love” the duet that Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter performed at Coachella, will finally hit streaming as the lead single to Madonna’s new album. This week along with Shaboozey comes new music from Kehlani and Brandy, Noah Kahan, Beach Bunny with Aly & AJ, Joé Dwèt Filé and a viral pick from Lenny Kravitz.

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“Born to Die” by Shaboozey

Shaboozey is taking listeners to the rodeo with the bouncy lead single to his upcoming album The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales. Complete with claps, fiddles and a catchy melody, “Born to Die” is the exact type of country that I rock with: festive and musically rich. The song blends the more traditional sounds of the genre with more contemporary influences from hip-hop, pop and Americana. What starts out as an acoustic intro turns into a full-on party anthem in the same vein as his now iconic hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”. The album itself is intended to be a complete narrative, detailing a love story in the wild wild west, drenched in whiskey. Since I was first introduced to Shaboozey through Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter I was immediately captured by his deep southern tone that sounds so pleasing over a country beat – and this song feels like a great next step on his musical journey. “Born to Die” seems like a track that we’ll be hearing coming out the speakers of saloons and pick-up trucks for years to come.

“I Need You” by Kehlani, Brandy

Kehlani is one of the strongest artists to come out of the new age of R&B and almost every legend of the genre would back me up on this. Just look at the impressive list of features that they have gathered for their new project. Everyone from Usher to Cardi B is on the album, but there’s no greater flex than having the literal “vocal bible” in your corner, Brandy. She first collaborated with Kehlani on a remix of the breakout smash “Folded”, and now the ladies have teamed up again for a new original song that feels like it’s from the original golden age of R&B - the 90s. Brandy’s commercial peak in that decade birthed a legion of talented artists that have been attempting to recreate her sound ever since. While it simply is not possible to capture such greatness again, it is possible to come close and Kehlani’s talents are the result of Brandy’s hard work. “I Need You” is a grown and sexy take on what it looks like to confess your true feelings to a potential lover. It’s having the vulnerability to admit how badly you want that person. Some people argue that nobody ever “needs” anybody, but I think it’s powerful to be able to face yourself in the mirror and admit the things you believe you need to feel whole in that moment. Brandy’s signature stacked vocals are on full display in the song, her voice like a magical symphony of sounds. Kehlani has been open about her love for Brandy, showing up at her Walk of Fame ceremony and even flexing on her IG stories that she has a song with her. Brandy is to Kehlani (and me) what Whitney Houston was to Brandy, and it’s such a joy to get to see Brandy having this moment of being appreciated by the musical children she helped birth.

 “Doors” by Noah Kahan

Noah Kahan has graduated from arenas to stadiums over the span of four years since his breakout hit “Stick Season”, and with his latest release The Great Divide, he is also set to reach new heights with album sales. His new record is a peek into his emotional psyche after experiencing a new rush of fame. “Doors” is an emotional track about bringing traumas from past relationships into new ones. It really is so important to take time for yourself whenever you get out of a long-term relationship so that you don’t carry that baggage with you into any new connections - and on the flipside, rediscover who you really are. Noah sings “I keep showin’ you doors, but you can’t open them up”, referring to the walls he has up being so strong that while they are visible, they are impossible to break down.

“Clueless” by Beach Bunny, Aly & AJ

For my indie-rock girlies this one should tickle your fancy. I’ll admit that I don’t usually listen to too much of this genre of music but given this week’s foray into country, I thought now is as good a time as ever to try some new flavours. It also helps that my 2000s icons Aly & AJ are a part of this creation. Plus, it was a very enjoyable listen. This version is a remix of the original solo performance that Beach Bunny released as a single two years ago. The song got a revamp for the band’s new album Tunnel Vision which was released this past week. It’s a romantic comedy dream, the type of song that you would hear playing in a montage when Jennifer Garner’s character is getting her life together. It’s also very similar to the music that Olivia Rodrigo has been putting out recently; parts of the song even give me flashes of her singing. Olivia herself is now back in the conversation with some new music that I have been vibing to. Between her and Beach Bunny, I hear a playlist coming along that I need to make. There’s also a subtle Miley Cyrus “7 Things” nod at the beginning of the song when she adlibs “shha” a few times over, which definitely makes my 2000s-loving ears perk up. The song is about the growing pains as you leave your 20s entering your 30s. The bridge was especially triggering for me as the band details all the places they find themselves crying, from the supermarket to the DMV, out of sheer confusion of not knowing how the f-ck to run your life. I was literally crying at the Apple store and the mobile phone carrier store LAST WEEK after my own little situation with a pick pocketer. A situation that I as an adult had to deal with all by myself – a travesty!!! Growing pains suck but they are a part of life, and the best part is that no matter how old you get, you’re still going to experience them. Someone please pour me a f-cking drink.

“Rihanna” by Joé Dwèt Filé

Joé has made a name for himself as king of the Kompa genre. Kompa is a subgenre of modern meringue and dance music that originates from Haiti, which is where he was born and raised. It’s a slower sultry groove that you can dance too, with a beat that can transcend dance floors across the world. Joé is making that happen with his music and doing so while singing in French. The same way that artists like Burna Boy and Tyla have brought Afro-beats to a pop mainstream audience, Joé is doing that with Kompa. “Rihanna” is his newest fire release from his upcoming album HateLove that drops at the end of May. The song screams summer cookout jam, perfect for vibing with a beer in hand and a lover on your hip. He sings about a girl that he wants to make his “Rihanna”, a woman he wants to wife up– singing about loving her even in her pyjamas. Rihanna being used a reference for the ultimate dream woman is correct to me. Of course it all sounds a lot more romantic when it’s sung in French, but that’s pretty much the case for every statement when it’s translated into the universal language of love. The song is already going crazy online, currently in the top 20 on YouTube’s worldwide trending music chart, reaching half a million plays in a few days alone. The sun is finally shining and people are ready for a vibe – this music couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” by Lenny Kravitz

I have been a Lenny Kravitz fan for as long as I can remember. There’s something about him that effortlessly embodies what I imagine a “rock star” to be. He’s also got one of the most timeless discographies to come out of the 1990s and onward. “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over” was the first major crossover pop radio hit of Lenny’s career, dating 35 years ago all the way back to 1991. The mid-tempo ballad was a big hit, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of his signature hits. The younger generation has discovered the song and has attached it to a new viral trend that has content creators bonding over overbearing parents and significant others. You post a video of you doing literally anything with the caption “when my [insert mom or significant other] is yelling [insert offensive action] but I’m chilling cause my name is [insert your name here]”. It’s brainless, yes. But it’s all over my feed. And I mean all over. For me though, it’s just very exciting that of all the songs that could’ve been chosen as the soundtrack to this viral trend, it was a Lenny Kravitz classic - how beautifully random.

@natalie_woodlyn08 idk who he’s talking abt tbh @⃟ #fyp #bf #foryoupage #natalie ♬ son original - LePtitMilo
@anotherghostinthisworld_ hi im lucas #everyone #fyp #name #viral #ghost ♬ son original - LePtitMilo

The trend has helped catapult the song to the #5 position on the TikTok Viral 50 chart, with hundreds of thousands of different uses of the track on the app. The virality has also spilled over onto music streaming services as “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” is earning close to a million streams a day on Spotify which easily makes it Lenny’s top performing song on the platform.

The 2026 “MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE” Spotify playlist is officially live. You can add it here to keep up to date with my weekly picks throughout the year. 

With Love, 

MC

Photo credits: Robert Bell/INSTARimages

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