Shaboozey made some serious waves in the country music world in 2024. His genre-bending track “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was one of the biggest hits of the year across all genres. It spent 19 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Billy Ray Cyrus is familiar with that level of success. He and Lil Nas X set the record for the longest run at the top of the all-genre chart with their “Old Town Road” remix.
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Recently, Cyrus spoke to USA Today about Shaboozey’s success. He opened up about how he feels seeing a Black artist pushing boundaries and landing a massive hit. Additionally, he revealed why he decided to work with Lil Nas X to make “Old Town Road” a record-breaking hit song.
[RELATED: Who Wrote Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart”?]
Billy Ray Cyrus on Shaboozey’s Success
Billy Ray Cyrus and Lil Nas X held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 19 weeks in 2019. While Shaboozey didn’t have 19 consecutive weeks at the top, he still set the record for the longest run at the top of the Hot 100 by a solo artist.
“I’m so proud of Shaboozey. I’m proud of Empire,” Cyrus said. The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer recently entered a partnership with the publishing company which is an arm of Republic Records, Shaboozey’s label home.
Cyrus sees the success of “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” as growth in the industry. Just five years ago, Billboard pulled Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” from the country charts. The publication stated that the song didn’t contain enough elements of modern country music to fit the chart. That’s when Cyrus stepped in
Why Cyrus Collaborated with Lil Nas X
Billy Ray Cyrus’ desire to collaborate with Lil Nas X had roots in his friendship with Charley Pride. “he was one of the first, along with Carl Perkins and Porter Wagoner, who absolutely took me under their wings,” he said of Pride. “He would tell me some of the stuff he had been through. One night he made me cry, and we laughed our way out of it, but they were just great friends,” he recalled of the country legends who mentored him.
“I read this guy is somewhat the underdog because he’s getting backlash and non-acceptance of the walls that Charley Pride told me about,” Cyrus said about Lil Nas X. “Not only did it kind of piss me off, it also inspired me to go, ‘well, do it for Charley.’”
The collaborative remix of “Old Town Road” was more than a massive hit on the charts. It also brought the artists a pair of Grammy wins. They won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video. Additionally, the song won Musical Event of the Year at the CMA Awards.
Featured Image by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
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