The Breakdown: Shaboozey on 'Bar Song (Tipsy)' from i Watch Video

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✓ Published: 31-May-2024

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When Shaboozey was writing “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” he wanted to keep the arrangements sounding as organic as possible. He built the track around J-Kwon’s 2004 hit “Tipsy,” and within an hour, he had his very own ode to raising a glass — with a country twist. The megahit quickly went viral and topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart, surpassing “Texas Hold ’Em” by Beyoncé. (Shaboozey had actually teamed up with her for two songs on her recent country LP, Cowboy Carter.) Together, they became the first two Black artists to lead that chart back-to-back.<br/><br/>The Influences <br/><br/>Around the time that he wrote the song, Shaboozey had been listening to a lot of music by artists like Zach Bryan and the Lumineers. But although he was inspired by their stripped-back acoustics, he was also channeling hip-hop heavyweights like Pharrell Williams for the four-to-the-floor instrumental breakdown. (And of course, he wanted to pay homage to J-Kwon’s knack for partying.) “Some people said it reminds them of [Oasis’] ‘Wonderwall,’ ” Shaboozey says. “I don’t hear it.”<br/><br/>All Together Now<br/><br/>In the same way that J-Kwon captured the essence of the club on “Tipsy,” Shaboozey wanted his song to channel the liveliness of a packed dive bar. Shaboozey achieved the stomp-and-shout elements of the single by bringing in friends to layer on vocals. “We love incorporating gang vocals and all our friends singing things,” the Nigerian American musician says. “I think the more energy and the more people you put on a song, the more it’s felt.” He adds that because he was working with producers Nevin Sastry and Sean Cook, the studio “definitely turned into a party by the end of the song, which is a good sign.”