Shaboozey
Rising multi-faceted artist Shaboozey is building his own world, carving his lane in the alternative country and hip-hop space. Born to parents of Nigerian descent and raised in the small town of Woodbridge, VA, Shaboozey grew up on an eclectic mix of music encompassing everything from classic hip-hop and R&B, to country and blues icons like Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, Garth Brooks, and Lead Belly, to master lyricists, such as Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. A true crossover artist, he began his epic 2024 run in March with two standout features on Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER—the only artist with multiple appearances on the album. His latest body of work, the critically acclaimed masterpiece Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, debuted in the top five of the Billboard 200 and was praised in The New York Times for “bring[ing] hip-hop grit to country.” The album’s smash single “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which is 2X RIAA-certified platinum and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, launched him to mainstream stardom and has become the song of the summer. With the meteoric rise of “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Shaboozey and Beyoncé became the first Black artists to score back-to-back leaders in the Billboard Hot Country Songs’ 66-year history. True to his Virginia roots, Shaboozey aims to continue the region’s long-standing tradition of prolific creativity, this time by expanding the scope of contemporary hip-hop and introducing modern Americana to a global audience.
Restless Road
Made up of three different but complementary voices, country band Restless Road (Zach Beeken, Garrett Nichols and Colton Pack) is “one of the most intriguing and exciting acts of the year” (Wide Open Country). Praised by People, Taste of Country, Billboard, and more, the band’s powerhouse harmonies and soul-baring lyrics have accumulated over 250 million cumulative career streams and amassed a following of over 4.2 million on their social media platforms. As NBC’s TODAY host Hoda Kotb put it, “That harmony…you feel it in your soul.”
Last year, the band released their debut album Last Rodeo. The 18-track album features buzzworthy tracks “Last Rodeo,” “I Don’t Wanna Be That Guy,” “Sundown Somewhere,” “On My Way,” their Sirius XM The Highway #1 hit “Growing Old With You” and fan favorite “Bar Friends.”
This year already, Restless Road has been touring on their headline Last Rodeo Tour selling out New York City’s Gramercy Theater, Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl and London’s Lafayette and more as well as played the UK’s C2C: Country to Country Music Festival. The band will hit the road later this year with Tim McGraw and Cole Swindell. They have also toured with Kane Brown, Russell Dickerson and made stops at Stagecoach, CMA Fest and many more festivals across the globe.
With all signs indicating Restless Road as a contender for best new vocal group, its members continue to write, sing, and perform together as they take the next steps down country music’s long and winding road.
Reyna Roberts has garnered national attention for her powerful vocals and unique blend of influences, ranging from Beyoncé to Gretchen Wilson. Coining the term "Country+" (Country Plus), as exemplified in her debut album Bad Girl Bible Vol 1 where Reyns seamlessly blends country, trap, rock, and pop with an outlaw edge. Notably featured on Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER album on the tracks “BLACKBIIRD” and “TYRANT”, Reyna's star continues to rise, earning praise from outlets like Good Morning America 3, Billboard, Rolling Stone, USA Today and many many more. She's graced stages alongside icons like Reba McEntire, Luke Combs, and Jamey Johnson, has been showcased in the GRAMMY Museum, and recently seen on Season 19 of America's GotTalent on NBC with a double standing ovation worthy performance. She is currently parenting with Essence x Coca Cola, Genius x Hydroflask and Jim Beam. With much more in the pipeline, expect Reyna's shine to only grow brighter.