NFL
Who is Shaboozey, the artist performing in the Bears vs Lions Thanksgiving Day game halftime show?
Shaboozey took the world by storm this year, and now he’s entering the NFL world, performing at halftime during the Lions and Bears Thanksgiving Day game.
The first of this Thanksgiving’s NFL triple-header of games is the Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears, kicking off at 12:30 p.m. ET from Ford Field. And at halftime, fans will be given an extra holiday treat as alternative country music artist Shaboozey will be performing.
Shaboozey: The genre-bending artist
Shaboozey is a Nigerian-American artist who is bending the rules of country music to create a unique blend of country, hip-hop, rock, and Americana. Although he released his first single, “Jeff Gordon”, in 2014, and his debut album in 2018, he’s only recently taken the world by storm with his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”, which skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in early November this year. He was recently nominated for two CMA Awards - New Artist of the Year and Single of the Year.
Although he didn’t win the awards, he has had unquestionable success this year. Shaboozey was featured twice on Beyonce’s album Cowboy Carter and “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” actually dethroned her own song, “Texas Hold ‘Em”, on the Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. He is also nominated for five Grammy awards in 2025, including Song of the Year and Best Country Song. And he took home the People’s Choice Country Awards for new artist and new artist song for “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” in September.
Shaboozey’s given name is Collins Obinna Chibueze. “Shaboozey” comes from his surname, which he has said that classmates and coaches would consistently mispronounce. He embraced the name and made it his stage name.
His parents were Nigerian immigrants who raised him in Woodbridge, Virginia. Although he’s risen to success now, the journey wasn’t always easy. He said he once had to shovel snow just to earn money for a plane ticket to Los Angeles, where he would begin to pursue his dream of becoming a professional musician.
“How I got here is like nothing short of like a miracle, you know?” he said.
Shaboozey’s come a long way from that, now performing at halftime during an NFL game on Thanksgiving. The Lions and Bears game kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on CBS.
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