The runaway hit of the year, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey, wasn’t meticulously planned or painstakingly crafted over months. In fact, this chart-topping track was born from a burst of creativity during a casual jam session, taking just half an hour to write. Sean Cook, one of the key collaborators, recalls the almost accidental genesis of the song that would soon dominate the Billboard Hot 100.
“It was crazy,” Sean Cook remembers, reflecting on the impromptu songwriting session. “It wasn’t a planned thing at all. We were working on ‘Annabelle’, another track for the album, and just decided to take a break. Nevin [Sastry] and I started just joking around on guitar, playing whatever chords came to mind, and Shaboozey immediately started responding with lyrics and melodies. It just happened in that moment. We went with it, and it felt like the song gods just dropped this idea on us! We weren’t overthinking it. For me, it was all a blur.”
Cook continues, “Shaboozey knew instantly that we had created something special. I had that gut feeling too, so I grabbed my iPhone, hit record, and just set it aside. I actually captured the entire song being written in a 30-minute voice memo. After that initial burst, we laid down Shaboozey’s lead vocal in about 15 minutes. We re-recorded a couple of lines later, but an incredible 95 percent of his vocal on the final track is from that original day. It’s amazing because Boozey is usually very particular about his vocals. But this time, he was just like, ‘Don’t change it!'”
Nevin Sastry adds context to the unexpected hit, “Sometimes when you’re making an album, you can feel like you’re trying to force something, just trying to fill a gap. This was the complete opposite of that. It was just us genuinely having fun, messing around musically. And it turned into something amazing. In Sean’s voice memo clip from when we were writing, you can actually hear Shaboozey saying, ‘This is my country number one. I know it.'”
Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" success on Billboard Hot 100, showcasing record-breaking chart performance.The Winston House Revelation
That spontaneous session in November 2023 was a pivotal moment. Sean Cook, Nevin Sastry, and Shaboozey (born Collins Chibueze) recognized they had something extraordinary. Yet, the phenomenal success that followed surpassed all expectations. As of December 2024, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” had reigned supreme at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for an astonishing 15 weeks. The song’s trajectory placed it in contention to break the record of 19 weeks at number one, previously achieved by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ crossover country anthem, ‘Old Town Road’ in 2019.
“A Bar Song” also marked a significant milestone for Shaboozey, establishing him as the first black male artist to simultaneously top both Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Hot 100 charts. This achievement closely followed Beyoncé’s groundbreaking success with ‘Texas Hold ’Em’ from her album Cowboy Carter, where she became the first black female artist to achieve the same dual chart-topping feat. Interestingly, Beyoncé’s critically acclaimed album, released in March 2024, indirectly propelled Shaboozey into a broader spotlight. Shaboozey’s guest appearances on Cowboy Carter were inspired by the early buzz around “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”. This connection was ignited by a showcase performance Shaboozey gave at Winston House in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, alongside Cook and Sastry in January 2024.
Sastry recounts the pivotal Winston House performance: “We were only showcasing four songs that night, and even though ‘A Bar Song’ wasn’t fully produced yet, we felt we had to play it. So, the three of us performed it with a backing track that was pretty close to the final version. The reaction was unbelievable. We watched as everyone in the venue, from all corners of the bar, rushed towards the stage. Shaboozey had been a bit unsure about the 808 bass that Sean and I had added at the end of the track, but when he witnessed the audience erupt when those 808s dropped and shook the stage, he was completely convinced. He was like, ‘OK, I get it now.’”
Cook echoes this sentiment, “I’ve honestly never witnessed anything like it. As soon as the pre-chorus started, at least 20 people instantly walked in from another room, asking, ‘What song is this?’ It was the first time I’ve ever seen the energy in a room shift that dramatically, that quickly! Apparently, that showcase performance also led to Shaboozey being invited to collaborate on Beyoncé’s album. That night, and especially that song, served as an incredible launching pad for everything that followed. It’s just unbelievable.”
Sean Cook and Nevin Sastry, producers and writers behind Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" and album, highlighting their collaborative roles.The Paths to “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
The seemingly effortless creation of “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was, of course, underpinned by years of dedication and experience in music production and songwriting from all involved. Nevin Sastry shares his journey: “I’m an Indian kid from Ohio. I started learning piano and guitar when I was 12, went through my guitar shredding phase, and that naturally led me to jazz. I even went to medical school and briefly worked as a doctor. But in 2016, when I was 24, I decided music was my true calling, and I moved to Los Angeles. I’m a guitarist, writer, and producer. I first met Shaboozey in 2016, and he ended up moving into my apartment. He signed with Republic Records that year, and through that connection, I signed with Savan Kotecha, a producer who has worked extensively with Max Martin.”
Sastry adds, “Having come from a background of just making beats in my bedroom, purely on instinct, I was suddenly learning from the Max Martin production camp! Savan really helped me hone my skills. I worked on Shaboozey’s debut album, Lady Wrangler [2018], but to make ends meet, I also did a lot of sync music work. I scored two seasons of a CBBC kids show called Almost Never. I had to write, produce, cut covers, and mix and master everything for television. To improve my technical skills, I spent countless late nights watching YouTube tutorials and reading Sound On Sound magazine!”
Sean Cook’s upbringing was rooted in Southern California, primarily in Sevenoaks and Orange County. “My mother was a vocal teacher, and my father taught guitar, so they encouraged me to play music in church. I learned guitar and bass and was also heavily into competitive basketball. After an injury sidelined my basketball ambitions, I started making beats to pass the time. My dad listened to them and said, ‘These are actually pretty good.’ That led to an internship with a producer, which opened my eyes to the possibility of music production as a career. I played in numerous bands throughout my 20s, but I always approached it with a producer’s mindset, constantly drawn to the studio environment, songwriting, and production.”
Similar to Sastry, Cook also secured a publishing deal as a songwriter. His first collaboration with Shaboozey was in 2020, working together on the artist’s second album, Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die (2022). The album title itself hinted at Shaboozey’s developing country direction, despite his initial roots in rap. Cook explains, “When I first met him, Shaboozey said, ‘I’m from Virginia, and I want to create a sound that authentically represents Virginia.’ He grew up listening to legends like Willie Nelson, but also contemporary artists like Young Thug, and he wanted to fuse those two musical worlds.”
Blending Genres
In 2023, as Cook and Shaboozey began conceptualizing the artist’s third album, Shaboozey proposed bringing Sastry into the fold, who had previously contributed to a track on Cowboys Live Forever. Sastry recalls that by this point, Shaboozey was even more committed to blending his diverse musical influences, particularly embracing country music.
“When I first met Shaboozey, he was wearing a ‘Canadian tuxedo’ – all denim – and the first unreleased track he played me was based on…”
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The Magic of “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
The story of “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is a testament to the magic that can happen when talent, spontaneity, and years of honed musical instincts converge. Shaboozey, Sean Cook, and Nevin Sastry’s collaboration, born from a casual jam session, resulted in a song that captured the zeitgeist and resonated with a massive audience. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is not just a chart-topping hit; it’s a celebration of creative freedom, musical fusion, and the unexpected power of a 30-minute studio break.
