Beyoncé Shares How Singers Like Shaboozey Motivated Her Break Into Country Music

While considered one of the greatest vocalists of all time by Rolling Stone, Beyoncé used her time in the spotlight to gain icon status with over 200 million records sold worldwide. Releasing eight studio albums, the singer received 88 Grammy Award nominations. She would bring home a total of 32 thanks to hit songs like “Crazy in Love”, “Baby Boy”, and “Break My Soul.” But recently, Beyoncé decided to step out of her comfort zone into the world of country music. With her new album, Cowboy Carter, dominating the charts, the singer recently explained how artists like Shaboozey helped motivate her.

Back in March, Beyoncé entered country music with the release of Cowboy Carter. Somewhat hesitant to explore the genre, the singer told The Hollywood Reporter, “When you are breaking down barriers, not everyone is ready and open for a shift. But when I see Shaboozey tearing the charts up and all the beautiful female country singers flying to new heights, inspiring the world, that is exactly what motivates me.”

Although gaining inspiration from Shaboozey, Beyoncé made sure to welcome the country star to collaborate on songs like “Sweet Honey Buckin.” With Cowboy Carter gaining over a billion streams on Spotify, Beyoncé isn’t the only one shocked by the success.

[RELATED: Darius Rucker Praises Beyoncé, but Says Country Music Still Carries a “Stigma”]

Shaboozey Thankful For Beyoncé Including Him On ‘Cowboy Carter’

Adding his voice to the conversation, Shaboozey appeared grateful for the attention he gained for being included on Cowboy Carter. “It’s been pretty great for her to put a lot of eyes on me at one time. Her being able to put a light on me at that time period helped my roll-out. She helped amplify what I was already doing in this space, and it’s really amazing (coming from) somebody that is really influential (and a) historic figure.”

Watching country music expand and reach new audiences, Shaboozey concluded, “It’s cool to see how far country music has reached since Beyoncé did her project. It’s cool to see the music reach all over the world.”

Cowboy Carter featured more than Shaboozey as Beyoncé also welcomed other singers like Willie Jones, Brittney Spence, Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, and numerous others. With the album a massive hit, this might not be the end for Beyoncé and country music.

(Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella )