Shaboozey reveals he only found out he made Cowboy Carter via the tracklist

• Shaboozey learned he made Cowboy Carter only when Beyoncé posted the tracklist online.
• Beyoncé kept every ad lib and did not alter his recorded verses at all.
• Shaboozey's new concept album The Outlaw Cherie Lee drops on 31 July 2025.

When Shaboozey laid down his vocals for Beyoncé's country album, he was careful not to count his chickens before they hatched.

In a digital cover story published by Rolling Stone on Monday, 8 June, the singer-songwriter — real name Collins Chibueze — disclosed that even after contributing to Cowboy Carter, he remained uncertain whether he had made the final cut. That uncertainty only ended when the tracklist appeared online.

"I recorded two of those verses, and when it came out, she didn't change a single thing, not an ad lib, nothing," Shaboozey, 31, told the outlet.

He continued, "She allowed me to just be me on that project. It really was motivating: 'Yo, Beyoncé cosigned me!' She gave me this push and was like, 'Run!' And I was running as fast as I could."

Shaboozey featured on two tracks from Beyoncé's landmark 2024 country album — "Spaghettii" and "Sweet Honey Buckin'."

A pinch-me moment

Several months after the tracks were released, Shaboozey spoke with PEOPLE and described collaborating with the "Crazy in Love" singer, 44, as a moment he still had to remind himself was real.

"I don't think you can beat that in life. At all. She's such a huge part of culture, and big in my life and my family's life, and just everybody's life," he said at the time.

"I learned a lot about the work ethic [from her], for sure. I say you got to continue to be inspired. Once you lose inspiration, it's kind of over for you as an artist, you know? Just continually being inspired and trying to just trace that inspiration, because the world is full of wonders and mysteries, it's infinite," the "Good News" singer added. "As a creative, the only thing I believe in is infinity, man."

Beyoncé's advice to just be himself

In February 2025, Shaboozey elaborated on the recording process and revealed the most valuable piece of guidance Beyoncé offered him during their time in the studio together.

"When I was recording the songs on her album, [I was like], 'Oh man, I can't do these runs' or 'I am nowhere near the vocalist, performer or anything Beyoncé is.' And I kind of got in my head about that," he said, adding, "what they told me was, 'Hey, we brought you here for you to do you, for you to be yourself.'"

He described the "Single Ladies" singer's core message as a simple but powerful one: "just be yourself."

"Just be confident in the fact that you are different, you are unique, and that's what people are going to resonate with," he continued.

What's next: The Outlaw Cherie Lee

Shaboozey is set to release a concept album titled The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales on 31 July.

"It was always my dream to put all the things I love about movies and music and stories into one cohesive body of work that I felt like people in today's current music landscape aren't really doing," he told Rolling Stone of the record.

"The Outlaw Cherie Lee came from my love for strong female protagonists. Quentin Tarantino is one of my favorite directors. He did Kill Bill with Uma Thurman, Jackie Brown with Pam Grier."