Shaboozey brought his massive hit to Studio 8H during his Saturday Night Live debut on Dec. 7.
The 29-year-old breakout country star took the stage as musical guest on the Paul Mescal-hosted episode, performing his 19-week Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” alongside his new ballad “Good News.”
Introduced by Gladiator II star Mescal, the Virginia native opened with “Good News,” his first new single since the release of his third album, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 in May.
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The song’s wistful lyrics — “I need some good news/ Sittin’ here, sippin’ on cold truth/ Nobody knows what I’m goin’ through/ Bet the devil wouldn’t walk in my shoes” — were underscored by gentle acoustic guitar, plaintive fiddle and a healthy dose of pedal steel.
Later in the show, Shaboozey returned to perform his inescapable hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Dressed in a shiny brown jacket and matching pants, the country star delivered the track in a dimly lit, bar-like setting, surrounded by his backing band.
The SNL appearance marks another milestone in a whirlwind year for Shaboozey. On Thanksgiving, he performed at the halftime of the Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears game at Ford Field, singing “Last of My Kind,” “Highway” and “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Just weeks earlier, he received five Grammy nominations, including nods for best country song and song of the year.
SNL is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary season, which launched in September and will culminate in a special live primetime event on Feb. 16. Next week, Gracie Abrams will make her SNL debut on the Chris Rock-hosted episode, followed by Hozier’s return with Martin Short as host.
Watch Shaboozey’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.