Shaboozey Thanked Beyoncé For ‘Opening A Door For Us’ In Response To His CMA Awards Nomination (And Her Snub)

Beyoncé was not nominated for a single CMA Award, but her efforts didn’t go totally unnoticed thanks to her Cowboy Carter collaborator Shaboozey. Shaboozey, whose breakout single “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” topped the charts in August, was nominated for two awards: best new artist and single of the year. In acknowledging his nominations — and, seemingly, Beyoncé’s snub — he addressed the opportunities created by the Renaissance singer, even if she didn’t get to enjoy the benefits herself.

“That goes without saying,” he wrote on Twitter (never calling it “X”). “Thank you @Beyonce for opening a door for us, starting a conversation, and giving us one of the most innovative country albums of all time!”

In explaining the inspiration behind Cowboy Carter ahead of its release, Beyoncé shared her intention to create space for Black artists after being made to feel unwelcome at the 2016 CMA Awards. “This album has been over five years in the making,” she wrote. “It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.”

There’s little doubt which experience she referred to, and Beyoncé herself is probably unsurprised by the snub, as she signed off the above message by noting, “This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.” The “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer likely knew exactly how her latest project would be received — or not — by the country establishment. But it looks like they can’t keep her out completely, thanks to Shaboozey.