It’s been nearly two years since Shaboozey released his third album, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going. This summer, the country star will catch his audience up to speed on exactly where he ended up with The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales, a concept album set to arrive on July 31.
In the trailer for the record, Shaboozey watches a Western town burn to the ground. It’s the second to be crossed off of a list of four. “There’s a hefty price to pay for revenge,” a voice says in the clip through a thick country drawl. A few characters are introduced in face only. The album will likely be full of them.
“Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going was a journal entry and an opportunity for the world to get to know more about me as a person,” Shaboozey said in a statement. “That album changed my life. I never expected people to connect with the album and enjoy it the way they did. But now I want to show the world who I am as an artist and storyteller.”
“Born to Die,” out Friday (April 24), will introduce the musical world of the record as its lead single. “The Outlaw Cherie Lee is a project that’s been several years in the making and has gone through many iterations,” Shaboozey added. “It’s a Western about revenge told continuously through every song, centered on the character Cherie Lee. It explores so many themes, as many timeless Westerns have: revenge, redemption, and romance, through the eyes of a protagonist looking to challenge everything she once thought true about her world.”
He added: “I poured all of myself into this and I hope people become as immersed in the world and the journey as I have. This album was a promise to myself and something, no matter what, I had to keep. It pushed my songwriting and storytelling to new heights, and I couldn’t be more proud to say it’s done and almost yours.”
Shaboozey hasn’t revealed the full track list yet, or teased any features. His previous collaborators include Noah Cyrus, Myles Smith, Jelly Roll, Burna Boy, Kevin Powers, BigXThaPlug, Sierra Ferrell, and Beyoncé, among others.
Albini and Whinna in an undated Polaroid snapshotCourtesy of Heather Whinna
2nd grade Courtesy of the Albini Family
7th grade Courtesy of the Albini Family
11th grade Courtesy of the Albini Family
Big Black in 1986Gail Butensky
Albini built Electrical Audio to embody his recording philosophy in a physical space.© Monfourny Renaud/DAPR/ZUMA
Albini got seriously into poker in his later years, as seen in this photo from the 2008 All Tomorrow’s Parties festival.Roger Kisby/Getty Images
Albini and Whinna founded the Letters to Santa charity in 1996.Courtesy of Heather Whinna
Whinna (center), Kim Deal (right), and Electrical Audio staff unveil the Steve Albini Way street sign in November 2024.Althea Legaspi
Althea Legaspi
Althea Legaspi
