Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going Explained

Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going
Type:studio
Artist:Shaboozey
Cover:Shaboozey - Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going.png
Alt:Shaboozey looking ahead and sitting on two stacked trunks with an acoustic guitar by his side.
Genre:
Length:37:52
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die
Prev Year:2022

Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going is the third studio album and the debut major-label studio album by American musician Shaboozey, released on May 31, 2024, through American Dogwood and Empire Distribution. It was preceded by the US number one single "A Bar Song (Tipsy)", and includes collaborations with Paul Cauthen, Noah Cyrus and BigXthaPlug. The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200.

Critical reception

Grayson Haver Currin of Pitchfork wrote that the album "does not feel like a mere receptacle for one of the year's most unlikely hits", calling it "remarkably assured" and "a sophisticated self-help journey that only occasionally masquerades as a good time. He has spent a long while trying to find some space where the sounds of hip-hop and country could overlap, where the defiant swagger, nostalgic circumspection, and quivering heartbreak of both genres could fuse together". David Browne of Rolling Stone felt that Shaboozey "comes across like someone raised on country who also appreciates hip hop. In doing so, he's effectively changed the game", describing it as "a full-on barrage of post-genre possibilities".[1]

Billboards Kyle Denis commented that "at a tight 12 tracks, there's no real filler on Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going. Shaboozey assembled his strongest hooks and smartest arrangements to craft a record that embraces both country music tradition and modernity".[2] A staff review from Taste of Country opined that the album "deals with subjects such as heartbreak, depression and even suicide. While the project does feature some more light-hearted tracks, Shaboozey chooses to let us all in on his journey of authenticity and humility."[3] Hollers Soda Canter said that "Shaboozey oozes with ignitable star power as he expertly mixes his hip hop, country and Americana musical influences along with his past experience as a filmmaker", calling it a "creatively diverse cocktail".

Chart performance

Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 and at number two on the US Top Country Albums chart week dated June 15, 2024, earning 50,000 album-equivalent units.[4]

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2024)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[5] 76
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[6] 13
UK Albums Sales (OCC)[7] 42
US Billboard 200[8] 5

Notes and References

  1. Shaboozey is Honoring Country Tradition and Moving It Forward. Rolling Stone. Browne. David. June 1, 2024. June 6, 2024.
  2. Shaboozey Subverts Westward Expansion Trope on Terrific Third LP, Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going (Critic's Take). Billboard. Denis. Kyle. June 4, 2024. June 6, 2024.
  3. Web site: Shaboozey's Album Is So Much Deeper Than Just Getting 'Tipsy'. Taste of Country. Jess. May 31, 2024. June 6, 2024.
  4. Billboard Country Update. Billboard. June 10, 2024. June 11, 2024.
  5. The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 10 June 2024. The ARIA Report. Australian Recording Industry Association. 1788. 6. June 10, 2024.
  6. Web site: ARIA Top 40 Country Albums Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association. June 10, 2024. June 7, 2024.
  7. Web site: Official Albums Sales Chart Top 100. Official Charts Company. June 10, 2024.
  8. Taylor Swift Scores Seventh Straight Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 With The Tortured Poets Department. Billboard. Caulfield. Keith. June 9, 2024. June 10, 2024.