Shaboozey – The Outlaw Cheri Lee & Other Western Tales

Shaboozey just gave us a cinematic masterpiece.

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TOP 5 SONGS

5. Til Sunday

“Til Sunday” wastes absolutely no time setting the tone. From the opening moments, the track feels tense and urgent, balancing high energy with an uneasy sense that something bad is waiting just around the corner. It’s about knowing consequences are coming, making dangerous choices, and understanding that every deal eventually has its price. The imagery of bargaining with the devil and constantly looking over your shoulder immediately throws listeners into the world Shaboozey is creating. As the first full song on the album, it’s a perfect introduction to the story.

4. Cowgirl

When “Cowgirl” dropped as a single, my first thought was simply that it was fun. Shaboozey introduces it as another bar song, and that’s exactly what it feels like at first. It’s about spotting someone across the bar, hoping they’ll hit the dance floor with you, and seeing where the night leads. It’s carefree, charming, and incredibly easy to enjoy. It’s the kind of song you can dance to, laugh to, and throw on with friends.

Within the context of the album, though, it becomes something even stronger. It feels like one final celebration before everything begins to unravel—a brief moment of happiness and freedom before the darker parts of the story take over.

3. Burn It Down

“Burn It Down” dives headfirst into revenge and emotional conflict. It’s about watching someone you love suffer and feeling consumed by the desire to make whoever caused that pain pay for it. The emotions are intense and sometimes violent, but underneath the anger is genuine love and loyalty. Shaboozey captures that complicated feeling of wanting to protect someone at all costs, even if it means losing yourself in the process.

2. Lone Survivor

“Lone Survivor” is one of the album’s biggest highlights. Shaboozey sounds determined, angry, and completely fearless. He knows people are after him, knows the odds aren’t in his favor, but refuses to back down. After everything he’s already survived, quitting isn’t an option anymore. The song feels like the emotional climax of the story, carrying both exhaustion and resilience in equal measure.

1. Born to Die

This one honestly caught me off guard emotionally. It begins with sadness and reflection before transforming into something surprisingly uplifting. “Born to Die” is about accepting life’s hardships while choosing to celebrate the people who make it worthwhile. It’s living every day like it could be your last, appreciating your loved ones, and finding hope despite everything you’ve endured. It’s one of the album’s most heartfelt moments and easily one of its strongest songs.

SONG BY SONG RATING

The outlaw Cherie Lee (N/A)
Til Sunday (4/5)
High Noon (4/5)
Hell is Hot (N/A)
Sweet Revenge (4/5)
If I was an outlaw (3.5/5)
Cowgirl (4/5)
Burn it down (4/5)
Death Of Jeremiah Walker (N/A)
Drunk (4/5)
Ugly & All (N/A)
Bullets & Blades (4/5)
Don’t Count Down (N/A)
Lone Survivor (4.5/5)
Bounty on my head (4/5)
Born to die (4.5/5)
Kissed by an Angel (3.5/5)
The worst of them all (N/A)
Coyotes point (4/5)
The epilogue (N/A)

RGM RATING

(B+)

Shaboozey’s The Outlaw Cheri Lee & Other Western Tales honestly feels bigger than an album. Calling it “cinematic” almost doesn’t do it justice—it plays out like a full Western film, complete with narration, character development, emotional highs and devastating lows.

You’ll probably notice several tracks in my ratings are marked as N/A, and that’s intentional. Many of them are spoken-word interludes rather than traditional songs. On their own they may seem confusing, but within the album they become absolutely essential. They connect every chapter of the story and give the project its emotional weight.

The guest narrators—including Jamie Foxx, Teyana Taylor, Sam Elliott, and Orville Peck—bring even more life to the experience. Their performances help transform the project from a collection of songs into a fully realized narrative. Every transition feels purposeful, making the album flow more like a novel or screenplay than a standard record.

Throughout the story, Shaboozey balances moments of celebration with heartbreaking loss. There are scenes filled with romance, friendship, revenge, betrayal, survival, and sacrifice. Every song feels like another chapter, pulling listeners deeper into the world he’s created while constantly raising the emotional stakes.

Musically, he continues blending country with hip-hop influences in a way that feels completely natural. His storytelling remains his greatest strength, and the production complements every twist and turn without ever overshadowing the narrative.

The Outlaw Cheri Lee & Other Western Tales isn’t just something you listen to, it’s something you experience. If you give yourself the chance to hear it from beginning to end, interludes and all, you’ll find one of the year’s most immersive and creatively ambitious albums.