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Shaboozey has clarified his viral side-eye reaction during Monday's American Music Awards presentation, emphasizing he responded not to co-presenter Megan Moroney but solely to a scripted line about how the Carter Family "basically invented country music."
Viewers observed the singer's puzzled expression and abrupt chuckle after Moroney read the teleprompter statement while presenting the Favorite Country Duo or Group award.
The statement came immediately following a tribute by Shaboozey to Charley Pride, one of country music's few historic Black superstars. Meanwhile, after the singer's reaction went viral, he took to X to share his opinions about the same. He also went ahead and defended Moroney by commenting under her latest Instagram post.
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"My reaction at the AMAs had nothing to do with Megan Moroney! She’s an incredibly talented, hard-working artist... I’ve got nothing but respect for her," he wrote, further condemning negative comments toward her.
Before this comment, the singer and rapper addressed the reaction through social media. As per Variety on May 27, in a now-deleted tweet, he first wrote, "Google: Lesley Riddle, Steve Tarter, Harry Gay, DeFord Bailey, and The Carter Family," highlighting foundational Black contributors to country music alongside the latter band. This tweet was followed by two other posts, which are still up on X.
"When you uncover the true history of country music, you find a story so powerful that it cannot be erased..." he tweeted.
In a follow-up post, he wrote:
"The real history of country music is about people coming together despite their differences, and embracing and celebrating the things that make us alike."
Decoding the historical tension behind Shaboozey’s viral moment
The recent incident unfolded amid heightened discussions about country music’s origins, accelerated by Rhiannon Giddens' scholarship on the banjo’s African roots and Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album, which also features Shaboozey.
For the unversed, Shaboozey’s cultural visibility intensified with his 2024 Billboard-topping single A Bar Song (Tipsy) and his current feature on People magazine’s Hot Guy Summer cover.
Meanwhile, Rissi Palmer, a prominent Black country artist, dissected the viral AMAs moment on Instagram, noting the script’s historical inaccuracy while posting the full clip. Fellow singer Roberta Lea also commented beneath this post, writing:
"This is why having Black people around is hard for them. Even without speaking, our faces will call out some bullsh*t."
Palmer’s analysis provided critical context, identifying Lesley Riddle’s direct influence on the Carter Family’s signature "Carter Scratch" guitar technique during their late-1920s collaborations. The musician emphasized:
"European immigrants, enslaved Africans, indigenous, Polynesian, and Mexican people brought their folk music to this country, mixed them together, and created the artform that we all now know as country music."
Palmer also sharply questioned the script’s authorship.
"Tell me you know nothing about the actual roots of country music without telling me you don’t know the roots… like, who wrote this script?What in the Project 2025 hell is this?" she questioned, while further pledging to create more educational content about Riddle’s legacy.
The presentation’s structure – honoring Pride’s legacy immediately before the contested Carter Family claim – inadvertently highlighted industry tensions. Furthermore, Shaboozey’s platform as a chart-dominating artist lent unusual mainstream weight to this historical discourse, contrasting with typical academic conversations.
His collaboration on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, which explicitly explores country music’s Black lineage, further contextualized his reaction. However, industry silence has persisted post-incident, with AMA representatives declining comment and Moroney’s team not responding to inquiries.
According to Variety, Shaboozey’s representatives stated he might offer additional comments later. Meanwhile, the AMAs’ production team hasn’t addressed the script’s authorship.
