Beyoncé and Dua Lipa have swapped mirrorballs for rhinestones, while new stars such as Shaboozey and Dasha are making hay with uptempo hoedowns. Even the UK is enjoying its first rodeo – but can it last?

Collins Obinna Chibueze, better known as Shaboozey, has to fit in interviews as and when he can; his schedule is “crazy”. He is peering into his phone’s camera, his dreadlocks silhouetted against the stark white of the photo studio where he is ensconced. He is answering questions about his eclectic musical passions – he loves the War on Drugs, Lil Yachty and the gruff-voiced Canadian country singer Colter Wall – and how growing up in the small town in Virginia where his Nigerian parents settled influenced his cocktail of hip-hop and country.

On the one hand, Virginia has its hip-hop heroes – Missy Elliott, Pharrell Williams, Timbaland and Clipse among them – but on the other, “Virginia is a southern state, very rural, a lot of emphasis on being outdoors. A lot of stories were made there, from the colonial days to civil war to political stuff, so I just wanted to continue that tradition of telling stories.”

The singer on eating junk food in bed, a $100k holiday he didn’t even go on, and the perks of fame

Born Montero Lamar Hill in Georgia, Lil Nas X, 25, rose to fame in 2019 with his single Old Town Road, which won many awards, including two Grammys. In 2021, he released his debut album Montero, which featured the hits Montero (Call Me By Your Name), Industry Baby and Thats What I Want. The following year, he completed his first worldwide tour. The documentary Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero – directed by Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel and released on digital platforms on 20 May – sees him navigating issues of identity, family and acceptance as he embarks on the tour. He lives in Los Angeles.

When were you happiest?
Maybe on tour when I was in Argentina. Yeah, or Brazil: oh my God, those people out there.