Shaboozey is taking on New Orleans jazz legend Louis Armstrong.
The five-time Grammy nominee is the star of this year’s Nerds’ Super Bowl commercial — and he took his singular sound and affinity for sartorial style to New Orleans.
In the 30-second teaser, Shaboozey, 29, can be seen enjoying a bag of Nerds Gummy Clusters candy while strumming his guitar. As he takes a bite into the candy, the world around him begins to swirl with an array of colors and sounds.
Soon, the “Anabelle” musician is leading a second-line band down the street and the city becomes a vibrant, Willy Wonka-inspired wonderland.
In the commercial, Shaboozey also adds some twang to a cover of Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.”
“I have this deep resonating tone, and Louis’ voice is so distinct,” he tells PEOPLE. “And I think people also say that about me. It just made so much sense [to cover this song].”
Truthfully, Shaboozey “can’t even believe” it’s him singing the track, since he heard the song in a gamut of ad spots growing up.
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“That’s why I think it’s so cool to do a different rendition instead of taking a song that’s been used so many times,” he explains. “To get an artist to do their own interpretation of it was such a smart move.”
Shaboozey believes “What a Wonderful World” has parallels to his hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”
“’A Bar Song’ has the same uplifting feel [as ‘What a Wonderful World’] — just wanting to include everybody and make something positive,” he explains. “The Louis record, as well, does that just as far as [it] brings everyone in and just brings up the spirits and brings up the vibes of everybody.”
Shaboozey also thinks paying tribute to Armstrong during a year when the Super Bowl is taking place in New Orleans is a “cool little music history lesson for the kids watching.”
The full Nerds ad is set to air during the third quarter of the 2025 Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 9.
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