Shock'n Y'all

In 2002, Toby Keith—already a country star in good standing—gained fame outside the genre due to his polarizing, bellicose post-September 11 anthem "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" from his Unleashed album. His 2003 follow-up, Shock 'N Y'all was another blockbuster success, but despite the title pun (on American "shock and awe" war strategy), the record is a largely lighthearted affair. Keith focuses on his strengths, which include being one of the few country superstars of his vintage to champion an old-school outlaw-country-informed sound.
Good-time saloon sing-along "I Love This Bar," which could have come off a classic Jerry Jeff Walker record, opens the album. It would become one of Keith's best-known tunes, inspiring him to open an eponymous bar-and-grill chain. Keith's wry side comes out in the tongue-in-cheek lyrics to "If I Was Jesus" and "Nights I Can't Remember, Friends I'll Never Forget." But "Sweet" highlights Keith's secret weapon: his knack for tunes with funky, R&B-infused grooves and soul-slathered horns.
The only truly solemn turn Keith takes is his tribute to the troops, "American Soldier," but the song is more earthy than political. Keith's sole return to September 11 themes is a live track appended to the end of the album, "The Taliban Song." But it's a broadly satirical romp written from the perspective of Afghans complaining about the Taliban. Don't be misled by the title—on Shock 'N Y'all Keith made good use of his newfound notoriety by doubling down on the easygoing approach that made him appealing to begin with.