In case you couldn’t tell, country music is making a comeback. Four country songs went number one on the Billboard Hot 100 last year, with one of them (Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night”) holding that position for 16 weeks, making it the longest-running song of 2023. On March 2, 2024, another country song went number one, but it’s not by someone you would probably expect – it’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyoncé. That’s right: Beyoncé, known for her pop hits like “Crazy in Love” and “Single Ladies” has made a country album called Cowboy Carter.
This actually isn’t the first time Beyoncé’s performed country music. At the 2016 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards, she performed “Daddy Lessons” from her album Lemonade with country band the Chicks. The performance faced a lot of backlash, with many fans and country artists claiming that since Beyoncé is a pop artist, she wasn’t “country enough” to perform at the CMAs. This incident led directly to the creation of Cowboy Carter because Beyoncé wanted to prove that not only were Black artists “country enough,” but they were also mostly responsible for creating the genre.
In addition to features from country legends Dolly Parton and Willy Nelson and pop stars Miley Cyrus and Post Malone, some songs on the new album honor some of these Black artists. For example, “Ya Ya” is an energetic tribute to one of Beyoncé’s heroes, Tina Turner, who died last year. One of the album’s interludes includes talk from Linda Martell, an early 70s soul-turned-country artist who was the first Black woman to perform on the Grand Ole Opry. The most popular song on the album, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” even includes folk musician Rhiannon Giddens playing a fretless banjo, one of the first instruments played in country music, created by Black musicians. The album also shines light on up-and-coming Black country artists, like country-rap singer Shaboozey, who was featured on “Spaghettii” and “Sweet/Honey/Buckin.’” His appearances created lots of exposure for his music, causing his song “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” to become a top 10 hit. Beyoncé also featured 4 Black female artists on her cover of the Beatles song “Blackbird.” At the end of the song, Tanner Adell gets a verse all to herself, which many have interpreted as Beyoncé passing the baton to a new generation of Black female artists.
