Beyoncé’s highly-anticipated album has fans on the edge of their seats!
She first announced the news of an album last month after starring in a Verizon commercial during the Super Bowl that ended with the superstar saying, “They ready, drop the new music.”
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The main details about the release had been a cryptic Instagram video with country iconography that teased “act ii” coming out in March. (Beyoncé’s 2022 album “Renaissance” is frequently referred to as “Act I: Renaissance.”)
Soon after, she released two new country tracks — “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.”
Those releases made Beyoncé the first Black woman to top Billboard’s country music chart.
But since then, the Grammy-award-winning artist has received backlash from country fans, many questioning if the songs are truly considered “country.”
Let’s be real, Beyonce IS COUNTRY
Beyoncé, a Houston native, was born on Sept. 4, 1981, to Mathew and Tina Knowles.
Her southern and country heritage is deeply rooted in her father, Mathew, who was born in Alabama, and her mother, Tina, who was born in Galveston, Texas but raised throughout Texas and Louisiana.
Eloquently written in a TIME article produced by Taylor Crumpton, “Knowles-Carter simply needed to walk outside her house in Houston, Texas and witness the cultural exchange between Black, Tejano, and Indigenous communities in her hometown. She did not need white validation to classify her country—she has been country for the entirety of her life.”
Beyoncé started singing at an early age, competing in local talent shows and winning many of these events by impressing audiences with her singing and dancing abilities.
She attended St. Mary’s Elementary School, Parker Elementary School, and High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.
She first captured the public’s eye as part of the R&B group Destiny’s Child. She later established her solo career with her debut album Dangerously in Love, becoming one of music’s top-selling artists.
Since then, Beyoncé has produced eight albums: Dangerously in Love (2003), B’Day (2006), I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), 4 (2011), BEYONCE (2013), Lemonade (2016), Renaissance (2022) and Cowboy Carter (2024).
‘This ain’t a country album, this a Beyonce album’
While sharing the cover art of her new album and releasing the title and date, Beyoncé explained the inspiration behind her album, “Cowboy Carter.”
She said it’s been in the works for five years and called it a “project born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed.”
Fans quickly recalled the 2016 Country Music Awards, during which Beyoncé performed her song “Daddy Lessons” with the country group The Chicks. The performance received backlash from country fans who claimed not to understand why she was invited to perform. Some also say criticism was tied to Beyoncé's politics and her performance at the 2016 Super Bowl.
Beyoncé wrote that her experience motivated her to do a “deeper dive” into the history of country music.
“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” she wrote. “Act ii is a result of challenging myself and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”
While the album’s title may make one assume the album is a country album, Queen Bey made it clear on her Instagram post that “This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”
How Black People Contributed to County Music
The presence of Black people in country music, while not universally acknowledged, is not a secret.
If you didn’t know, the Carter Family, known as the “First Family of Country Music,” was influenced by Lesley Riddle, a Black blues and gospel guitar player and folklorist.
Also, Hank Williams learned from Black guitar player Rufus “Tee Tot” Payne, and Johnny Cash learned from Black musician Gus Cannon. DeFord Bailey, a Black harmonica player, was the first performer on the Grand Ole Opry and contributed to Nashville’s country music scene. Musicians like Rhiannon Giddens and Dom Flemons have shed light on the African roots of the banjo -- according to National Geographic.
Beyoncé is not the first Black singer to explore country music; artists like Ray Charles, Solomon Burke, Bobby Womack, and Tina Turner have also recorded country albums.
Beyoncé is also the first woman to claim the top spot on the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts since both began in 1958, according to Billboard. The only other acts who have topped both include Justin Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus and Ray Charles.