In 2022, when Beyoncé dropped her first solo single in six years “BREAK MY SOUL,” she made it clear that RENAISSANCE was the first installment in a trilogy. And since she had reportedly worked on the other two albums during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was only a matter of time for them to be released. That’s why when Beyoncé made an appearance in a special Super Bowl commercial for Verizon on February 11 and said, “Drop the new music.” at the end, everyone knew Act 2 had begun. Sure enough, minutes after the ad aired, Beyoncé posted a teaser on her social media with the title “act ii” and the date March 29. She immediately dropped two new songs, “TEXAS HOLD ’EM” and “16 CARRIAGES.” If the teaser was any indication, and as hinted at by her fashion choices at the Grammys a week earlier, act ii was country.
Her move wasn’t easily predictable, but at the same time, it wasn’t surprising, as there was plenty of background history. The track “Daddy Lessons” from her 2016 Lemonade album marked Beyoncé’s first venture into the realm of country music. Since its release, the song has been mired in controversy on whether it constituted a country track. Some praised the song for maintaining traditional country themes and vibes while creating a new appeal with a modern R&B perspective, while others argued that it wasn’t country because it wasn’t a product of the Nashville country scene. A performance by Beyoncé and The Chicks (then known as The Dixie Chicks) at the Country Music Association Awards that year further sharpened the controversy, and the Grammy Awards later denied “Daddy Lessons” a nomination in the country category. But Lemonade wasn’t just about country. It encompassed a variety of genres, and Beyoncé was nominated for rock, pop, R&B, and rap at the Grammys that same year, becoming the first artist to ever be nominated in four different genres in the same year. “Daddy Lessons” wasn’t nominated in the country category not because it wasn’t good enough, but because it wasn’t country (according to the Grammys’ country music committee).
In short, the meaning of Beyoncé’s country was already addressed in 2016 and what we have seen since then – “Old Town Road” and cowboy-core fashion – is a kind of aftermath. Lemonade uses Beyoncé’s personal life to tell a narrative that ranges over universal themes of heartbreak, reconciliation, and redemption, as well as the historical context of African-American culture and Black women. In terms of exploring Black culture and its fundamental contributions to American popular music, it echoes the themes covered by her sister Solange. For Beyoncé, a Houston, Texas native, it was rather a natural choice to write a ballad about her father in a country format. However, “Daddy Lessons” has been ostracized from within the country genre. Trying to find reasons for this in Beyoncé’s pop star status or political leanings would be to ignore the obvious racial issues. It’s like pretending to ignore the Black history at the root of the genre, including the fact that the banjo, a common instrument in country, has West African origins. In the 1920s, the American recording industry divided the genre into “race records” and “hillbilly music” based on the race of the artists, not the music itself, and each evolved into R&B and country. So should we let getting off on the wrong foot 100 years ago continue to categorize country as white music today?
That’s the question Beyoncé and Solange’s mother, Tina Knowles, posed on social media. “We have always celebrated Cowboy Culture growing up in Texas. We also always understood that it was not just about it belonging to White culture only. In Texas there is a huge Black cowboy culture. Why do you think that my kids have integrated it into their fashion and art since the beginning.” This is also what Beyoncé made clear on March 19 when she revealed the official title of act ii, Cowboy Carter, and the album cover. “This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive.” At the same time, Beyoncé wrote, “My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant.” Beyoncé doesn’t want a reclamation of the country genre. Black culture has always been there, and the love of cowboy culture and country doesn’t need anyone’s permission. That’s why Beyoncé declared at the end, “This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album.” It’s not an excuse for the crossover nature of this album. It means that this way of loving doesn’t need approval. Just as she brought in country at the most appropriate moments within the R&B flow of Lemonade, the reverse is equally possible.
Sometimes an artistic endeavor tells a story not just by itself, but by its numbers. Such is the case with Cowboy Carter. “TEXAS HOLD ’EM” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 24. It was No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, which uses the same criteria as the Hot 100. It was the first time in history for a Black female artist. “TEXAS HOLD ’EM” officially began country radio promotion and peaked at No. 54 on the Country Airplay Chart in its first week. On the March 2 and 9 charts, the song peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks. Unsurprisingly, it also held the top spot on Hot Country Songs. At the same time, it ranked at No. 34 and No. 38 on the Country Airplay chart. In other words, Cowboy Carter’s chart performance is driven by streaming and digital copy downloads, with relatively little contribution from radio, which is important in the country genre. As recently as April 6, the song peaked at No. 7 on the Radio Songs chart, which combines all genres. It peaked at No. 33 on Country Airplay. That’s despite spending seven consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs.
Why emphasize radio? Even with the recent increase in streaming, radio is still the primary consumption channel for the country genre. Getting into the rotation playlists that are played on repeat on the radio is paramount, and playlists are natural gatekeepers. Beyoncé may not be alone. In 2023, female artists made up 9.87% of country radio in the U.S., and white female artists comprised 9.81%. But it’s also true that artists who perform well at radio across genres – pop, R&B, adult contemporary, and more – are more likely to get a second look if their country numbers are underrepresented on the country charts. Given the diverse spectrum of the Cowboy Carter album as a whole, there must be a reason that the lead single is Beyoncé's solo track “TEXAS HOLD ’EM,” which is the most overtly country and has no features.
© Mason Poole
This opportunity for thought and questioning is possible because Beyoncé is a superstar, and “TEXAS HOLD ’EM” is an all-around hit. What about Cowboy Carter? The album emphasizes its already obvious historical significance, but musically, it shines with a freedom that doesn't need anyone’s approval. Beyoncé invites Linda Martell, the first Black female country singer to achieve commercial success in the late 1960s. As “SPAGHETTII” begins, Martell says, “Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they? . . . In theory, they have a simple definition that’s easy to understand, but in practice, well, some may feel confined.” The cover of “BLACKBIIRD,” the Beatles’ response to racism, is sung with four young black female country artists. (Paul McCartney himself played guitar on this version.) The cover of Dolly Parton’s country classic “JOLENE” turns its begging stance into a warning, with enough change to suit Beyoncé. Meanwhile, “YA YA” brings in Nancy Sinatra and The Beach Boys. Beyoncé’s punk sensibility shines through in “DESERT EAGLE,” while her rock taste is evident in “BODYGUARD.” This is not to say that the message and the album are separate, or that the album is only partly country. It’s about the breadth of the genre’s influence on contemporary popular music.
Cowboy Carter is the latest in Beyoncé’s string of musical commentaries on Black culture, just as Lemonade celebrated Black women, HOMECOMING honored HBCU culture, and RENAISSANCE recognized the contributions of Black creators in underground dance culture. And the message is resonating with people. Cowboy Carter became the most-played album in a single day on Spotify in 2024. On the April 13 chart, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with weekly sales of more than 40.7 million. It’s Beyoncé’s most successful album since Lemonade (more than 65.3 million), surpassing the debut week performance of its predecessor RENAISSANCE (more than 33.2 million). Weekly streams topped 300 million, also a Beyoncé record. Unsurprisingly, Cowboy Carter also topped the Top Country Albums chart, and Beyoncé’s the first Black female artist to do so since its inception in 1964. We are already seeing predictions for Beyoncé’s likely record at the Grammys early next year. She will probably rush into Act 3 before the question is even answered. She has a lot to say. Maybe it’s a queen’s duty.
