Beyoncé has officially set the 10-day countdown to the hotly-anticipated second act of her three-act renaissance, teasing fans with the stunning cover art for Cowboy Carter, her surprise Country project.
But in addition to the visual reveal, the songstress and beauty mogul opened up about her own experience of being highly successful, yet still shunned as a Black woman in a music genre that Black people began, yet have been all but shut out of over time.
In a personal message to fans posted to both her website and Instagram account, Beyoncé thanked fans for their support of her two lead singles, “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em,” two Country songs which each shock-dropped during the 58th NFL Championship in February 2024, and quickly shot to the top of the charts.
“I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart,” she wrote. “That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. 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 is no stranger to Country music, nor to the racialized criticism of her musical abilities that all too often comes with engaging with the genre as a Black person. In fact, she revealed that this very experience is what inspired her to reclaim the genre and make a full Country album.
“This album has been over five years in the making,” the songstress continued. “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.”
Though she didn’t delve into specifics, Beyoncé is most likely referencing the backlash she faced after her 2016 performance of “Daddy Lessons” during the 50th annual CMA Awards, accompanied by fellow Texas natives and Country superstars, The Dixie Chicks. “Conservative” Country fans famously lashed out on social media and cable talking-head programs following the show’s broadcast, branding the songstress as an interloper in their space and often lamenting her “lack of respect” for law enforcement, following her equally polarizing “Formation” video and NFL Halftime performance earlier that year.
“But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive,” she continued. “The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”
Beyond making history on the charts, the Beyoncé effect on the genre and the other Black artists creating Country has been nearly immediate. Google Search Trends between January 1, 2023 and the present reflect an exponential spike in interest in Black Country artists since Beyonce’s singles dropped and shifted the spotlight to Black creators in the genre.
Bey shared that fans could look forward to several surprises, born of collaborations with several brilliant artists who helped her create this project which bears her “heart and soul,” stressing that every sonic detail was crafted with “love and passion.”
“This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album,” she concluded the message. “This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”
