On Sunday, February 11th, Beyonce released two new songs that would be on her upcoming album, Texas Hold ‘Em and 16 Carriages. To the surprise of everyone – they were country songs.
This wasn’t a shock to me since my favorite song off the Lemonade album was Daddy Lessons. The performance she did with The Chicks (formerly The Dixie Chicks) at the 2016 Country Music Awards STILL lives rent-free in my head.
The Lemonade album resonated with me in a way that I didn’t think possible. The album told a story that dealt with all the emotions within betrayal in a relationship including hurt, sadness, anger, resolve, acceptance and healing. The album and Renaissance were the soundtrack to my divorce and helped me gain confidence in myself as I closed one chapter of my life and started another.
The new album, titled Cowboy Carter is set to release on Friday, March 29th. In a post on her Instagram yesterday, Beyonce wrote a passionate testimony of why this album is happening and why it is important to her. She states in reference to this album and her research into Country music,
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.
Beyonce – Instagram post from Tuesday, March 19th, 2024
To me – this is the definition of an artist. To have the want to do create something special for people to love and enjoy is one thing. But to do it knowing there are people that don’t want you to be successful is inspiring. She mentions this album is more than five years in the making and that,
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.
I believe she is speaking about the Daddy Lessons performance. As much as I loved the performance and collaboration – many people didn’t and some of the things said about her, and the performance were truly disrespectful. And a reminder of where we are as an American society.
Lastly – Queen B declared that,
This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyonce’ album.
As I prepare for the album, I’ve been listening to other Black country artists that have been making waves in a genre that has excluded Black voices over the years. To my knowledge, the only exception has been Darius Rucker. The former Hootie and the Blowfish front man has had a historic career in country, and it is a legend in the genre.
I have been listening to the following Black Country artists non-stop for over a month:
- Reyna Roberts
- Tanner Adell
- Mickey Guyton
- Willie Jones
- Breland
- Don Louis
- Rvshvd
- Shaboozey
- Jimmie Allen
- Kane Brown
I know this isn’t the full list – but these artists have incredible talent and stage presence. Their music is a nice mix of classic country and modern-day R&B and hip-hop vibes to tell their unique stories. Here are the songs that have been on repeat for the last month:
- For What It’s Worth – Breland
- Miranda – Reyna Roberts
- American Dream – Willie Jones
- Bad Decisions – Don Louis
- Tall Boy – Shaboozey
- For the Streets – Rvshvd
- BFE – Kane Brown
- What Are You Gonna Tell Her – Mickey Guyton
Listening to these artists and their stories has been an amazing experience for me as I feel like I finally have Country music I actually enjoy. No disrespect to the greats like Reba McIntyre or Carrie Underwood, because they both have bangers I listen to. But it’s refreshing to know that there is Country music being made that is for me and made by people that look like me.
And – it was time for me to maybe stop listening to hip-hop, pop and R&B from the late 1990s and early 2000s and listen to something new. The music of my youth will always have a special place in my heart as it was the soundtrack to those pivotal years, listening to other music I hope will expand my tastes and interested in different music genres.
Black. Girl. Iowa. 