It looks like Beyoncé's country music will stay, back, back, back, back.
The “Break My Soul” singer empirically put an end to the debate over her inclusion in the genre when she made chart history on Tuesday. Their vibrant new singles “Texas Hold 'Em” and “16 Carriages” debuted on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, with the inspiring line dance challenge “Texas Hold 'Em” holding the No. 1 position and “16 Carriages” entering the scene. No. 9 on the Feb. 24 list, which is based on streaming, airplay and sales.
Beyoncé joins Taylor Swift as the only female solo artists to achieve that milestone without accompanying artists, Billboard said, and Bey makes history as the first woman to top Billboard's Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
The superstar, who released the new songs after his Verizon commercial aired during Super Bowl LVIII earlier this month, is joined by Morgan Wallen.
Justin Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus and Ray Charles as the only artists to top the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, Billboard said.
Their pair of songs also charted on the publication's all-genre Billboard Hot 100, with “Texas Hold 'Em” rising to No. 2 and “16 Carriages” landing at No. 38.
While the first act of “Renaissance” stood on the shoulders of the giants of disco and club music (which will catch on in the EDM genre in 2022), the Destiny's Child alum is also bringing her music roots country from Houston to “Act II”, the second. album in their long-awaited genre-hopping trilogy premiering March 29.
Although she might be among the most recognizable names, Bey is by no means the only Black artist making waves in country music. Hootie & the Blowfish alum Darius Rucker, Mickey Guyton, Kane Brown, Breland, Willie Jones, Jimmie Allen, Reyna Roberts, Blanco Brown, Tanner Adell and Brittney Spencer are just a few of the contemporary artists who have left their mark on the predominantly white population. genre that has long had a history plagued by racism.
Bey seemed to experience that firsthand in 2016, when her “Lemonade” song “Daddy Lessons,” which highlighted her Southern roots with lyrics about her father, references to the Bible and the Second Amendment, was rejected by the country music committee. from the Recording Academy for a Grammy Award nomination. Shortly after, Bey proved that “Daddy Lessons” was unashamedly a country song by performing it at the 2016 Country Music Association Awards alongside the Chicks, and she later released a cover of the song with the country trio.
Even the greats Olivia Newton-John and Tina Turner suffered rejection when they crossed paths in the 1970s, as did rapper Lil Nas X when he released “Old Town Road” in 2019.
The Cécred founder also faced some resistance when she launched herself onto the country music scene this month, with figures like country actor and musician John Schneider explicitly criticizing her move into country (as well as the crossover of other pop artists). and the Tennessee Newspaper asking if the Nashville establishment would accept her. Meanwhile, a country music radio station in Oklahoma said it wasn't even aware of Beyoncé's latest turn, initially denying requests to play her music on the station because it “simply wasn't aware of her foray into the genre.” .
But “Texas Hold 'Em” is now officially being promoted on country radio and other formats, Columbia Nashville said in an email to stations on Feb. 14, Billboard said.
