Has Beyoncé Changed Country Music Forever?

Cowboy Carter, the master stroke of the year...

Beyoncé has just released her ninth studio album and Act II of her, dare I say three-part career finale.

Ten days before her album was released, she explained via Instagram post that she had an experience in the country music environment that left her feeling unwelcomed, so she started to educate herself on the history of country music and became inspired. She pushed through the detestation she received when entering the country scene to give us—possibly the best album of the year. Merging genres, integrating black history, and demolishing the country music charts, this extraordinarily talented woman, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, revolutionized country music.

The History of Country Music

While country music is a primarily white space today, it wasn’t always. When African people were enslaved and transported to America, they brought their instruments with them. Music has always been a big part of African (and turned African American) culture for inspiration, guidance, hope, and release of emotions.

A popular instrument among West African tribes was the Akonting or the banjo. According to the Skid More News, the banjo was an exclusively black instrument until the 1840s. Around 1845, minstrel shows became a popular form of entertainment for white Americans. Minstrel shows were productions played by white performers who dressed in blackface and shabby clothes to portray black people as lazy, superstitious, hypersexual, and thieves. During these shows, banjos were appropriated by the performers, sparking their interest in the melodies they made fun of.

A few decades later, hillbilly music, now country music, became a medium for black and white artists to collaborate (the only time the South overlooked segregation). According to Time, by the 1920s, hillbilly music became popularized and a product to be sold. In true American fashion, record labels left black artists uncredited and unpaid, and scrubbed them from all marketing campaigns.

Many of the greats continued to mentor and make music alongside their white counterparts without recognition.

Lesley Riddle, Rufus “Tee Tot” Payne, and Gus Cannon played key roles in shaping country music in the early 1900s. Not to mention Black singers whose music continues to shape generations that dabbled in country music like Millie Jackson, Ray Charles, Solomon Burke, Tina Turner, and Esther Phillips. [1]

The hillbilly, now country, genre continues to perpetuate its whiteness by making it harder for black artists to receive recognition like Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road and Beyonce’s Daddy Lessons.

The Cowboy Carter Experience

Cowboy Carter takes its listeners on a 78-minute, 27-song journey through history, being a mother, a go-getter, a spouse, releasing anger, a sexy siren, and so much more. The icon has meticulously crafted an audio movie with interludes, radio show sketches, country icons, remakes, and seamlessly merged numerous genres.

On February 11th, Beyoncé released TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES during the Super Bowl, moments after her Verizon Wireless commercial premiered. Not only was this a total surprise, but a confirmation that the BeyHive, and the rest of the world, would be getting Act II of her unnamed trilogy finale.

The first seven songs give the traditional country music feel with slow melodies, a prominent guitar, and minimal instruments. Song 7, TEXAS HOLD ‘EM, changes the tone to a nearly acoustic, alluring signature Beyoncé melody.

Songs eight through fifteen stick to its country roots, giving us a coastal, romantic feel with BODYGUARD and a 180 with JOLENE, followed by DAUGHTER. These songs contain features from country legends like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, up-and-coming artists like Willie Jones and Shaboozey, and the first black woman to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, Linda Martell.

Songs sixteen through twenty-two feature seasoned artists Miley Cyrus and Post Malone before changing the entire trajectory of the album with THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW, introducing YA YA as a “unique listening experience stretching across multiple genres.” A similar feeling is continued through DESERT EAGLE leaving you feeling salacious.

The final five songs of the album are just as transformative as the previous twenty-two. RIIVERDANCE (one of my personal favorites) has a classic banjo stringing throughout the song, ethereal backup vocals during verses, and sprinkled into the chorus, as she confidently tells us she’s going to bounce on that sh** with no hands… dammit I love Beyoncé.

II HANDS II HEAVEN, TYRANT, and SWEET HONEY BUCKIN don’t skimp on the diversity. She shows us her range and how sundry she can make country music.

Can the church say AMEN?

Which just so happens to seamlessly blend with the ACT I: RENAISSANCE intro I’M THAT GIRL.

Beyoncé—let. us. breathe.

Infiltrating the Charts

TEXAS HOLD ‘EM has been number one on Billboards Hot Country Songs for the past seven weeks.

Knowing the history of country music and what was just done to her regarding 2016’s Daddy Lessons, one could imagine she will continue to receive backlash for pushing the boundaries of music. But one thing about the BeyHive—we will follow the queen bee. So far, there has been an outpour of support from fans, celebrities, and her peers.

Beyoncé continues to insult the standard and pull others up as she rises.

That is the definition of a true legend.