Early Black Country Musicians Paved the Way for Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter Win at the Grammy’s

They’re saying SHE ISN’T COUNTRY. We don’t want her to promote country music. She should just go back to poppin’ and twerkin’ that R&B hip-hop stuff. Because after all, there’s just no place for a Southern fried Houston born Black girl with Louisiana roots in country. Or is there?

She did that. Singer, Beyonce Knowles Carter proved what she set out to with the release of her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter in March 2024, and her recent Grammy win for “Best Country Album of the Year.” She wasn’t trying to take over country music or prove that she can ALSO do country. She’s alot more intentional and people just don’t give her the credit for it. Everything Beyonce does of late, has a link to the history of Black contributions to music, if you study her pattern. Beyonce knows she’s an icon in popular music and Black culture; thus, she uses her notoriety and globally recognized talents to shed light on closed thinking and lack of embrace for diversity in musical genres. Beyonce created a project that would place other Black country music stars in the spotlight along with her, to share in a moment in time they might not otherwise experience individually due to the gatekeeping and refusal to recognize Black artists in country. These artists are Tanner Adell, Teira Kennedy, Brittany Spencer, and Reyna Roberts. Beyonce also acknowledged the achievements of Black country music star, Mickey Guyton during promotions for Cowboy Carter.