“Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they?”
This is the opening line to the song “SPAGHETTII” from Beyoncé’s latest album, an exploration of the country genre titled “Cowboy Carter.” Linda Martell, the first commercially successful Black female artist in country music, begins the track with this question that hints at the racialized labels placed on different musical genres.
Typically, because she is a Black woman, people expect Beyoncé to solely sing R&B tunes. The genre has been historically dominated by artists of color, and the truth is, Beyoncé is just downright talented at singing R&B. On the other hand, the country music genre has long been filled with white singers, but with “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé has proven that her music doesn’t fit into one box or the other. It can span genres and styles regardless of her race and what she has sung in the past.
Senior Millicent Benson, a longtime Beyoncé fan, said, “I think she’s kind of just showing that people can make music in any genre, really… I personally wouldn’t listen to [the album] again, but I still think it’s cool that she’s trying something new.”
The decision to explore country music originated from Beyoncé’s experiences of discomfort and exclusion. She explained in an Instagram post announcing the release of “Cowboy Carter,” “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. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archive.”
A study conducted by Dr. Jada E. Watson, Assistant Professor of Digital Humanities at the University of Ottawa, demonstrates how little people of color are represented in the country genre. From 2014 to 2020, an average of 3.7% of the songs played on country radio stations were by artists of color. Although this percentage is a slight increase from previous years, it is still dramatically low.
Beyoncé’s new album is a step in the right direction toward increasing the diversity of country music artists. One of the singles released before the album dropped on March 29, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” debuted at number one on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Beyoncé is the only Black woman to accomplish this, paving the way for future Black country singers.
However, she isn’t the only Black country artist worth celebrating. Despite the genre’s racist and exclusive past, countless Black artists broke into the country scene before Beyoncé and continue to do so today. She thoughtfully features them on “Cowboy Carter,” collaborating with Martell, Willie Jones, Shaboozey and more.
Beyoncé also finds space on “Cowboy Carter” to honor white country icons like Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton who have been singing country for generations. These tracks combine the old with the new and demonstrate how a genre can change and evolve over time while still maintaining its roots.
“Cowboy Carter” has received mixed reviews so far and certainly has some critics. Senior Delaney Devine said, “I feel like [Beyoncé] changed [her genre] to fit in with what she thinks is popular right now, and I don’t think she necessarily needed to do that because everyone loved her current genre.”
Love or hate the album, one thing remains clear: Beyoncé is making waves in the country music world by bringing racial diversity and a fresh voice to the white-dominated genre. Whether or not she continues to produce country music in the long run, her new album draws attention to Black country artists and fans, proving that country music is for everyone.
