Beyonce announced her new album “Act II” at the 58th Annual Super Bowl. To follow the announcement she released two singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.” Since “Texas Hold ‘Em” was released there has been a lot of conversation in the country music world over the song.
Beyonce is known primarily as an R&B and pop artist. Venturing into country has definitely been a challenge for her especially with the backlash she has received for it.
Beyonce has been receiving concerns about cultural appropriation concerning her new album. Although Country music has roots in African American musical tradition, such as blues and gospel, it’s inevitable for her to face criticism for approaching a genre historically associated with white performers.
Some fans say her new song is “joyous” and “playful”, but some say it falls short of her best work.
Most radio stations and streaming services might be shocked at the news of her releasing a country album. They might not agree that her album really is country, therefore it doesn’t belong on their station. Many award shows such as the Grammy’s might not even categorize her in the country category, shorting her of an award.
Though there has been negative feedback on the album, it gives her an opportunity to collaborate with other country artists like Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan, and others. These artists have earned respect in the country world, so it would be a good opportunity for Beyonce to do the same.
In my opinion, exploring a different genre of music would be good for her. Many artists have done it, received backlash, and still came out on top. For example, Taylor Swift and Mylie Cyrus are two such examples of artists who began in the country music genre and stretched out to other areas of music.
“TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” would be a good song to dance to. Other than that, it would not be a song that I would add to my everyday playlist. In my opinion, the song is very rhymey and this takes away from having a distinct meaning, like many of her other songs. On the other hand, I enjoyed the production.
Considering Beyonce has such an impact on the world and her fans she could potentially create a cultural impact with her country album. The fact that such a global icon had the confidence to create a country album could shape the perceptions of country music and challenge stereotypes about who can create and perform within the genre.
