Beyoncé’s pivot into country music has been met with resounding success and has been lauded as a groundbreaking achievement for the artist.
Her latest hit, Texas Hold ‘Em, has made history by becoming the first song by a black woman to debut at the top of the Billboard country chart.
The shift from R&B and pop to country may come as a surprise to some, but Beyoncé’s father, Dr. Matthew Knowles, believes it has always been in her blood. He revealed that as a child, Beyoncé spent time with her grandparents in Alabama who had a great love for country music. Dr. Knowles fondly recalls that her grandfather used to sing to her, exposing her to the genre from a very young age.
The announcement of Beyoncé’s new album, the second part of her Renaissance project, was made during the Super Bowl, with two tracks being released immediately. One of these tracks, 16 Carriages, also made its way into the Billboard country charts at number nine, indicating the anticipation surrounding the full album’s country style release in the coming month.
This isn’t Beyoncé’s first foray into country music, as her album Lemonade, released in 2016, features the country song Daddy Lessons. This move by the artist has sparked discussions about representation in the genre for black and female artists, with some noting the genre’s issue with diversity.
However, Dr. Knowles is optimistic that Beyoncé has the potential to bring a completely new audience to the country genre and challenge the industry to embrace diversity and inclusion. He believes that the music industry is heading in the right direction in terms of diversity, but there is still room for improvement. This sentiment prompted him to launch a scholarship at the London College of Contemporary Music in his name, with the first recipient being Polish composer, singer, and pianist Anna Prasek.
Dr. Knowles has high hopes for the future of music and is adamant that the industry needs artists who bring something new and fresh to the table. He has urged the next generation to embrace discipline, patience, passion, and a strong work ethic as they navigate the music industry, reiterating the advice he gave to Beyoncé and her sister Solange.
With Beyoncé’s unprecedented success in country music, her father believes she has the potential to pave the way for more diverse representation in the genre and introduce a whole new fan base to country music.
