american requiem

celebrating country music’s Black roots, and why Beyoncé’s latest album release was right on time. 

Never in my twenty-something years of living did I imagine I’d abandon my beloved sleep routine in lieu of listening to a country album in its entirety. A 27-track, 79-minute album at that. But over the decades we’ve grown accustomed to witnessing Beyoncé impose a shift in our patterns and routines. Just take a look at the recording industry during the early 2010’s prior to streaming. 

Normally I’m in bed by 9:30 pm during the work week, and in deep sleep by 10:30. Last Thursday, exceptions were made. Schedules tend to shift whenever juggernauts come out to play. The streaming era has turned Friday into the designated day for new music releases. At the strike of midnight each Thursday evening, artists across the globe publish bodies of work onto streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify. 

Ever since the Super Bowl LVIII commercial where Beyoncé teased forthcoming new sounds and simultaneously released the first two singles off of COWBOY CARTER, one of which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, the album has been exceedingly sought after. That’s needless to say, coming from the most decorated recording artist in GRAMMY history. 

The 32-time GRAMMY winner made sure to clarify however, in response to loads of suspense from fans and critics alike that: “This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album,” rather than just a country album. This theme of throwing confining tags to the side, cutting loose from shackles that have tied artists down for decades and not allowing industry critics and record labels to place you in a box, is the theme I encourage you to be attentive toward as you listen to the album and engage in conversations surrounding it. 

After the release of “Texas Hold ‘EM” she became the first Black woman to snatch the top spot on Billboard's Hot Country Songs. Ever, in its history. This inevitably ignited discussions about how welcoming, or unwelcoming, the genre would be toward her.

When ingesting an album for the first time, I usually begin at the intro and listen to it consecutively from top to bottom. Intros can be great indicators of what to expect throughout a project. Yet when I noticed a song titled SPAGHETTII, (the roman numerals in the rightful place of a singular “i” is a common theme throughout the project) I was immediately captivated and began there. 

Country Music’s Black Roots

“Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they? Yes, they are. In theory, they have a simple definition that’s easy to understand. But in practice, well, some may feel confined.” 

These words that appear at the beginning of the song are voiced by Linda Martell. A country music pioneer and musical icon, Linda Martell is a legendary trailblazer for Black women and musicians across all genres, including and especially Beyoncé. She made sure to voice her grace and appreciation for Miss Martell on stage a few days ago during her iHeartRadio Music Awards speech where she accepted the Innovator Award at the ceremony.

“Being an innovator is saying what everyone believes is impossible. Being an innovator often means being criticized, which often will test your mental strength. Being an innovator is leaning on faith, trusting that God will catch you and guide you,” Beyoncé said as she expressed hopes for labels, radio stations, and award shows to be “more open to the joy and liberation that comes from enjoying art with no preconceived notions.” 

She then dedicated the award to innovators such as Martell, Tracy Chapman, Rosetta Tharpe, Tina Turner, and many more “who defied any label placed upon them.” The name-dropping of these pioneering women couldn’t have come at a better time, on a bigger platform, nor from a better artist. Before her, only seven Black female country acts had appeared on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart mentioned earlier, Martell and Chapman being two of those seven. Linda Martell’s breakthrough single, “Color Him Father,” peaked at No. 22 in September 1969 and was the highest-charting song by a Black woman for more than 50 years until “Texas Hold ‘Em”. 

If you caught this year’s GRAMMY Awards Show then you may have seen Tracy Chapman’s illuminating performance, where she likely had you jamming in your chair to her coveted classic folk song “Fast Car”. The track first arrived in April of 1988 as the lead single from her self-titled debut album, quickly soaring to a top-10 U.S. hit. Following the success of a 2023 cover by Luke Combs, the song has re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 42, its first time on the chart since the year of its release. 

All Music is Black Music

All Music is Black Music

Black people, specifically Black women, have always been ingrained into the fabric that threads American music together, regardless of genre. A compelling question that arose alongside the buzz surrounding “COWBOY CARTER” was if the album could truly help deliver much more deserved attention to Black artists in country music. 

Over the last several weeks Black artists nationwide have reported significant boosts in streams and social media followers, sending kudos to Beyoncé and her envelope-pushing. Throughout the album, she continually provides the answer to the above question and nearly answers it right away in the second song “BLACKBIIRD”, a cover of the Beatles ballad bearing the same name. The song was written by Paul McCartney in the 1960s, and the new cover features stellar vocal performances from four immensely talented rising Black female country artists: Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Brittney Spencer, and Reyna Roberts. 

Each of these marvelous women has been working their tails off in the genre — all of them deemed the “Next Women of Country” by CMT. Thrilled to be included on the album and sharing heartwarming reactions to seeing their names on the album’s track listing, the song and its collaborations signify a monumental moment in country music history.

Perfect Timing, Bey 

Let us keep in mind that this album has been years in the making. Another admirable feat that Beyoncé continues to display well into her embellished career, is her ability to stay ahead of the curve while keeping historical, personal, and social experiences stored in her mental rolodex for artistic ammunition. Remember the 2016 Country Music Awards where she joined the Chicks on stage for a performance of “Daddy Lessons”, one of my absolute favorite songs in her lengthy catalog. Man, I miss those Lemonade days. 

Her reception at the 2016 CMA’s was far less than pleasant. One fan is even documented saying, ‘Get that Black bi**h off the stage!’. Black women in country music have faced harsh moments like these and worse, for decades. Beyoncé took to Instagram to remind us of this battle, writing that COWBOY CARTER 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.” Though she doesn’t list her infamous experience at the CMA’s outright, she did add, “I did a deeper dive into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archive.” I’m awfully glad she did her homework and took that deep dive. This project, along with the boundaries it's breaking, is absolutely gorgeous to witness. 

So what happens next following the massive commercial success of “COWBOY CARTER”? Will the success of the project keep prying open doors formerly closed for Black women in country music? Will radio stations, music award shows, and respective Billboard charts shed light on the incredible new artists that the genre has to offer? Artists like “BLACKBIIRD” collaborators Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Brittney Spencer, and Reyna Roberts, in addition to many others that have published amazing work over the years? Will the conversations surrounding inclusion continue to formulate well into the near future? 

Is this the album that finally earns Beyoncé the only award missing from her distinguished career, the GRAMMY award for Album of the Year? These are the questions that remain unknown, at least for now. What is certain, however, is that Beyonce’s genre-bending work continues to prove that the great ones cannot, and won’t be tamed. There’s a price to pay when you’re a symbol of defiance in a world full of barricades placed by critics and entities worldwide. But when the risks you’ve worked so valiantly hard to execute begin to pay off, the return on investment in yourself, your dreams, and your supporters is priceless.