Allow Beyoncé To Remind You Where Country Really Came From

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When Beyoncé says “Yee!” we say “Haw!” Eight years after releasing “Daddy Lessons,” we’re presumably getting a country album from Beyoncé. This, ladies and gentlemen, is my Roman Empire.

The pop star appeared in a Verizon commercial that aired after Usher’s Super Bowl halftime show, in which she tried to “break the internet” and previewed “ Renaissance: Act II,” which will be dropping on March 29. As a little treat, Bey gave us the first two singles from her project: “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ’Em,” the latter of which features banjoist Rhiannon Giddens, one of my favorite Black country icons.

The two tracks are undeniably country, through and through — I mean, this is a Black woman from Houston’s 3rd Ward who regularly wore cowboy hats in the early 2000s. But a certain Oklahoma country music radio station seemed to think otherwise. That’s when the Beyhive — Bey’s fan base — went on the attack.

My hope is that not only does she remind the American public that Black people created the genre and country music is our birthright but also that this moment further amplifies Black artists who have been paving the way in country, from Linda Martell to Charley Pride to Rissi Palmer, Mickey Guyton and beyond.

We’re Still Talking About It

• A recent exposé from Rolling Stone focuses on “Dance Moms” star Jojo Siwa and her “momager” Jesslyn Siwa. Along with her mother, Siwa assembled a girl group called XOMG Pop! allegedly promising them stardom. However, after four members left — claiming they were “thrown in the trash” — fans started raising their eyebrows. Learn more here.
• Pop-punk band