Beyoncé’s foray into country music with her latest singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” has sparked controversy as some country radio stations reportedly refuse to play her songs.
Despite the excitement surrounding the release of her two new country tracks and the announcement of her upcoming album, Act II, Beyoncé has encountered resistance from certain country radio stations.
Calls from fans, particularly members of the BeyHive, urging country stations to add Beyoncé’s songs to their playlists have been met with reluctance from some quarters.
One instance highlighted the station KYKC 100.1 FM in Oklahoma, where a listener requested “Texas Hold ‘Em” to be played, only to receive a response via email declining the request. The station’s email bluntly stated, “We do not play Beyonce’ as we are a country music station.”
However, after facing pressure from numerous requests, KYKC eventually relented and included “Texas Hold ‘Em” in their rotation, even updating their X account to reflect the change.
The incident draws parallels to the controversy surrounding Lil Nas X’s hit single “Old Town Road,” which was initially removed from the Billboard country charts amidst accusations of racism. The addition of country music legend Billy Ray Cyrus to the remix eventually led to its reinstatement.
The issue of representation, particularly for Black artists, in country music has been a longstanding issue.
While artists like Darius Rucker, Mickey Guyton, Kane Brown, and Jimmie Allen have gained visibility in the genre, racial disparities persist.
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A report titled “Redlining in Country Music” by Dr. Jada E. Watson revealed the stark underrepresentation of BIPOC artists on country radio, with a slow increase observed over the years but still remaining significantly low compared to their white counterparts.
Beyoncé’s venture into country music isn’t entirely new, with her previous song “Daddy Lessons” receiving attention in the genre.
Her performance of the song at the 2016 CMA Awards with The Chicks stirred debate within the country music community, with some, like Alan Jackson, expressing reservations about pop artists encroaching into traditional country spaces.
