After Variety tweeted that Beyoncé’s new songs have “strong country influences,” one person replied, “This is reminiscent of Billboard blocking Lil Nas from the country chart.”
Of all the things that could have gone down at this year’s Super Bowl, Beyoncé surprising us with a new-music announcement was not on my bingo card!
The artist revealed in an incredible Verizon commercial that she’s going to be dropping Act II — and immediately went on to release two new songs: “Texas Hold ’Em” and “16 Carriages.”
And while Beyoncé hasn’t yet shared a ton of details about Act II, it seems pretty apparent that it’ll be a country album — something that has long been speculated due to reports and fan theories.
Now, if you’re a fan of Beyoncé’s, you’ll know that this isn’t her first rodeo when it comes to producing country music.
On her 2016 album, Lemonade, Beyoncé, who is from Houston, embraced her Southern roots in her track “Daddy Lessons” — a poignant country song about her dad, Mathew Knowles.
Later in 2016, fans were surprised when they learned that “Daddy Lessons” hadn’t been nominated in any of the country music categories at the Grammys that year, with an anonymous insider later revealing to the Associated Press that while Beyoncé had submitted the single, it had been rejected by the country music committee — meaning that it was snubbed for a potential Best Country Song or Best Country Solo Performance nomination.
The move sparked huge controversy at the time — something that, sadly, Beyoncé is no stranger to when it comes to the Grammys.
With this in mind, several people were quick to speculate that Beyoncé’s upcoming album is her continued way of “reclaiming genres originally rooted in Black music” after her house music album Renaissance — which was the first of a “three-act project” — was released last year.
“So Beyoncé is really out here reclaiming genres originally rooted in Black music. First house, now country, and then rock & roll (rumored) next,” one person said, referring to unverified rumors that Act III will be a rock ‘n’ roll album. “Act 3 is going to be Rock and Roll. She’s claiming all the music that was once created by Black artist,” someone else guessed.
However, fans quickly found themselves defending Beyoncé after a popular tweet shared by Variety noticeably avoided referring to her latest songs as “country music” — something that, sadly, several people had anticipated.
Variety tweeted that Beyoncé’s latest releases have “strong country influences,” prompting a heap of backlash, with many fans questioning why they hadn’t just referred to the songs as country. One person replied, “This is a microaggression. Those songs are clearly country, not ‘country influenced.’ Black people BIRTHED country music. Put some respect on it.” While someone else said, “calling it influence is just disrespectful to her southern roots. she has always been a country gworl.. give her the flowers she deserves.”
And this apparent refusal to refer to Beyoncé’s new music as strictly country quickly reminded fans of the 2019 controversy surrounding Lil Nas X and Billboard.
In March 2019, Billboard attracted scrutiny after removing Lil Nas X’s song “Old Town Road” from the Hot Country Songs charts, reportedly informing him that they’d featured him on the list by “mistake.”
Billboard also said in a statement that it felt “Old Town Road” did not “merit inclusion” on its country charts. It wrote, “When determining genres, a few factors are examined, but first and foremost is musical composition. While ‘Old Town Road’ incorporates references to country and cowboy imagery, it does not embrace enough elements of today’s country music to chart in its current version.”
The move sparked widespread backlash from fans and artists alike, with rapper Ski Mask the Slump God accusing Billboard of “discrimination.”
Looking back on this moment now, several people noted that Variety’s controversial tweet reminded them of the drama with Lil Nas X.
“This is reminiscent of Billboard blocking Lil Nas from the country chart. Also when the grammy select committee blocked Daddy Lessons from the ballot,” one tweet read. “They gonna do to Beyonce the same thing they did to Lil Nas X with Old Town Road. It’s finna be called everything but country music,” another person tweeted.
“Taylor [Swift] was still qualifying for country awards well into her pop era, they bet not act like Beyoncé’s country songs aren’t real country like they did with Old Town Road,” one person tweeted. “Now @billboard – make sure Beyonce ‘qualifies’ for the country charts. We don’t want another Old Town Road situation,” another user said.
News
Ca$his Supported Eminem with 2 Benzino Diss-Tracks
Ca$his threw two jabs at Benzino and proved that he is still able to destroy his opponents lyrically, without resorting to ghostwriting. His lines are filled with punches and subtext inherent to real masters of the pen. He retaliates at Benzino…
Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav Gives Mad Respect to Eminem, Calls Him No.1
Legendary Shade45’s DJ Whoo Kid had a brief conversation with Flavor Flav, discussing Eminem’s place among hip hop legends. The radio host considered how to organise a meeting between two Hall of Famers, Flavor Flav and Eminem, when the Public Enemy MC…
Dr. Dre Reaffirms Eminem’s Rap Greatness, Teases New Album with Snoop Dogg
In his recent interview, Dr. Dre doubled down on Eminem being the best rapper ever. Of course, haters gonna hate, but Dre shut it down – skin colour doesn’t mean skill. Talking with James Corden on SiriusXM’s The Life of…
Emiпem’s hυmble daυghter Alaiпa Scott works iп a saloп iп small Michigaп towп
EMINEM’S daυghter Alaiпa Scott has beeп workiпg shifts iп a saloп as aп estheticiaп – despite her famoυs father beiпg worth aп estimated $260millioп, The U.S. Sυп caп reveal.Exclυsive пew photographs show the 30-year-old, whose dad walked her dowп the…
Nicki Minaj wants to bring oυt Eмineм at Pink Friday 2 toυr, talks aƄoυt “Majesty”
Nicki Minaj to perform in Midtown Detroit, Michigan at Little Caesars Arena Nicki Minaj has recently joined fans on Stationhead where she talked aƄoυt “Majesty” song with Labrinth and Eмineм and expressed her desire to bring oυt Eм at her…
Snoop Dogg revealed that each performance he shares with Eminem is an unforgettable experience he will never forget
Snoop Dogg said that every show he does with Eminem is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that he will never forget. I have never been more intrigued by the crypto world than I am now, not since the infamous episode in which…
End of content
No more pages to load