Beyoncé has become the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
The “Crazy in Love” hitmaker surprised fans when she dropped two new country music songs — “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” — and she has now made history with the former hit after it debuted at No.1 on the U.S. chart.
A week after they dropped, “Texas Hold ‘Em” garnered 19.2 million streams and “16 Carriages” earned 10.3 million.
The Grammy winner confirmed plans to release a country-themed album in an ad for Verizon which aired during the Super Bowl VIII on Feb. 11. In the ad, she attempts to break the internet with stunts including a hologram called Beyonc-AI and a film called Barbey before she declared: “OK, they ready. Drop the new music. I told y’all the ‘Renaissance’ is not over.”
Renaissance Act II – the second part of her planned Renaissance trilogy – will drop on March 29.
However, not everyone is pleased with the R&B superstar’s interpretation of country music, namely outspoken “212” hitmaker Azealia Banks, who went as far as accusing Beyoncé‘s husband, music mogul Jay-Z, of “bullying” the country music industry into accepting her effort.
“I love you down, but them R&B runs over the Leslie Feist back beats is giving Pickmesha,” the rapper began her Instagram Stories post.
“Nothing country about it. You’re setting yourself up to be ridiculed again,” Banks continued. “There’s a theatrical element to country music. Them [country] critics are not just going to accept an ugly blond wig and bullying from Jay-Z. It’s giving big-time musical grift.”
“Yes, Black girls can make country music, but you’re just really not hitting the button. K. Michelle, this is your turn to really execute. It’s no shade, but K. Michelle truly understands the assignment,” the “1991” hitmaker stated, referring to country star K. Michelle.
Turns out, Michelle — whose real name is Kimberly Michelle Pate — is fully behind Beyoncé’s foray into country.
“Y’all been mentioning me all night. I’m just happy to be spoken about in my genre. I love Bey and will be supporting her like I always do,” she posted to X, formerly Twitter.
