There were no warm greetings during Beyoncé’s initial entry into the country music genre eight years ago. In fact, the reception she got was cold enough to freeze meat, according to the global superstar.
The country music gatekeepers made it unequivocally clear to Queen Bey that she was not wanted in the very music genre that, ironically, Blacks were very instrumental in creating.
The hate from country music honchos inspired Beyoncé’s country music album
“This album has been over five years in the making,” Beyoncé told her colossal 320 million followers on Instagram Tuesday alongside the cover art for her new album.
“It 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.”
After the rude reception, Beyoncé did not retreat to the safe confines of pop and R&B, although she did drop the No. 1 Billboard blockbuster Renaissance. Instead, she “did a deeper dive” into the history of country music.
“It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history,” the global superstar told her fans.
Beyoncé talks about the negative feedback for her audacity to try country music
“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work,” the “Texas Hold ‘Em” hitmaker said.
According to the New York Times, Beyoncé performed “Daddy Lessons” at the Country Music Awards with The Chicks, then known as the Dixie Chicks, comprised of lead singer Natalie Maines and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer.
“They treated us very weird backstage,” Maines told the Times in July 2020. Maines was also repulsed at how Beyoncé was treated following the show, calling it “disgusting.”
Beyoncé was also victimized by the racist diatribes by some fans following the performance at the CMAs. Even more insulting was the fact that the video of The Chicks and her was yanked off of YouTube and the rest of social media.
TMZ reported back then that CMA execs were “concerned about the reaction to Beyoncé’s support and the support of the Dixie Chicks for the Black Lives Matter movement.”
GenXers and GenYers remember how The Chicks were immediately exiled from the country music industry following their criticisms of President George W. Bush’s declaration of war against Iraq in 2001.
As for Beyoncé‘s upcoming country album, entitled act ii, the Renaissance woman promises dynamic collaborations with multiple “brilliant artists.”
“I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound,” she penned on IG.
