Will Beyoncé’s New Music Find a Place in Country Radio?
Beyoncé’s first country songs were released on February 11. Fans welcome her foray into the genre with excitement, but there is hesitancy from radio stations.
During the Super Bowl, Beyoncé starred in a Verizon commercial alongside Tony Hale, in which she hinted at some new music. At the end of the commercial, the singer-songwriter announced, “Okay, they’re ready. Drop the new music.” Later that same day, she officially confirmed the release of two country singles via Instagram:”Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.” These songs will be part of her unnamed eighth studio album, Act II.
Fans have welcomed this new era with open arms. X users have been calling for people to stream both “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” to help them reach No. 1. Another X user reposted somebody’s blind reaction to “Texas Hold ‘Em” from TikTok, and the response was overwhelmingly positive.
Texas hold em blind reaction from TikTok #BEYONCEISCOUNTRY #TEXASHOLDEM pic.twitter.com/DsQu6IObW8
— CSH's Unicorn (@topsunicorn) February 14, 2024
Despite positive reactions from the general public, country music radio stations have been hesitant to play Beyoncé’s new music. According to Variety, a fan requested “Texas Hold ‘Em” at their local radio station, only to be met with a terse answer. The station, KYKC, responded with, “We do not play Beyoncé on KYKC as we are a country music station.” However, a few hours later, KYKC posted on their Facebook page that “Texas Hold ‘Em” was next in their playlist.
In addition, Variety also reports that Sony Music Nashville representatives didn’t respond to requests for comment about their plans to promote the song for country radio. Neither did iHeartRadio or Cumulus. A handful of stations did play it once the day after its release, likely in their morning news broadcasts. However, this doesn’t mean they won’t play the track eventually, but fans regarded their hesitancy as strange.
There is no doubt that “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” are country songs. American country singer and songwriter Joel Adam Russell took to X to explain why these singles fit the genre’s definition. “Well, I would say that it actually does fit all of the dictionary criteria of country music. You can play the whole song on G, C, and D, and if you read the lyrics and can honestly say they don’t relate to you, then you’ve never been to a country dive bar,” he stated.
American Country Singer & Songwriter, Joel Adam Russell, says Beyoncé’s delve into country music is great for the genre. And that her new songs ‘TEXAS HOLD EM’ & ‘16 CARRIAGES’ sounds more country than most country songs on the country radio.
— I Choose Violence (@ourhermitage) February 15, 2024
He educated the masses! pic.twitter.com/uYtL59vS6z
Hopefully, these radio stations will become more accepting of Beyoncé’s country music, especially leading up to the release of Act II.
You can listen to “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” wherever you stream your music here.
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