Beyoncé is all over the iTunes country charts.
After it was announced yesterday that her very first single “Texas Hold ‘Em” was headed to country radio, she now has that song, along with “16 Carriages,” sitting at the top of the iTunes Country Songs chart at #1 and #2, respectively.
Yesterday, she released both an acapella and instrumental version of “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which are also currently sitting in the Top 5. They’ll both be included on her forthcoming 8th career studio album, Renaissance: Act II:
A lot has already been said and made about Beyoncé’s venture into country, though Beyoncé herself has yet to really speak on whether or not this is an attempt to fully jump into the country genre, or just a tribute to her Texas roots with a more country influence than we’ve heard from her in the past… it sounds like her label obviously wants the song to be on every station imaginable (ya know, to make more money), so it’s still unclear what the ultimate goal here really is.
And while I know there will be, and already have been, complaints about the fact that this “isn’t a country song” and Beyoncé “isn’t a country artist,” I’d say the vast majority of what’s heard on country radio isn’t exactly that, either, so this really isn’t any different in my opinion.
As a side note, she’s also been rocking a cowboy hat pretty regularly since the Grammy’s, if that gives you any indication on the marketing aspect here:
Beyoncé’s new country ambitions are part of a growing trend where pop artists want to get in on the country genre while it’s hot, so to speak, as others like Lana Del Rey and Post Malone have also said they’re working on country albums.
And for Beyoncé specifically, the Texas native has embraced some country stylings in the past. A song titled “Daddy Lessons” on her 2016 album Lemonade had a similar vibe to “Texas Hold “Em,” but ultimately was rejected by the Recording Academy in its application for the country music category of the Grammys. She also performed it at the CMA Awards, which was kind of a disaster you can read about HERE.
It kind of feels like by “going country,” it would be much more accurate to say “releasing country-inspired music with traditional stylings in the production,” and it’s hardly the recreation of Loretta Lynn or Tammy Wynette’s catalog, obviously (I don’t think that’s what she’s trying for, either).
The aforementioned Renaissance: Act II is set for release on March 29th, and I think much more of our questions will be answered in that music, though regardless, it’s clear that she’s already having an affect on the genre.
The cynic in me wants to call this all bullshit, but the music lover (and Beyoncé fan) in me wants to love it… so I’ll wait for the album to drop to pass full judgment on what it all really means.
No, this isn’t a new country standard we’ll be listening to for years to come and bawling our eyes out because the lyrics cut to the core of the human experience, but it’s catchy and, in my opinion, fun to listen to and enjoy on the surface level.
I just don’t think everything in country always has to be so serious, and I like these songs for what they are, which, again, I’d say are very country-inspired and pull from that twangy flavor we all love so much. Listen to both below if you haven’t checked ’em out yet.
“Texas Hold ‘Em”
“16 Carriages”
