Standing by his statement.
Gavin Adcock found himself in quite a media storm after sharing his opinions on Beyoncé while performing at Clearwater’s Big Rodeo in Clearwater, Nebraska. During his set, he took a moment to share that one of the artists ahead of him on the Apple Music Country Chart was Beyoncé, who had caused an uproar in the country community after winning the Grammy Award for Best Country Album earlier this year.
During his show, Adcock says to the crowd:
“There are only three people in front of me on the Apple Music country charts. And one of ’em is Beyoncé. You can tell her we’re coming for her f***ing a**. That s**t ain’t country music and it’s never ever been country music and it will never be country music.”
@creightonmarsh1 Does this don’t need a caption@GavinAdcockMusic @Beyoncé ♬ original sound – Creighton🇺🇸
I mean, given that Beyoncé herself said it was “not a country album,” Gavin Adcock, in a way, is just reiterating what she’s already said.
“This ain’t a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album. This is COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”
While the Grammy Awards honored the mega-star with country music awards, other award shows, such as the CMA Awards and the ACM Awards, took her statement to heart about it not being a country record and did not nominate her for any honors. The lack of nominations from these two organizations left her fans feeling as though she had been snubbed.
Adocck followed up his rant with another video, noting that he likes Beyoncé’s music, but does not think that it embodies the country lifestyle.
“I’m gonna go ahead and clear this up. When I was little, my mama was blasting a ton of Beyoncé in the car. I heard a ton of Beyoncé songs, and I actually remember her Super Bowl halftime show being pretty kick a** back in the day.
But I really don’t believe her album should be labeled as country music. It doesn’t sound country, it doesn’t feel country, and I just don’t think that people who have dedicated their whole lives to this genre and lifestyle should have to compete or watch that album just stay at the top just because she’s Beyoncé.”
The majority of the conversation surrounding her Cowboy Carter record has slowed down, but Adcock’s comments threw gasoline on the fire, and soon Beyoncé fans came after him. And they’re a feral bunch…
Adcock showed some of the DM he received on his social media, and media outlets everywhere began to cover the moment with headlines reading:
“Country Singer Gavin Adcock Slams Beyoncé For Releasing ‘Cowboy Carter’ During Recent Concert Rant”
“Country music star goes on rant criticizing pop superstar’s album”
“Man Who Sings About Bonfires & Blacking Out Doesn’t Think Beyoncé Is Country”
“Gavin Adcock gets dragged by the BeyHive after saying Beyoncé’s ‘COWBOY CARTER’ ‘ain’t country music.”
“Gavin Adcock Slams Beyoncé’s Country Album, Fans Fire Back Online.”
When a public figure receives backlash like this, some might issue a statement apologizing for their actions, while others will simply let the media storm die down. However, Adcock is not taking either of those approaches and has issued an “apology” video, which doubles down on his statement.
“Ah, I was lying here all night. Dreaming. And I just wanted to wake up and tell y’all that s**t ain’t country.”
@gavinadcockmusicI guess I’m just a hogmog♬ original sound – GavinAdcockMusic
Gavin Adcock has never been afraid to speak his mind and stand by his statements, regardless of the reaction they receive, so did you really expect this man to apologize? I mean, we are talking about the same guy who sings “Run Your Mouth.”
Hey, at least he’s living the lyrics he sings…
He leaned into the moment taking full advantage of the “all press is good press” stance, posting the following Tweets poking more fun at the outcome of this media frenzy.
While everyone is going to have varying opinions on this topic, true country music fans are on Adcock’s side with this take. Sure, Beyoncé might have incorporated elements of country music, such as a fiddle or banjo, but the melodies and lyrics at its core are not country.
Additionally, the commercial success of the record was lacking in comparison to other country releases. It fell down the Billboard charts rather quickly. It currently sits at 167 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, behind 3 Morgan Wallen records (all in the top 10), Post Malone, Zach Bryan (few of his albums), Zach Top, Jelly Roll, Luke Combs, Ella Langley, Chris Stapleton Riley Green, Megan Moroney and even Shaboozey. So while the fans may be fighting for the record in the comments section, are they buying and streaming the hell out of it? Not really… Nevertheless, she’s doing well on the Apple charts for whatever that’s worth.
At this point, everyone will likely have conflicting opinions about Cowboy Carter. While it might not be my cup of tea or definition of country music, if someone else digs it, stream it. Can we get back to people sharing their opinions without others attacking them?
Adcock delivered his rant in an environment of like-minded people, so let him be. It’s not like he’s standing out of a Beyoncé show screaming this.
