Michelle Obama commends Beyoncé over Cowboy Carter album: ‘You have changed the game once again’

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed her support for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album. Calling the well-known singer “a record-breaker and history-maker,” the 60-year-old fan expressed her admiration for Beyoncé’s commitment to music.

“With Cowboy Carter, you have changed the game once again by helping redefine a music genre and transform our culture. I am so proud of you!” Obama said Tuesday of Beyoncé’s eighth studio album, also known as Act II of her Renaissance album.

Obama said that she saw the new release as “a reminder that despite everything we’ve been through to be heard, seen, and recognized, we can still dance, sing, and be who we are unapologetically” in a statement that was posted on Instagram next to a famous photo of Beyoncé riding a horse.

In the photo caption, she expressed her support for the project and stated that it serves as a reminder of the power that each of us possesses. “There’s power in our history, in our joy, and in our votes — and we can each use our own gifts and talents to make our voices heard on the issues that matter most to us,” she wrote.

The widely recognized inspirational speaker also urged fans to cast their votes “at the ballot box this year.”

“The issues that impact us most are on the ballot across the country — from equal pay and racial justice to reproductive healthcare and climate change.” Referencing one of the 27 songs on the album, the Harvard Law alum added, “And as Queen Bey says at the end of Ya Ya, we need to ‘keep the faith’ and ‘VOTE!'”

Billboard reported that Cowboy Carter became the most streamed album on Spotify in a single day in 2024 upon its debut. This is the first time a country album has taken the top spot this year, the streaming service said last week.

“Texas Hold ‘Em,” the album’s first single, was streamed more than 200 million times before the album’s release. In Amazon Music history, this album has also had the highest number of first-day streams for a country album by a female singer.