Beyoncé’s new singles “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em” have been making waves on various streaming platforms. Perhaps, because this was a major shift from her last album which was laced with Afrobeats-inspired tracks.
But, when a resident emailed an Oklahoma radio station requesting Beyoncé’s song “Texas Hold ‘Em” at the country radio station KYKC in Ada, Oklahoma, the request was denied via email, with the station citing its policy of not playing Beyoncé’s music due to its focus on country music.
After the radio station rejected the resident’s request, he posted the response he received online. The story went viral and was shared by Pop Crave, gaining significant attention, according to Black Wall Street Times.
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“I requested Texas Hold’ Em at my local country radio station (KYKC), and after requesting, I received an email from the radio station stating, ‘We do not play Beyoncé on KYKC as we are a country music station,’” the resident wrote.
Subsequently, KYKC announced they would play the song later that day, indicating they learned the repercussions of upsetting a loyal fan base.
Country music has been believed to be a black community creation. But, along the line, the middle-class White people adopted country music, to boost the genre’s profitability. Even the banjo, a staple instrument in country music, originated as a creation of Black Americans, blending European and West African musical influences.
Despite this history, the Black roots of country music, like those of other popular genres such as rock and roll, often don’t receive the recognition they deserve. Tracy Chapman’s 1988 hit “Fast Car” regained attention recently thanks to a cover by Luke Combs. Combs ensured Chapman received recognition for her song, culminating in a duet performance at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Their rendition briefly propelled the thirty-six-year-old song to the top spot on the iTunes Top 100 chart.
Beyoncé, a globally renowned pop star, achieved immense success with her last full-length album, “Renaissance,” which garnered 43 million streams on Spotify upon release. The accompanying Renaissance World Tour grossed over $579 million. With the announcement that the 2022 album was the first installment of a trilogy, fans eagerly awaited the subsequent releases, with many asking about what was the next to come.
Fans anticipated music videos for Beyoncé’s record-breaking album “Renaissance,” akin to previous surprise drops like her 2013 self-titled album and “Lemonade.” However, nearly two years later, no visuals for “Renaissance” have been released besides a film post-world tour.
Beyoncé dropped subtle hints about her next move, notably wearing a cowboy hat at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
