Beyonce opens up about criticism she faced entering country music in moving post
Beyoncé's upcoming album, "Cowboy Carter," is almost here, and to mark 10 days until its release, the "Texas Hold 'Em" singer shared the album art on social media.
In the album art, which Beyoncé shared to Instagram on Tuesday, she wears patriotic cowboy attire with a white cowboy hat.
"This album has been over five years in the making," she said. "It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn't."
"But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive," she continued. "It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history."
The singer then went on to share how past criticism fueled her desire to make "Cowboy Carter."
"The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me," she said. "act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work."
Beyoncé announced that a new album was on its way during the Super Bowl in February. She also released two songs off the album at the time, "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages."
"Texas Hold 'Em" debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.
The singer addressed the milestone in her post on Tuesday and thanked everyone who had supported her.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of TEXAS HOLD 'EM and 16 CARRIAGES. I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart. That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you," she wrote.
She added, "My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist's race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant."
Beyoncé ended her message by mentioning that fans can expect "a few surprises" on the upcoming album, including a few collaborations with "brilliant artists who I deeply respect." She noted that "Cowboy Carter" is "a continuation of RENAISSANCE," her most recent album prior to "Cowboy Carter," which was released in July 2022.
"I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound," she wrote of "Cowboy Carter."
She continued, "I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop."
"This ain't a Country album," she added. "This is a 'Beyoncé' album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y'all!"
