Beyoncé has made history by becoming the first African American woman to claim the top spot on the US charts with her country track “Texas Hold ‘Em.” The song debuted at No. 2 last week.
The upbeat country tune is the artist’s ninth individual chart-topper (following four as a part of Destiny’s Child) and the initial of two songs from Act II, rumored to be the second installment in a trilogy following the previous release of Renaissance: Act I in 2022.
Beyoncé achieved a new record with her song “Texas Hold ‘Em” when it reached the top spot on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart last week. Despite some resistance from country radio programmers, she became the first Black woman to do so. This achievement also makes her the first woman to top both the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts since they were established in 1958.
At the beginning of this month, a station in Oklahoma that had initially declined to play the song changed its mind after receiving an online petition from fans of Beyoncé. As a result, the song was officially released to country radio due to their achievement.
In the midst of the debate about whether the song is suitable for the traditionally conservative country radio, where women have faced challenges in gaining recognition and Black artists have experienced even more discrimination, Dolly Parton showed support for Beyoncé’s venture into country music. She expressed her admiration for Beyoncé and her excitement for the release of a country album, as well as congratulating her on reaching the top spot on the Billboard Hot Country chart. She also added that she is eagerly anticipating the release of the entire album.
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Tina Knowles, the mother of Beyoncé, confirmed that the Houston family has a connection to cowboy culture. This was in response to criticism questioning Beyoncé’s ties to country music. Knowles explained that the family has always recognized that cowboy culture is not exclusive to white culture. She also mentioned that Beyoncé has been wearing cowboy hats since she was a child, as their family often attended rodeos and dressed in western fashion.
Source: theguardian.com
