Houston, Texas – Beyoncé has made history by becoming the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with her country-infused songs from her upcoming album. Her banjo-heavy track, “Texas Hold ’Em,” claimed the No. 1 spot, while “16 Carriages” ranked at No. 9, according to the publication. This achievement comes after the singer teased new music in a Verizon ad that aired during the Super Bowl and dropped the two songs shortly afterward.
Jada Watson, an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa who studies radio airplay and popularity charts, noted that only six Black female solo artists had previously made it onto the country chart since the late 1950s. Beyoncé’s accomplishment in topping both Billboard’s country and R&B/hip-hop charts is a first for a woman since records began in 1958, as reported by Billboard.
Fans have embraced Beyoncé’s embrace of country music, with many adopting the fashion trend dubbed “cowboycore” and sharing videos of themselves dancing to the hit song. Beyoncé herself has been seen wearing cowboy hats in recent public appearances, reflecting her new musical direction.
Her two new country songs are part of the long-anticipated album set to be released on March 29, with fans speculating that the body of work might be a full-length country album. However, this move has not come without fresh scrutiny, as her first country song, “Daddy Lessons,” exposed deep divides in the country music industry. Some country music fans argued that the song didn’t belong in the genre, and it was blocked from country music categories at the Grammys.
The fact that Beyoncé’s achievement as the first Black woman to have a number-one country song in 2024 is indicative of the industry’s lack of support for Black female artists in the country genre, according to Jada Watson. She emphasized the need for the industry to use Beyoncé’s success as an opportunity to build support for Black women in this format. This history-making moment highlights the ongoing struggle for inclusivity in country music, despite the genre’s roots in Black history.