Well, yes! With the highly anticipated release of Beyoncé’s country album, more folks are learning about the history of country music, with most Black folks—like myself—getting back into the genre. Beyoncé has received heavy backlash for the two country songs she has released from her new album, with folks calling her sound inauthentic (despite her being from the South) and criticizing her use of instruments intrinsic to the sound of country music. If an artist as massive as Beyoncé faces these barriers aiming to delegitimize her work, what do much smaller artists go through?
The country music industry is one of the world’s most profitable industries, generating a revenue of almost four billion dollars annually. Country has given us icons such as Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Shania Twain, Keith Urban, and more. Yet, the discussions of country music’s origins and development often exclude Black voices. It comes as no surprise that when asking an average person to think of a country artist, they might think of a white person from the South, decked out in the Western aesthetic. While this may be true, Black people were at the beginning of the creation of country music, but are continuously excluded from participating in the genre. Take, for example, the country music committee for the Grammy Awards rejecting Beyoncé’s submission for consideration for her song “Daddy Lessons” featured in her highly acclaimed 2016 album Lemonade. There has been speculation as to why this happened, with some blaming the conservative nature of the country music industry. Many country listeners also share this sentiment, which is one reason why some Black folks are deterred from listening to or creating music within the country genre.
The historical denial of the impact Black folks had on the creation of country music has led to the continuous exclusion of Black voices and talents within this genre. When Black people do try to create within it, they are met with resistance and do not receive half the support as their white counterparts. With the release of Beyoncé’s two country songs, “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold’ Em,” we have already seen an influx in support of Black country artists, and the album will impact the genre positively. Yet, we would be remiss if we did not take the time to learn about country music’s history to ensure we engage with its content adequately.