Shunning Beyoncé Would Be a Mistake for Country Music
The industry’s elite would be wise to recognize the economic power of the Beyhive.
At some point, everyone will have to get in formation.
Photographer: Theo Wargo/Getty Images North AmericaCountry music and Billboard have realized that when you play Texas Hold ‘Em with Beyoncé, the wisest option is to fold ‘em. The song debuted atop the Hot Country Music Songs chart — a first for a Black female artist — and has received the endorsement of the genre’s long-reigning queen, Dolly Parton. The Oklahoma country radio station that stirred up a brief controversy by refusing to play the song quickly backed down.
A few in the country music scene continue to sniff at, as one critic put it, “the global megastar worth $800 million cutting in line in front of artist[s] native to country.” Some point out that Beyoncé has not (not yet, anyway) scaled the Country Airplay chart, which tracks radio listenership. Texas Hold ‘Em debuted at No. 50 on that metric , some distance behind the 22nd-place achieved by Linda Martell’s 1969 track Color Him Father, the highest by a Black female country artist.