When Beyoncé dropped “Texas Maintain ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” the primary two singles for what the world would later come to know as “Cowboy Carter,” her foray into nation and Americana music, Beyoncé wasn’t precisely welcomed by everyone into the style.
To even say the complete Black neighborhood was on board can be an overstatement, however the nation world was positively extra involved about her moving into their world. Early on, nation stations reportedly weren’t taking part in “Texas Maintain ‘Em,” the extra dancey and upbeat of the 2 information, although any makes an attempt to quash her dominance had been short-lived: “Texas Maintain ‘Em,” as “Cowboy Carter” would finally do, topped the nation charts making her the primary Black lady to ever prime Billboard’s nation music chart.
The album, which celebrates Black artists’ area within the style and takes the listener on a journey via all types of Americana, folks and nation music, has change into, successfully, legendary. Its success has launched many listeners to the Black roots of the style and launched quite a lot of new artists to shoppers.
“Cowboy Carter” additionally earned Beyoncé her coveted “Album of the 12 months” Grammy in 2025, in addition to the award for “Finest Nation Album” on the similar ceremony—once more, making her the primary Black lady to take action.
Whereas the celebrations for Beyoncé and “Cowboy Carter” proceed as she’s at the moment on tour—her subsequent cease is probably symbolically in Washington, D.C., for a July 4th present—not everyone in nation music has been supportive or excited for her journey. There have been various nation artists sad with the area Beyoncé was taking on.
The most recent is Gavin Adcock, who had some very alternative phrases for Beyoncé after asserting that her album is—nonetheless—charting above his on the Apple Music charts.
At a latest present, he identified to his crowd that Beyoncé’s album was ranked quantity 3 on the Apple Music nation chart and his album was quantity 4. He was none too happy about that album specifically being ranked above his.
“…albums in entrance of me within the Apple Music Charts. And considered one of them’s Beyoncé and you’ll inform her we’re coming for her f—– a–,” he mentioned to delighted screams from his followers.
“That sh– ain’t nation music and it ain’t by no means been nation music and it ain’t gonna be nation music,” he continued, once more, to delighted screams from his followers.
As you possibly can think about, coming for Beyoncé, particularly since you’re rated beneath her on a chart (no phrase on if he’s upset concerning the albums occupying the highest two slots) and since you don’t deem her album to be nation, requires … follow-up. In a subsequent video, Adcock took a extra measured tone.
In a video posted to X, captioned merely “it ain’t nation,” Adcock had this to say:
“I’m going to go forward and clear this up. After I was a little bit child, my mama was blasting some Beyoncé within the automotive. I’ve heard a ton of Beyoncé songs, and I really keep in mind her Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present being fairly kick-a– again within the day. However I actually don’t imagine her album must be labeled as nation music. It doesn’t sound nation, it doesn’t really feel nation… I simply don’t assume that folks which have devoted their complete lives to this style and this life-style ought to should compete or watch that album simply keep on the prime simply because she’s Beyoncé.”
Evidently Adcock’s greatest concern is that he has to compete with Beyoncé for chart positioning on an album he doesn’t view as nation. Which begs a query that many inside and outdoors of the style have been grappling with for years now (Y’all keep in mind the “Outdated City Street” non-troversy?): Precisely what’s nation?
That reply isn’t prone to be answered any time quickly, so for now, Adcock and others who take subject are prone to should cope with the continued run of “Cowboy Carter” on the charts. For what it’s value, feedback like Adcock’s are why Beyoncé claims to have made “Cowboy Carter” within the first place.
As of but, Beyoncé has not responded to Adcock’s remarks.
