When Beyonce performed her song “Daddy Lessons” with The Chicks at the 2016 Country Music Awards(CMAs), country star Alan Jackson walked out and Travis Tritt posted a snide remark on Twitter.
Beyonce’s experience at the 2016 CMAs later inspired her 2024 country album, “Cowboy Carter.” Like many of her albums, Cowboy Carter focuses on reclaiming identity. Fans and critics interpreted her album as a reclamation of black country and patriotism based on her many references to black history.
The name of her upcoming tour, “Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit Tour,” references the Chitlin’ Circuit, music venues that allowed black performers in the Jim Crow South. Beyoncé’s album highlights the contributions of Black musicians to the foundation of country music, shaped by instruments, melodies, and themes.
By drawing attention to these often-overlooked connections, her work sheds light on how African musical traditions not only survived, but influenced the sounds and stories that define the genre today, starting during the transatlantic slave trade.
During time of the slave trade, Africans introduced America to the akonting, a West African instrument that evolved into the banjo. They also developed slave spirituals, religious hymns, and field songs.
In the 1850s, minstrel shows rose to popularity. Minstrel shows were a racist form of entertainment in which white people would dress in black face, using an akonting and singing the songs of Black people, while portraying them in a foolish manner.
Through these minstrel shows, the akonting quickly became the banjo, and Black people’s music became a form of “Hillbilly” music.
Until the 1920s, Black and white artists worked closely together. However, the genre became racially segregated when record labels began categorizing music as either “hillbilly records” or “race records.” Over time, Black contributions were erased from mainstream country music.
Since the 2020 protests, many country artists have spoken about racism and called out the industry for its systematic racial barriers.
Beyonce’s album attacks these barriers by bringing engagement from African American listeners and musicians. Most importantly, she opens the door for conversations about where African Americans stand in country music.
Country music is approaching an era of greater inclusivity. This shift is led by the younger generation who understand their right to be a part of country music. They are unafraid to reclaim their roots and redefine the genre’s boundaries. One of these leaders is Beyonce.
