Beyoncé’s new tracks “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em” have gained popularity on numerous streaming platforms. Perhaps because this was a significant departure from her last album, which featured Afrobeats-inspired compositions.
A resident emailed KYKC in Ada, Oklahoma, asking Beyoncé’s song “Texas Hold ‘Em.” However, the request was denied owing to the station’s focus on country music.
After the radio station denied the resident’s request, he shared the response he received online. According to the Black Wall Street Times, the story gained substantial attention after becoming viral and being reposted by Pop Crave.
“I requested Texas Hold’ Em at my local country radio station (KYKC), and after requesting, I received an email from the radio station stating, ‘We do not play Beyoncé on KYKC as we are a country music station,'” the resident said in a statement.
KYKC then declared that they would play the song later that day, demonstrating that they were aware of the consequences of offending a dedicated fan base.
Country music is thought to have originated in the black community. However, middle-class White individuals adopted country music throughout time, increasing the genre’s profitability. Even the banjo, a cornerstone of country music, was created by Black Americans who combined European and West African musical influences.
Despite this history, the Black roots of country music, like with other popular genres such as rock and roll, are sometimes overlooked. Tracy Chapman’s 1988 song “Fast Car” has lately regained popularity courtesy to Luke Combs’ cover version. Combs helped Chapman gain exposure for her song, including a duet performance at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Their interpretation briefly lifted the 36-year-old song to the top of the iTunes Top 100 chart.
Beyoncé, a worldwide recognized pop diva, gained enormous success with her latest full-length album, “Renaissance,” which received 43 million Spotify streams upon release. The accompanying Renaissance World Tour grossed more than $579 million. With the announcement that the 2022 album was the first episode in a trilogy, fans excitedly anticipated the subsequent releases, with many wondering what would come next.
Fans anticipated music videos for Beyoncé’s record-breaking album “Renaissance,” similar to past surprise releases such as her 2013 self-titled album and “Lemonade.” However, nearly two years later, no visuals for “Renaissance” have been produced, other than a film post-world tour.
Beyoncé teased her future step by wearing a cowboy hat at the 2024 Grammy Awards.