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Ahead of her highly anticipated country album, pop star Beyoncé Knowles-Carter hinted she “did not feel welcomed” in the genre years ago.
In an Instagram post on Monday counting down ten days until the release of “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé released a preview image along with a lengthy background on the album.
“This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history,” she wrote.
Beyoncé is releasing a country album on March 29. (Getty Images)
The post continued, “The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”
Despite once feeling unwelcome, Beyoncé said she felt “honored” to be the first Black woman to have a number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart.
“My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant,” she wrote.
Fox News Digital reached out to Beyoncé’s publicist for a comment.
Though one of Beyoncé’s first singles off the album “Texas Hold Em” quickly hit number one on the country charts, various media outlets questioned whether she could overcome “the exclusion of Black musicians from the genre” to succeed in country music.
BEYONCÉ’S NEW COUNTRY SONG HIGHLIGHTS GENRE’S RACIST ‘EXCLUSION’ OF BLACK ARTISTS, MEDIA ARGUE
“It is time for the institutional oppressive regimes of country music to be removed, and for those who have continued to carry on the legacy of country’s music heart and soul to be seated at the table,” a Time magazine article read in February.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z attend the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Freelance writer and music commentator Kyle “Trigger” Coroneos called out this media response, pointing out that by insisting on country music’s “racism,” it ignores Black artists’ contributions to the genre.
“The sad irony of these accusations is they are actually the vehicle that is erasing the Black legacy in country music in real time. You cannot find a single history book or documentary on country music that doesn’t cite country music’s Black influences, from the African origination of the banjo, to Rufus ‘Tee-Tot’ Payne teaching Hank Williams guitar, to Charley Pride earning 30 No. 1 singles, and becoming the first male country performer to earn back to back CMA Male Vocalist of the Year awards,” Coroneos told Fox News Digital.
Beyoncé surprised the world after the Super Bowl by dropping the new singles “Texas Hold Em” and “16 Carriages” to preview her upcoming album set to debut March 29.
Beyoncé performed with the Dixie Chicks in 2016. (Image Group LA/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Beyoncé previously dabbled in the genre back in 2016 with the song “Daddy Lessons.” She also performed the song at the 50th anniversary of the Country Music Awards with the Dixie Chicks.
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Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to lindsay.kornick@fox.com and on Twitter: @lmkornick.
