Country music legend Dolly Parton has thrown her support behind Beyoncé after the latter broke new ground in becoming the first Black woman to claim the top spot on Billboard’s country music chart.
Beyoncé, 42, made history with her track Texas Hold ‘Em, released alongside 16 Carriages in a surprise album announcement at this year’s Super Bowl.
The accomplishment also made her only the second solo female artist to have a song go straight to the summit of the country music chart after Taylor Swift achieved the same in 2021.
The response to the Halo superstar’s success has come with rumblings from detractors – one radio station refused to play her son as they “are a country music station”, while actor John Schneider told her to stay out of the genre, comparing her to a dog urinating on a tree – but arguably the biggest icon to ever grace the genre, Dolly Parton, has zero problem with it.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Dolly wrote: “I’m a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she’s done a country album. So congratulations on your Billboard Hot County number one single. Can’t wait to hear the full album!”
Beyoncé is set to release her new album, Renaissance: Act II, on March 29, with fans now wondering if the whole project will focus on country music.
With approximately 76 million Americans enjoying country music weekly, it’s no surprise that big-name artists might want to tap into this vast fan base and broaden their appeal, even if certain hardcore country fans – not to mention radio stations – think they should leave the genre alone.
Any harsh words aimed at Beyoncé over her #1 single haven’t gone undefended by her fan base. Predictably, many of them hit back at the criticisms, with folk taking particular exception to the John Schneider comments mentioned above.
Schneider sat down to talk with OANN host Alison Steinberg, with the duo discussing the country genre and how it has evolved over the years.
”The lefties in the entertainment industry just won’t leave any area alone, right? They just have to seize control over every aspect, don’t they?” Steinberg asked Schneider.
The actor replied: ”They’ve got to make their mark, just like a dog in a dog walk park. You know, every dog has to mark every tree, right? So that’s what’s going on here.”
”Country music was created by black folks,” one fan pointed out on X.
”Imagine gatekeeping a genre of music that black people created, imagine getting mad that a southern artist from Texas decided to go back to her roots. BTW This is not her first country song!!” another fan said.
“Cross overs are not new. Paul McCartney released a country song 50 years ago (Country Dreamer and Sally G)…even the Stones had a huge country influence (Dead Flowers Far Away Eyes) so don’t understand this is about Beyonce unless it’s because she’s….” a third wrote.
In any case, we’re sure Beyoncé’s taking the unkind remarks with a pinch of salt. With the backing of Dolly Parton, widely known as the Queen of Country, it’s safe to say she has the seal of approval.
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