Beyoncé’s shift to country has earned praise from Dolly Parton, who openly praised Bey’s for the milestones she’s reached with her latest singles.
The country legend revealed her love for Queen B on Instagram, writing: “I’m a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she’s done a country album. So congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country number one single. Can’t wait to hear the full album. Love, Dolly Parton.”
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Beyoncé become the first Black woman to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with her new single, “Texas Hold ’Em.”
Bey’s other new single “16 Carriages” also debuted at number nine on the same chart.
Both songs were released in a surprise drop on February 11 after she hinted at them in a Verizon commercial during Super Bowl LVIII.
Minutes the tracks arrived on streaming platforms, Beyoncé also announced the songs will live on her forthcoming album Renaissance: act ii, due out March 29.
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Beyoncé’s shift to country wasn’t immediately embrced by every corner of the genre as some radio stations refused to play the new records before a backlash.
One fan who had reached out to a country station in Oklahoma to request “Texas Hold ‘Em” was told, “We do not play Beyonce on KYKC as we are a country music station.”
They later backtracked and issued a statement which read: “I think we issued just a generic reply when we should have been more detailed. If someone emailed our country station and requested a Rolling Stones song we would have probably replied the same. Beyoncé is known for NOT being a country artist, so we just replied to that effect.
“But….we are actually excited that she has ‘crossed over’ to a new genre…We are big Beyoncé fans here and really hope it does well, as we like seeing new artists get into the format.”
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Azealia Banks also criticized the “Baby Boy” singer’s move to country.
“I love you…but them r&b runs over the leslie feist back beats is giving pickmesha… . Nothing country about it,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories.
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“You’re setting yourself up to be ridiculed again,” Banks continued. “There’s a theatrical element to country music !!! Them critics are not just going to accept an ugly blond wig and bullying from jay-z !!! It’s giving big time musical grift… [Y]ou’re just really not hitting the button.”
