Magic Johnson has left no doubts about where he stands in terms of his favorites in music, singling out Beyoncé as his pick for the greatest entertainer ever among women.
On Friday (March 29), soon after the release of Cowboy Carter, the NBA legend shared a photograph he took with Queen B a few years back along with a heartfelt note about her excellence and legacy.
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“Beyoncé – It’s only fitting that I recognize a living icon as the world tunes in to listen to your newest album, ‘Cowboy Carter,’ which just dropped today!” he wrote.
“You are truly a multifaceted force, with dominating presences as a singer, songwriter, director, actress, record producer, and entrepreneur! With over 160 million records sold, countless awards won (including a historical 32 Grammys), featured roles in eight movies, two fashion lines, and now a new hair care line..it’s impossible to argue that your influence on culture is irreplaceable.”
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The former Lakers guard concluded: “You are women’s history! Just like I say Michael Jackson is the greatest male entertainer of all time, you are the greatest female entertainer of all time. I’m looking forward to seeing how you bring more representation into the country genre and continue to use your platform to uplift and amplify the Black voice.”
In early April, HITS Daily Double reported that Bey’s new LP is “projecting first-week activity north of” 350,000 album-equivalent units, which will easily place it atop the Billboard 200 chart and making it the likely winner for all of 2024. It is also on track to beat out her last album, Renaissance, by approximately 20,000 units.
Chart Data pointed out that almost 150,000 of the Houston native’s first-week units came from activity on the album’s two pre-release singles, “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
Cowboy Carter set a number of first-day streaming records upon its release last week, with Spotify announcing that it was their most-streamed album in a single day in all of 2024. The project also generated the most first-day streams for a country album by a female artist in the history of Amazon Music.
In a glowing 4.8/5 review, HipHopDX‘s Tai Saint-Louis praised the record as “a reclamation of both the deep roots from which Bey has crafted her artistry and the many branches that have sprouted from Black music in America.”
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“From the American flag on the cover, to the sounds, to the careful placement of iconic Americana like Parton, Nelson and even a Beach Boys interpolation, this project truly is an American requiem as the opening track states,” the piece reads.
“It’s Beyoncé’s reminder that much has been sacrificed to allow her to claim her identity as a southern girl and fully partake in all of America’s unique artistic and cultural traditions.”
