Beyoncé’s Country Tracks Top Charts, Yet Face Radio Airplay Hurdles
Beyoncé’s surprise release of two new songs during the Super Bowl has propelled them to the upper echelons of streaming charts, with “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” swiftly climbing on platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify. However, radio airplay, particularly in the country music genre, has been slower to catch up with their apparent popularity.
Key Facts:
- As of Wednesday, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” secured the second and third positions on the Apple Music charts, respectively. “Texas Hold ‘Em” also earned a spot on Spotify’s Global Top 100. Notably, Beyoncé made history by becoming the first Black woman to top the Apple Music Country Chart.
- Accompanying visualizers for each song, which are less elaborate than full music videos, garnered millions of views on YouTube, with “16 Carriages” reaching 2.25 million views and “Texas Hold ‘Em” accumulating 2.7 million views as of Wednesday afternoon.
- Despite their impressive achievements, the songs have faced challenges in gaining radio play, especially within the country music domain.
Key Facts:
- Only eight out of the 150 stations reporting to Billboard’s Country Airplay chart played “Texas Hold ‘Em” on its first day, with one station playing it twice. “16 Carriages” received no airtime on any station.
- Beyoncé’s new singles did not make it onto Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, with “Texas Hold ‘Em” receiving over 200 plays, primarily on pop stations. “16 Carriages” had minimal airtime.
- Columbia Records, Beyoncé’s label, sent “Texas Hold ‘Em” to country radio on Tuesday, a move expected to influence radio airplay.
Crucial Quote: “I think it’s different to hear Beyoncé on a country radio station,” said Bo Matthews, programming director of KBAY, a station that has played the new music. “We’re going to play it more and see if the audience likes it and let them be the decider as to whether or not it continues to be on the playlist.”
What to Watch For: Bobby Bones, host of the widely syndicated “Bobby Bones Show” from iHeartMedia, announced plans to play the new songs on hundreds of stations through the Women of iHeart Country show he programs.
News Peg: A radio station in Oklahoma initially refused to play Beyoncé’s new music, citing it as a country music station. Following backlash, the station backtracked, explaining they were unaware of Beyoncé’s new music in the genre. This incident highlights some stations’ protocols to wait and observe how a new song charts before giving it airtime.
Chief Critic: Some critics, including The Washington Post, labeled the two songs as “dull, dry, unimaginative, unnecessary, unconfident, and uncool.” However, Washington Post reviewer Chris Richards emphasized that Beyoncé is known for creating innovative and exciting music and expressed disappointment in these particular tracks.
Surprising Fact: This isn’t Beyoncé’s first venture into country music. Her “Lemonade” album featured the country-esque track “Daddy Lessons,” which stirred controversy when rejected for Grammy award contention by the Recording Academy’s country music committee. Beyoncé performed the song live at the Country Music Association, influencing the “Yeehaw Agenda” movement challenging the whiteness of the country genre and highlighting Black cowboy culture.
Key Background: Speculation about Beyoncé’s foray into country music emerged as she announced a follow-up to her 2022 album “Renaissance” during a Super Bowl commercial for Verizon. Beyoncé’s interest in country was hinted at through promotional images featuring cowboy hats and a since-deleted tweet from a New York Times reporter. Some industry experts believe Beyoncé is using her venture into country to spotlight the overlooked contributions of Black artists to the genre.
Tangent: Several artists have successfully transitioned to country music from other genres, including Darius Rucker, Post Malone, Steven Tyler, Nelly, Bret Michaels, and Michelle Branch. The rejection and subsequent success of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” also underscored the evolving nature of country music and its openness to diverse influences.