cma awards

After Speaking On Beyoncé And Country Music, Luke Bryan Responds To ‘Ridiculous’ ‘Clickbait Headlines’

by
Luke Bryan 2024
Getty Image

On SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live recently, country star Luke Bryan spoke about Beyoncé, specifically about how she didn’t get any 2024 CMA Awards nominations for her album Cowboy Carter. Some people didn’t care for what he said, to the point that Bryan has come out with a follow-up statement.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) last night (October 6), Bryan wrote:

“Hey yall, I’m wrapping up the last night of my tour tonight and it’s been an amazing time. For that I am thankful.

I am posting tonight based on the ridiculous nature of the headlines I have read the last couple days from an interview on the Andy Cohen show I did this week when I was promoting my album. I feel in my heart I could not let media create a false narrative. As I read thru the comments of some of you I just want to say that I encourage all of you to listen to the interview instead of reading click bait headlines. You will hear my tone and intentions which were not negative. I respect Beyonce and I love how loyal her fans are. I spend a lot of time supporting other artists. I want everyone to win. Love yall.”

As for what Bryan actually said, he said in part, “Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album. Nobody’s mad about it, but where things get a little tricky — you know, if you’re gonna make country albums, come into our world and be country with us a little bit. Like, Beyoncé can do exactly what she wants to. She’s probably the biggest star in music. But come to an awards show and high-five us and have fun and get in the family, too. And I’m not saying she didn’t do that. I didn’t know. I had never seen [her]. But country music is a lot about family.”

Luke Bryan Had An Unpopular Opinion About Beyoncé’s CMA Awards Shutout: ‘Come Into Our World And Be Country With Us’

by
luke bryan Celebrities Visit SiriusXM - September 30, 2024
Getty Image

Last month, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter earned zero nominations for the 2024 CMA Awards. The snub was suspicious (to put it lightly) because Cowboy Carter is undeniably a country album. Not to mention, the 27-song LP debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart simultaneously.

The 2024 CMA Awards will go on without Beyoncé on November 20, and Luke Bryan will co-host alongside Lainey Wilson and Peyton Manning. Bryan commented on Beyoncé’s shutout while appearing on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live.

“It’s a tricky question because, obviously, Beyoncé made a country album, and Beyoncé has a lot of fans out there that have her back,” Bryan told Cohen. “If she doesn’t get something they want, man, they come at you — as fans should do.”

The American Idol judge continued, “It’s a tough thing to say — I don’t know how many albums did she sell? I know she had one song. So, I mean, listen, I’m all for everybody coming in and making country albums and all that. But just because she made one — just ’cause I make one, I don’t get any nominations. A lot of great music is overlooked. Sometimes, you don’t get nominated.”

Bryan saved the most controversial sentiment for last: “Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album. Nobody’s mad about it, but where things get a little tricky — you know, if you’re gonna make country albums, come into our world and be country with us a little bit. Like, Beyoncé can do exactly what she wants to. She’s probably the biggest star in music. But come to an awards show and high-five us and have fun and get in the family, too. And I’m not saying she didn’t do that. I didn’t know. I had never seen [her]. But country music is a lot about family.”

Upon announcing Cowboy Carter in March, Beyoncé made it pretty clear that she had never felt welcome to “come to an awards show” or “get in the family,” in the words of Bryan. Beyoncé seemed to reference an unpleasant experience she had while performing “Daddy Lessons” with The Chicks at the 2016 CMA Awards.

“This album has been over five years in the making,” Beyoncé wrote, in part, in her caption of the Cowboy Carter album cover artwork. “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.”

Appropriately, people on X (formerly Twitter) have reacted to Bryan’s take by pointing out that Beyoncé is inherently country, given that she is from Texas and the genre was build on Black musicians’ backs.

As a relevant aside, The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter “will compete for Best Country Album” at the 2025 Grammys.

“If Beyoncé — the most decorated artist in Grammy history — earns a best country album nod, it would be her first in the genre and she would become the rare artist who has scored nominations across multiple genres at the Grammys,” THR relayed.

Dolly Parton Doesn’t Think Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Was ‘Shut Out’ From The CMA Awards, Despite Receiving No Nominations

by
Dolly Parton Blockchain Creative Labs’ Dollyverse SXSW 2022
Getty Image

Dolly Parton is arguably the Queen of country music. So, when Beyoncé decided to creatively venture into the genre, she was sure to tilt her brim to her classic “Jolene.” Despite the homages to country greats, rising stars, and critical acclaim, Cowboy Carter was notably missing from the CMA Awards nomination list.

While the BeyHive are fuming over the “snub,” Dolly Parton feels differently. During an interview with Variety, Dolly Parton said she doesn’t believe Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album was intentionally ignored.

“Well, you never know,” she said. “There’s so many wonderful country artists that, I guess probably the country music field, they probably thought, well, we can’t really leave out some of the ones that spend their whole life doing that. But I didn’t even realize that until somebody asked me that question.”

Dolly went on to praise the project, saying: “But it was a wonderful album. She can be very, very proud of, and I think everybody in country music welcomed her and thought that, that was good. So I don’t think it was a matter of shutting out, like doing that on purpose. I think it was just more of what the country charts and the country artists were doing, that do that all the time, not just a specialty album.”

Dolly isn’t Beyoncé’s only Cowboy Carter collaborator to subtly address the matter. Although Shaboozey secured his own collaboration, he went on to thank Beyoncé for pushing the genre forward.

“That goes without saying,” he wrote. “Thank you, Beyoncé for opening a door for us, starting a conversation, and giving us one of the most innovative country albums of all time!”

Beyoncé hasn’t issued a response to the nominations list.

Did The 2016 CMA Awards Inspire Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter?’

by
Beyonce 2024
Getty Image

We’re now less than two weeks away from Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. While fans wait for the project to drop, they have a new question to ponder:

Did The 2016 CMA Awards Inspire Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter?

When Beyoncé revealed the Cowboy Carter album cover art on March 19, it was accompanied by a lengthy post telling some of the story behind the project. She wrote that the album was “born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed,” an experience that prompted her to educate herself more about the history of country music. A common fan theory is that Beyoncé is referring to the 2016 CMA Awards, where she and the Dixie Chicks (now The Chicks) performed “Daddy Lessons” together.

Read Beyoncé’s message in full below.

“Today marks the 10-day countdown until the release of act ii. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES. I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart. That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. 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.

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.

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.

I have a few surprises on the album, and have collaborated with some brilliant artists who I deeply respect. I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound.

I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE…I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop.

This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”

Check out some tweets about Beyoncé and the CMAs below.

Cowboy Carter is out 3/29 via Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records. Find more information here.