Welcoming Beyoncé to Country
2024
2024 — welcoming Beyoncé to country when some radio gatekept her chart-topping single
Photo credit“I'm a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she's done a country album.”
After Beyoncé's "Texas Hold 'Em" topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in February 2024 — at a moment when some stations initially refused to playlist it — Parton posted publicly: "I'm a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she's done a country album. So congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country No. 1 single. Can't wait to hear the full album! Love, Dolly." She later appeared on Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter album, introducing Beyoncé's reimagined version of "Jolene" — a direct endorsement that country belongs to everyone.
Did you know
Fans called it "the queen has spoken" — using country royalty's voice to answer gatekeeping that Black artists have faced in the genre for decades.