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Another day, another slay. On April 8, Beyoncé debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with Cowboy Carter, making her the first Black woman to do so in the chart’s 60-year history.
Released on March 29, Queen Bey’s eighth solo studio album shifted 407,000 album units in its first week, and also soared to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart, and the Americana/Folk Albums and Top Album Sales charts.
Featuring collaborations with Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Willie Nelson, and Linda Martell, among other upcoming artists, Cowboy Carter marks Beyoncé’s foray into country music. Despite some backlash, the album has been met with both commercial and critical acclaim.
Bey’s move into the genre was also welcomed by her loyal “BeyHive,” who were quick to celebrate the singer’s chart milestone. “Breaking barriers once again,” one fan wrote of her latest release on X (formerly Twitter). “Making history once again, almost 30 years into her career,” another commented.
This isn’t the first time Beyoncé has made history during her “yeehaw era.” In February, she became the first Black female artist to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with lead single “Texas Hold ‘Em.” Later that month, the song also sat atop the Billboard Hot 100, making Queen Bey the first Black woman to reach No. 1 the chart with a country song.
Beyoncé previously revealed that Cowboy Carter “has been over five years in the making” and was born from an experience at the 2016 Country Music Awards where she “did not feel welcomed.” At the ceremony, she performed a rendition of “Daddy Lessons” with The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks).
“Because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive,” she wrote on Instagram. “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.”
On April 2, Bey received the coveted Innovator Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards, where she highlighted the importance of enjoying music “with no preconceived notions.”
“My hope is that we’re more open to the joy and liberation that comes from enjoying art,” she said on stage, before asking “all the record labels, every radio station, every award show” to embrace “the innovators who have dedicated their lives and their art to creating shifts.”
