Beyoncé & Country Music’s Big Night at the Grammys
On February 2, 2025, Beyoncé had one of the most historic moments of her career as she won the Grammy award for Best Country Album for her album Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé became the first Black artist to win this award, which many consider a turning point for a genre that has historically turned away artists of color. However, country music fans, particularly fans who live in rural areas, are less impressed than those who are reporting on this historic win.
Argyle, Wisconsin, is a rural town in Lafayette County. The town’s population is just below 800 people, and many of these people live on or near a farm. Many country songs tend to boast about the perks of living a rural lifestyle, something that the residents of Argyle know a lot about. When talking to a few Argyle residents about Beyoncé’s win, I was met with shaking heads and answers of disappointment. It was immediately clear to me how rural people felt about Beyoncé’s win.
Claire Mathys, a 20-year-old college student whose hometown is Argyle, discussed her disinterest in Beyoncé winning this category. Mathys acknowledged that she already had a negative bias toward Beyoncé, but she also expressed that there were other options in the category that she would have rather seen as the winner, specifically Chris Stapleton. Mathys explained her reasoning further by stating, “It kind of seems like giving the ‘best fruit award’ to a tomato – yes, it’s technically a fruit by definition, but what about strawberries?” She expressed how Beyoncé’s attempt at country music felt disingenuous because of the superstar power that Beyoncé has, compared to the mostly blue-collar approach to country music from other artists. Another country music fan from Argyle, Cole Makos, was more blunt, stating that Cowboy Carter is not a country album and that country music audiences did not want Beyoncé to win this award. Rather, he believed that the Grammys felt pressured to give Beyoncé this award. Makos also added that Shaboozey, another Black artist in country music who had a monumental year in 2024, may have more influence on aspiring Black artists than Beyoncé does; he admitted, though, that country music will likely not change its unspoken viewpoints surrounding Black artists given the history of the genre, even though he does believe that diversity is necessary in country music.
However, not all rural Wisconsin music fans are upset about Beyoncé’s win. Jaylyn Makos of Janesville is a big Beyoncé fan, even though she admitted that she was not a particular fan of Cowboy Carter. She stated that she is a fan of country music, but did not particularly enjoy Beyoncé’s venture into country music because it did not sound like the Beyoncé she is used to. Nonetheless, Makos was still fine with Beyoncé winning the Best Country Album category because of the ever-changing state of the genre. She noted how some country songs were even nominated in pop music categories. Additionally, Makos was excited about a Black artist winning the category, pointing out how white R&B artists rappers like Jelly Roll and Post Malone are succeeding in country music today. She finished by stating how much of an inspiration it was to see Beyoncé win this award category, noting how an artist should feel comfortable stepping out of their comfort zone to make the music they want to make.
To many, country music still represents the lifestyle of a rural American, perhaps a farmer, hunter, or fisherman. However, country music has gradually changed over the years, and a lot of country music that is being made today does not focus on stereotypical country themes. Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter stirred up controversy for not being “country” enough, which is a conversation that is equally important to both sides of the argument. Regardless, Beyoncé’s foray into country music has been objectively successful, but its subjective value can only be determined by those who choose to indulge in the fine details of such a conversation.
The comment made by Claire was so accurate in comparing Beyonce’s win. In terms of the accuracy of this post, I did notice anything out of place. Grammar style was easy to read, and organization was well thought out. Overall, a great post, as I did not notice anything weaknesses in your post.
Keep rocking it!