Beyoncé has hit a new high with her new country song “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
Although much hay has been made about the single, it debuted in the No. 1 position on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart — which tallies streaming, airplay and sales.
According to Rolling Stone, the former Destiny’s Child frontwoman holds the distinction as “the first Black woman artist ever to top (the chart) in the modern history of country music.”
“16 Carriages,” which also dropped after the premiere of Beyoncé’s Verizon commercial during Super Bowl LVIII — entered the ranking at No. 9.
As buzz builds for the March 29 release of Beyoncé’s country album, “Renaissance: Act II,” scuttlebutt has also ensued.
Two days after “Texas Hold ‘Em” hit streaming platforms, a small Oklahoma radio station came under fire for denying a listener’s request to play Beyoncé’s new song “as they are a country music station.”
According to general manager Roger Harris, KYKC received over 2,000 emails and 1,000 calls from fans of the 32-time Grammy Award record-holder, with some calling the decision racist.
Adding to the fervor, actor John Schneider spoke dismissively about Beyoncé’s effort to do country music, saying it was no different than a dog leaving its scent on the land.
“They’ve got to make their mark,” the 63-year-old former “Dukes of Hazzard” star said during an offbeat appearance on right-wing media station One American News. “Just like a dog in a dog walk park. You know, every dog has to mark every tree, right? So that’s what’s going on here.”
The BeyHive quickly stormed to social media to denounce Schneider’s remarks as “racist and hateful.”
And in an op-ed article for Time magazine, writer Taylor Crumpton posited: “It is time for the institutional oppressive regimes of country music to be removed, and for those who have continued to carry on the legacy of country’s music heart and soul to be seated at the table.”
But Beyoncé’s two new songs aren’t her first foray into country music. Her critically acclaimed 2016 opus, “Lemonade,” spawned the hit single “Daddy Lessons,” which she later performed with the Dixie Chicks at the CMA Awards.
