We should be asking why the CMAs believe distance from Beyoncé is good business for them when she has proven to be excellent business for everyone else
People have been talking about Beyoncé’s apparent snub for Cowboy Carter ever since the 2024 CMA Awards’ nominees were announced. While Beyoncé herself has said nothing about it, country music stars have weighed in on the lack of nominations for Beyoncé at this year’s awards ceremony by directing their comments at Beyoncé. This seems to miss the point of her entire album.
Cowboy Carter was born out of a feeling of exclusion. Beyoncé already knew she wasn’t welcomed at the CMAs or in the genre of country music at all. She took that frustration and turned it into a history lesson for the predominantly White stars who dominate the genre today. Cowboy Carter was a celebration and an ode to the origins of country music which are, like most genres of commercial music, heavily influenced by Black musicians.
The fact that Luke Bryan thinks Beyoncé should go “high five [them]” and “get in the family” in order to earn a nomination is, frankly, silly. Beyoncé does not owe anybody, especially those who made her feel excluded, niceties and assimilation to be respected. The point is country music tried to exclude her, and she reclaimed it for herself and all Black people before and after her. Her samples, features, and references were all quite intentional.
There are plenty of articles that outline the significance of references like Linda Martell, the inclusion of scholar and musician Rhiannon Giddens, and the introduction of emerging Black country artists like Tanner Adell. Regardless of your personal affinity for her music, there is no denying that Beyoncé’s work is carefully researched and crafted to tell a story. The story of Cowboy Carter was that nobody can keep Beyoncé from something that was always hers.
The truth is, the CMA Awards missed out on growing their viewership and the fanbase of country music, generally. Notice the rise of Shaboozey after being featured on her album, or the soaring stock price of Levi’s after “LEVII’S JEANS” came out and once more when she announced her collaboration with the brand. If you’re looking to make a good business decision, Beyoncé is simply good business.
I would argue that the CMAs, instead, invested in White supremacy culture. Morgan Wallen, who came under very brief fire for using a racial slur, was the most nominated artist at this year’s CMA Awards. Among his seven nominations is one for Entertainer of the Year. Wallen apologized and insisted he’s not a racist, and he has taken strides to prove this through philanthropic endeavors. Nonetheless, the use of a racial slur would have derailed most other people’s careers. Instead, the controversy surrounding the country star seems to have accelerated his rise. This, in my view, is less a reflection of Wallen or his talent and more a reflection of the values of the average country music fan and those with power and influence in the genre.
Instead of talking about the caliber of Beyoncé’s album, her willingness to play whatever game they want her to play, or any other conversation that places her at the center of this issue, we should be talking about why the CMA Awards is committed to her exclusion from country music. We should be asking why the CMAs believe distance from Beyoncé is good business for them when she has proven to be excellent business for everyone else. We should be curious why Luke Bryan thinks Beyoncé has any interest in giving him a high five because … be for real.
Beyoncé is not worried about the CMA Awards. She said it pretty plainly herself before the release of Cowboy Carter: “This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.” Let’s have the conversation she wanted us to have when she made the album. The erasure of Blackness from country music was and is deliberate, and Black artists shouldn’t have to seek admission to a genre that was always theirs.