“This ain’t a country album. It’s a Beyoncé album,” Beyoncé said in March 2024. So why did “Cowboy Carter” win Country Album of the Year at this year’s 2025 Grammys?
As an avid listener of country music, Beyoncé has not been on my list as a country artist. When I think of Beyoncé, I think of 2008 where she was in the pop genre releasing songs like “Halo” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”
“Cowboy Carter” fell to the #50 spot on the charts in 13 weeks and out of the Billboard 200 in 28 weeks. After her successful debut of “Lemonade” in 2016, this album didn’t reach the same level of popularity. Songs like “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” and “16 CARRIAGES” were initially listed as pop tracks then later sent to country radio after the album was released.
These tracks did chart significantly as “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” ended up at the #1 spot on the Billboard Top 100 and was in the Billboard Top 10 Country Albums. However, Billboard made a significant change to their genre and chart methods. The Hot R&B/Hip Hop songs as well as the Hot Country songs charts take all their data from the regular Hot 100. Meaning that any song on the Hot 100 can get placed on the Hot Country chart. This doesn’t accurately represent the country charts.
This isn’t to say that “Cowboy Carter” doesn’t have country elements to it. Beyoncé featured Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and rising country star Shaboozey. Her cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” is arguably country, given the original track. But, there is a lack of country music feel throughout Beyoncé’s original songs and the rest of the album.
The song “SPAGHETTII” includes elements of bass and rap and the only thing that ties the song to country roots is the lyrics. The entire song sounds like an R&B or pop song, which are the genres she normally sings. Other tracks off of the album such as “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” include the banjo twang, a typical country staple; however, the lyrics, emotional depth and raw authenticity that is a part of country music seems to be lacking.
Clearly, Beyoncé didn’t want to be held down by genres, so why is “Cowboy Carter” allowed to win Best Country Album if it didn’t start out as country music? And Beyoncé has said, “I believe genres are traps that box us in and separate us.”
Other country artists who have been a part of the genre for a while such as Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves, were also nominated for the category. Post Malone was also one of the nominees, but the difference between Post Malone and Beyonce’s albums is that his “F-1 Trillion” album includes 15 songs with well-known country artists featured.
The performance and what gets attached to the charts isn’t always synonymous with quality. Beyoncé’s success wasn’t linked with country when she first gained attention. She started off in the pop and R&B genres. While it’s understandable that country fans may not be in Beyoncé’s core audience, her influence and popularity takes her far. When measured against the authenticity and sound of the genre’s other contributors, it feels like an injustice for it to be recognized as Country Album of the Year.
Tony Le Calvez 
Tessa Balc 
Abbey Wicks