Beyoncé’s country song played after Oklahoma radio station backlash - will others follow?
Beyonce leaves the Luar fashion show at 154 Scott in Brooklyn during New York Fashion Week on February 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)
Beyoncé’s country music is dividing country music fans across the nation.
Her two new songs, "Texas Hold ‘Em" and "16 Carriages," which were released during the Super Bowl, have already seen streaming numbers in the millions, and are topping daily music playlist charts on streaming services such as Spotify and iTunes.
But country radio stations have been slow to include the Houston native to their lineup.
One, in particular, made headlines this week after a tweet went viral that alleged to show a radio station in Oklahoma denying to play Beyoncé’s "Texas Hold ‘Em" because "(they) are a country music station."
FOX Television Stations has emailed KYKC in Oklahoma in attempts to verify the screenshot.
The station quickly received backlash on social media and tweeted a photo several hours later that showed the song in its lineup.
"Lots of call (sic) coming in for Beyoncé’s Texas Hold ‘Em. It’s coming up in minutes," the tweet read.
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Country music radio
KYKC isn’t the only radio station with a seemingly slowed response to give attention to Beyoncé’s country music.
"In the two songs’ first 24-plus hours of release (from Sunday night through the end of Monday), eight reporters to Billboard’s Country Airplay chart played "Texas Hold ‘Em," and only one, KBAY San Francisco, played it more than once (two spins), for a total of nine early plays at the format," Billboard reported according to Mediabase data.
Moreso, no stations on the country chart’s panel, which is said to include nearly 150 stations, reportedly played "16 Carriages" in that span.
"Overall, "Texas Hold ‘Em" received over 200 all-format plays, largely on pop radio, in that stretch, while "16 Carriages" drew just a handful of plays. Neither song registered enough plays through Monday to appear on Billboard’s building 60-position Country Airplay chart," Billboard stated.
Several components reportedly factor into a song making the Billboard Hot 100, including song sales, online streams and, in this case, the elusive radio play.
FOX Television Stations has reached out to iHeart Radio and Cumulus for their decisions to play her music on country stations.
Gaining play?
Billboard reported that on Feb. 13, Columbia officially served "Texas Hold ‘Em" to country radio.
Country radio has traditionally been reluctant to play songs that aren’t serviced to them or then actively promoted by the label, according to Billboard.
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Beyoncé’s country album
Fans have been speculating for years that Beyoncé would do a country album, and the speculation grew in the days leading up to her drop when she showed up at the Grammys in a cowboy hat.
Prior to the new drop, Beyoncé has released one other country song, "Daddy Lessons," on her Lemonade album. She performed it with The Dixie Chicks (now The Chicks) at the CMA Awards in 2016.
Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, posted on Instagram that she’s been loving one of the new country records "for years." And eagle-eared fans think the lyrics of "16 Carriages" suggest Beyoncé recorded the song about four or five years ago, as she sings "It’s been 38 summers." She’s currently 42.
The album is set to be released on March 29 and is officially the second act of her Renaissance project.
The first act was her seventh studio album, "Renaissance," which garnered a world tour and concert film.
The superstar has previously stated that Renaissance will be a three-part act, and it’s been unclear until now what would be coming next in the trifecta.
This story was reported from Detroit.