The American singer set a new record by becoming the first black female artist to put a song, “Texas Hold ‘Em”, at the top of the Hot Country Songs of “Billboard” magazine, the reference ranking for country music.
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Queen Bey has just made country music history and was praised by genre icon Dolly Parton. With “Texas Hold ‘Em”, title unveiled on February 11 during the Super Bowl, Beyoncé became the first black singer to rank a single at the top of the magazine’s Hot Country Songs Billboard, who announced it on February 20 (link in English). The other single 16 Carriages, released at the same time, ranked 9th.
“Before the triumph of Texas Hold ‘Em, no black women, or known to be (mixed race)had topped the Hot Country Songs chart”, noted Billboard. “Beyoncé makes history as the first woman to top the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts since those lists were created in October 1958, as (these) genres”, continues the American specialist magazine.
“I’m a huge fan of Beyoncé and I’m very happy that she made a country music album”wrote country music icon Dolly Parton on social media. “Congratulations on your number one single on the Billboard Hot Country. I can’t wait to listen to the full album!”
Beyoncé’s performance sounds like a great revenge. Black artists found themselves “marginalized” in country music, recalled the Recording Academy (which organizes the Grammy Awards), while the roots of the genre “found in the hands of black slaves who played banjos and sharecroppers who performed minstrel shows”. A banjo that can be heard clearly in Texas Hold ‘Em.
A week after his record at the top of Hot Country Songs, Texas Hold ‘Em just rose at first place on the Billboard Hot 100, a weekly ranking of the best-selling and most popular songs in the United States. This is the ninth time that she has achieved the feat of installing one of her titles and the first since Break My Soul in 2022, underlines Billboard (link in English).
Texas Hold ‘Em And 16 Carriages are extracts from Beyoncé’s next album, Renaissance Act II, expected on March 29.