Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Now that she broke the internet again, Beyonce is turning toward a more old-fashioned format: the airwaves.
Her singleTexas Hold Em,off her upcoming albumRenaissance Act II, enteredBillboards Country Airplay chart at No.
But thats where the challenge begins not for Beyonce as much as country music itself.
Country radio remains one of the most exclusive institutions in music.
Once youre in, climbing the charts is an even bigger challenge.
This is a struggle for any artist, but especially one who doesnt look like other country stars.
The peak slot for a Black woman at country radio is still only No.
22, which Linda Martell hit with her timeless take on Color Him Father in 1969.
By charting at all, Beyonce has already made it farther than forebears like Ray Charles and Tina Turner.
Not that Beyonce needs country radio in the first place.
Forthe moment, its country radio that seems to want Beyonce.
The question is for how long.
(Even Guytons 2021 debut album, nominated for three Grammys, couldnt break in.)
Will Beyonce be hurt by outdated ideas around how often a station can play a song by a woman?
