Beyoncé has broken another record; this time in country music with 'Texas Hold 'Em'.
Beyoncé has become the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
The 'Crazy in Love' hitmaker surprised fans when she dropped two new country music songs - 'Texas Hold 'Em' and '16 Carriages' - and she has now made history with the former hit after it debuted at No.1 on the US chart.
A week after they dropped, 'Texas Hold ‘Em' garnered 19.2 million streams and '16 Carriages' earned 10.3 million.
The 42-year-old Grammy winner confirmed plans to release a country-themed album in an advert for Verizon which aired during the Super Bowl VIII on February 11, in which she attempted to break the internet with stunts including a hologram called Beyonc-AI and a film called Barbey before she declared: "OK, they ready. Drop the new music. I told y’all the ‘Renaissance’ is not over."
'Renaissance Act II' - the second part of her planned 'Renaissance' trilogy - will land on March 29.
However, not everyone is pleased with the R'n'B superstar's interpretation of country music, namely, including outspoken '212' hitmaker Azealia Banks, who went as far as accusing Beyoncé's husband, music mogul Jay-Z, of "bullying" her into doing it.
The 32-year-old rapper began her Instagram Stories post: “I love you down, but them R'n'B runs over the Leslie feist back beats is giving Pickmesha.
“Nothing country about it. You’re setting yourself up to be ridiculed again. There’s a theatrical element to country music. Them [country] critics are not just going to accept an ugly blond wig and bullying from Jay-Z. It’s giving big-time musical grift. (sic)"
Referring to country star K. Michelle (aka Puddin), 41, she continued: “Yes, Black girls can make country music, but you’re just really not hitting the button.
“K. Michelle, this is your turn to really execute. It’s no shade, but K. Michelle truly understands the assignment.”
Turns out, Michelle - whose real name is Kimberly Michelle Pate - is fully behind Beyoncé's foray into country.
She posted to X (formerly Twitter): "Y’all been mentioning me all night.
“I’m just happy to be spoken about in my genre. I love Bey and will be supporting her like I always do."
On the same day that Glastonbury welcomed back Margate's adopted sons, The Libertines, Margate itself put on it's very own Leisure Festival as it...
Sheffield's very own all girl group Pretty Fierce are still on a high after the recent release of their debut single - 'Ready For Me'.
Three nights before the end of his current tour Will Varley returned to his home town of Deal to delight a sold out crowd in The Astor Theatre.
With only a few days to go before Portsmouth based songstress and producer WYSE releases her new single, 'Belladonna', we caught up with her to find...
Colorado raised, Glasgow educated and Manchester based Bay Bryan is nothing if not a multi-talented, multi-faceted artist performing as both...
Former Marigolds band member Keelan Cunningham has rediscovered his love of music with his new solo project Keelan X.
Wiltshire singer-songwriter Luke De Sciscio, formally known as Folk Boy, is set to release is latest album - 'The Banquet' via AntiFragile Music on...
Electronic music pioneer and producer Annie Elise says that the release of her first EP - 'Breathe In, Breathe Out' feels "both vulnerable and...
Although this adventure's premise will appeal to children, and the child within us, the film...
Mary Katherine is a regular teenage girl who somehow mysteriously appears in an enchantingly beautiful...
If only they had let Bill Condon direct Chicago instead of just writing the screenplay....
The cameo-driven, "Mission: Impossible 2"-spoofing, movie-within-a-movie, pre-title sequence of "Austin Powers in Goldmember" is the...
In 2003, Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z (a.k.a. Shawn Carter) called it quits after an eight-year career....