Beyoncé’s Impact on Black Country Musicians: Breaking Barriers and Shaping the Country Music Scene

TFD – Discover how Beyoncé’s “Act II: Cowboy Carter” album is reshaping the country music scene and empowering Black country musicians.

Some individuals are enthused about country music because of Beyoncé.

The superstar’s “Act II: Cowboy Carter” album is igniting discussion and piqueing interest in Black country musicians in a genre that has long been criticized for its lack of diversity.

While Beyoncé has asserted that her latest effort “ain’t a Country album,” the genre’s influence can’t be denied – from the singer’s recent cowgirl fashion aesthetic, to the Bey-ified cover of Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene,” to the inclusion of Black country artists like Tanner Adell, Willie Jones, Tiera Kennedy, Linda Martell, Reyna Roberts, Brittney Spencer and alt-country artist Shaboozey.

But Queen Bey’s entry into the country music scene could help more people’s careers than just theirs. As they say, “A rising tide lifts all boats,” and here are just a handful of the musicians who might be able to capitalize on the surge of interest currently surrounding Black performers looking to establish themselves in the country music landscape.

BoykinZ

Kelly Clarkson and Shania Twain are already fans of this quartet of singing sisters from the Atlanta suburbs.

The young ladies were treated to a surprise encounter with Twain during an appearance on Clarkson’s daytime chat program last year, after going viral on TikTok for their dynamic dance skills and tight harmonies. Twain seized the chance to ask them to appear with her on stage at the CMT Awards.

In an effort to encourage up-and-coming young female artists—people who might otherwise be marginalized in this day and age—I asked them to perform a short acappella song with me tonight, Twain said to People at the time.

The gang is currently ecstatic about Beyoncé’s new album and the excitement it has generated.

To be honest, I think it’s a really lovely thing,” 22-year-old Kylan Boykin told CNN. “We listened to the album, and we’re just stunned by what she did. Her creativity is on a whole other level and we believe it’s opening doors for artists like ourselves to be just as creative and to do whatever we want in this genre.”

Nytere Boykin, a group member and her 19-year-old sister, said she can see why Beyoncé was clear that “Cowboy Carter” isn’t your typical country record.

“I adore her work. Every music has its own distinct quality and doesn’t belong to just one genre, according to Nytere Boykin.

The two are feeling inspired as they work on their debut album with the help of their sisters, Anale, 21, and Alona, 17.

“Beyoncé accomplished her goals, and it’s incredibly motivating,” Kylan Boykin continued. The idea that you should not hold back or restrict yourself to what other people think you should be doing, regardless of your ethnicity, origin, size, or anything else, strikes a chord with everyone, in my opinion, and that’s fantastic.

RVSHVD

Another Georgian making his way in the country music scene is RVSHVD, pronounced Ra-shad.

His love of country music is evident in songs like “Hit Different,” “For The Streets,” and “Small Town Talk,” which combine hip-hop elements.

The musician, whose real name is Clint Rashad Johnson, told Billboard last year that his career began when he heard Keith Urban’s 2009 smash song “Sweet Thing.”

It wasn’t too horrible, I thought. My father enjoyed a wide variety of music, including gospel, Marvin Gaye, and Luther Vandross. He had me out cleaning vehicles and hauling scraps with him as he performed a variety of other jobs, he added. “When he worked, he would listen to country music.” He tried to get me to listen to country, and I didn’t like it at first.”

He was locked in and on his way after finding musicians like Florida Georgia Line, Darius Rucker, and Luke Bryan.

Along with his wife, Angel Rewis-Johnson, RVSHVD also produces lovely music.

His lighthearted and satirical Christmas tune, “My Tree,” bears her credit as a writer.

Amber Ashlie

Even though Ashlie Amber didn’t win a TV competition designed to help underrepresented country musicians get noticed, she is undoubtedly gaining admirers.

Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves executive produced “My Kind of Country,” an Apple TV+ reality music competition series in which the singer competed last year.

Orville Peck and Jimmie Allen, two black country musicians, were the scouts who were tasked with “hand-picking a roster of exceptional up-and-coming artists and inviting them to the home of country music in Nashville, Tennessee, to showcase their unique sound.”

Even though Micaela Kleinsmith won in the end, Amber, who had been in the business for over ten years and had participated in the 2012 season of “American Idol,” gained greater recognition from the program.

When asked lately about Beyoncé’s potential impact on country music for people of color by the Instagram account Black Country Music, the singer-songwriter remarked, “It’s about damn time.”

She stated, “I think it’s important for people to know that there are incredibly talented Black women who have fought for recognition in the country music industry and who have been in the trenches.” “But it’s a very challenging genre to master.”

She continued by saying that the country music industry is a “close-knit community” that favors “a very specific type of artist.”

“Beyoncé is the type of person who needs no accountability,” Amber remarked. “Beyoncé reigns supreme.” An icon among symbols is she. It took a someone like Beyoncé to ultimately say, “You know what? Naw. This ain’t gonna work for me anymore.’”

The Gentleman from Kentucky

identical twins Derek Campbell and Brandon Campbell are fighting for inclusivity in country music in more ways than one.

It’s taken a while, but we’ve met other creatives and fans that share our vision and do what they can to help realize that and make us feel safe and at home, the brothers, who identify as LGBT, told GLAAD last year.

The song “Whatever You’re Up For” by the Versailles, Kentucky locals was named “the most compelling commercial-country slow jam of the year” by Rolling Stone magazine in 2022.

The brothers are committed to being successful in Nashville.

“Honestly, waking up and going at it being who we are every day is no different than waking up our whole lives being Black and gay in America, so it’s not anything that we aren’t used to,” Derek Campbell told WSMV4 last year. “We simply choose to face it head-on every day, keep riding, and persevere through it.”

Chapel Hart

Although Chapel Hart released “You Can Have Him Jolene” a few years ago, Beyoncé has covered the song “Jolene.”

The trio – made up of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart and cousin Trea Swindle – are independent artists who may be recognizable from their golden buzzer moment and fifth place finish on “America’s Got Talent” in 2022.

The song they originally sang for their audition on that show is a modern take on a classic Parton song, and it was approved by the legendary singer herself.

“@ChapelHartBand, what a fun new take on my song!” In 2022, Parton wrote for X.

Although these women, who are from Louisiana and Mississippi, are aware of the difficulties faced by musicians of color, they insist that their main objective is to create music they enjoy.

“We’re just country artists, and it wasn’t until later people were saying you’re breaking barriers, and we didn’t realize that was a thing, because our focus is the music” Swindle recently told News Channel 5 Nashville.