BEYONCE’S Cowboy Carter continues to make history as she has become the first African-American woman to hit No 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.
Released on March 29, Beyonce’s eighth solo studio album also topped the Billboard 200, Americana/Folk Albums, and Top Album Sales charts, with sales of 407,000 equivalent album units in its first week of chart eligibility.
Appearances on the album included other country singers such as Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, modern country crossover stars such as Miley Cyrus and Post Malone, and upcoming Black country artistes. Cowboy Carter has been met with praise and naturally, criticism.
“I’ve caught wind of some negativity over the release of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, her new country album,” Carlene Carter, daughter of country music scions June Carter and Johnny Cash, said in a statement upon the album’s release.
“As a Carter Girl myself and coming from a long line of Carter Girls, I’m moved to ask why anyone would treat a Carter this way? She is an incredibly talented and creative woman who obviously wanted to do this because she likes country music. In my book, she’s one of us Carter women and we have always pushed the boundaries by trying whatever music we felt in our hearts and taking spirit-driven risks.”
However, the polarising reaction did not undermine how the album has been a commercial hit. Prior to topping the Country Album chart, the lead single Texas Hold ‘Em went straight to No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Songs chart, another historic first for an African-American woman.
