Beyoncé talks about Cowboy Carter's impact and being motivated by Shaboozey

Beyoncé is currently celebrating the success of her latest album, Cowboy Carter. The songstress shared a statement with The Hollywood Reporter on June 20, 2024, shedding light on the album's impact and praising her fellow collaborators. She stated:

"When you are breaking down barriers, not everyone is ready and open for a shift. But when I see Shaboozey tearing the charts up and all the beautiful female country singers flying to new heights, inspiring the world, that is exactly what motivates me."

Cowboy Carter is the eighth studio album by Beyoncé. It dropped in March 2024 and has since gained critical and commercial acclaim. The Americana and Country-themed project is the second of a planned trilogy, the first being Renaissance (2022). It features several lesser-known black country artists like Tiara Kennedy, Brittney Spencer, and Shaboozey.

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"Music industry gatekeepers are not happy about the idea of bending genres" — Beyoncé on Cowboy Carter's impact

Cowboy Carter reigned across the global music charts, including the Billboard 200. It also became the first album by a black woman to achieve the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums. It's co-lead single, Texas Hold 'Em, topped the Hot 100 list, making it the first country song by a black woman to do so in history.

Talking to the Hollywood Reporter about the significance of the achievement, Beyoncé stated she was "grateful and humble." She explained that the album has "done something interesting in country," elaborating that it has "broken apart (things) in country music."

Asserting that she doesn't think "we’ll ever go back completely to how black country was perceived before this," Beyoncé added:

"I’m honored to introduce so many people to the roots of so many genres. I’m so thrilled that my fans trusted me. The music industry gatekeepers are not happy about the idea of bending genres, especially coming from a Black artist and definitely not a woman."

Cowboy Carter not only won allocades for the former Destiny's Child member, but also pushed the careers of several newcomers, including Spencer, Kennedy, and Shaboozey. With this album, they who got their first-ever placements on the Billboard charts.

Shaboozey appeared on the album's Sweet Honey Buckin and Spaghetti tracks. Two weeks after their release, he dropped his country-rap song titled A Bar Song (Typsy), which topped the Billboard country chart. This was the first time in the chart's 80-year history that two consecutive black artists held the top spot.

The song served as the fourth single for his third album, Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going. It was released in May and stood at No. 5 on the pop charts. In the same conversation with Hollywood Reporter on June 20, Shaboozey expressed his gratitude to Beyoncé for "put(ting) a light on him)" and helping him "roll out."

Calling the Halo singer an "influential (and a) historic figure," he added:

"It’s cool to see how far country music has reached since Beyoncé did her project. It’s cool to see the music reach all over the world."

Meanwhile, singer Stevie Wonder also praised the album Cowboy Carter and called it a "masterpiece," while presenting Beyoncé with an iHeartRadio Innovator Award (2024). Wonder had collaborated with her on this project and remarked that she was "changing music and culture." He added that he could listen to her for the rest of his life.

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Cowboy Carter is available to stream on Spotify and Amazon Music.