Luke Bryan has offered a measured take on why Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album hasn’t resonated with country music critics in terms of award show honors.
The country singer-songwriter, 48, was asked in an appearance on Andy Cohen Live on SiriusXM Monday about the superstar musical artist, 43, not receiving a single nomination from the Country Music Association Awards. (She also went winless amid 12 nominations at the People’s Choice Country Awards last week.)
The Leesburg, Georgia native responded, ‘It’s a tricky question because, obviously, Beyoncé made a country album and Beyoncé has a lot of fans out there that have her back. And if she doesn’t get something they want, man, they come at you, as fans should do.’
Bryan, who is father to two children with his wife Caroline, 44 – sons Bo, 16, and Tate, 14 – conceded that ‘a lot of great music is overlooked’ amid the selection process.
The Knockin’ Boots vocalist said he’s ‘all for everybody coming in and making country albums and all that,’ adding that venturing into a new genre does not guarantee any critical acclaim.
Luke Bryan, 48, has offered a measured take on why Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter hasn’t resonated with country music critics, after it did not receiving a single nomination from the Country Music Association Awards. Pictured Monday in NYC
Beyoncé, 43, did not receiving a single nomination from the Country Music Association Awards. Pictured at the iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre in LA on April 1
‘Just because she made one … just ’cause I make one, I don’t get any nominations,’ Bryan said.
Bryan suggested Beyoncé might not have networked enough in her foray into the new genre.
‘Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album – nobody’s mad about it – but where things get a little tricky – if you’re gonna make country albums, come into our world and be country with us a little bit,’ Bryan said.
He added that Beyoncé is ‘probably the biggest star in music’ and ‘can do exactly what she wants to … but come to an award show and high-five us and have fun and get in the family too.
‘And I’m not saying she didn’t do that… but country music is a lot about family.’
Beyoncé’s history with the CMAs prior to the nominations being announced to controversy earlier this month included a 2016 collaboration with The Chicks of the track Daddy Lessons, which garnered a number of racist reactions online.
Beyoncé on March 19 said in an Instagram post that that her country album ‘was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t.’
She added, ‘But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive.
Bryan spoke about the issue appearing on Andy Cohen Live on SiriusXM Monday
Bryan suggested Beyoncé might not have networked enough in her foray into the new genre
Beyoncé, pictured earlier this year in LA, released Cowboy Carter on March 29
‘It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.’
Beyoncé’s father Mathew Knowles told TMZ on September 9 that the CMAs snubbing of his daughter’s record, released March 29, ‘speaks for itself.’
He added: ‘There’s more white people in America and unfortunately they don’t vote based on ability and achievements; it’s still sometimes a white and Black thing.’
Knowles noted that amid the ‘current state of American culture … there’s no accountability for people not being accepting of other cultures.’
Bryan spoke out about Beyoncé’s foray into country days before news broke that she has submit her album Cowboy Carter to the Grammy Awards in the country category, sources told The Hollywood Reporter Wednesday.
The Texas Hold ‘Em singer had previously submit her 2016 track Daddy Lessons from her hit album Lemonade for contention in country categories, but it was not nominated.
Beyoncé, who has won 32 Grammy Awards over 88 career nominations, has never received a country nomination. She showed her crossover appeal in 2017, when Lemonade was nominated for honors in four genres – rock, rap, R&B and pop.
The Recording Academy utilizes the services of around ‘350 volunteer music industry experts’ to lend their opinions on how content should be classified, THR reported, with complications coming at times when material is reflective of multiple genres.
Beyoncé’s history with the CMAs prior to the nominations being announced to controversy earlier this month included a 2016 collaboration with The Chicks of the track Daddy Lessons, which garnered a number of racist reactions online
Beyoncé and daughter Blue Ivy Carter, 12, were pictured at the Grammys in LA in February
Last year, industry experts were divided on how her album Renaissance would be classified, ultimately putting it in the dance category, where it emerged victorious.
Reactions to the forthcoming awards season submission from Beyoncé were divided from fans, as some thought the singer had made the year’s best country album, and some didn’t.
A user declared, ‘Queen Bey takes Nashville! Beyoncé for the country win!’ while another predicted, ‘Beyonce will be the winner mark my words.’
One user said, ‘Kinda need her to win this one off principle. Genre is about bending. Yes, it’s country… but it’s also a testament to the long line of inspiration that country has enveloped. It’s not about Beyoncé, it’s about rewarding artistry without boundary.’
Another said, ‘Great News! I’m so happy for her! Hope she brings home the win for this amazing album!’
One user predicted, ‘They’re going to snub her 100% this will be Beyoncé’s least Grammy award winning project if it wins any at all.’
People who didn’t feel the album belonged the honors included one person who said Cowboy Carter was ‘not a country album – it’s just cosplaying as one.’
Another said ‘Jay-Z buying them awards as usual,’ adding, ‘We all know he can’t buy the REAL CMA.’
Reactions to the forthcoming awards season submission from Beyoncé were divided from fans, as some thought the singer had made the year’s best country album
Others were more skeptical about the record and its chances at Grammy gold
Dolly Parton last month came to the defense of the Country Music Association after it received flak for omitting Beyoncé as a nominee.
The 78-year-old music legend spoke with Variety in a September 17 interview published in which she was asked about the surprising development involving the superstar artist.
Parton said she thought that Cowboy Carter ‘was a wonderful album’ that Beyoncé ‘can be very, very proud of.’
‘Well, you never know,’ the Pittman Center, Tennessee-born icon told the outlet. ‘There’s so many wonderful country artists that, I guess probably the country music field, they probably thought, well, we can’t really leave out some of the ones that spend their whole life doing that.’
The Jolene artist continued, ‘But I didn’t even realize that until somebody asked me that question.’
The 9 to 5 singer added that she thinks ‘everybody in country music welcomed her and thought that, that was good;’ and that she didn’t feel Beyoncé was intentionally snubbed for her foray into the country genre.
‘I don’t think it was a matter of shutting out, like doing that on purpose,’ Parton said. ‘I think it was just more of what the country charts and the country artists were doing, that do that all the time, not just a specialty album.’
Parton continued, ‘I’ve been fortunate enough to be on both those albums. Well, Jolene was in Beyoncé’s, and I thought that was a great album.’
Dolly Parton last month to the defense of the Country Music Association after it received flak for omitting Beyoncé from nominations for any honors this year for her country album Cowboy Carter. Pictured in England in 2014
The Islands in the Stream artist cited Beyoncé’s background, saying, ‘She’s a country girl in Texas and Louisiana, so she grew up with that base. It wasn’t like she just appeared out of nowhere.’
Parton said she was ‘open to anything’ in terms of a potential collaboration with Beyoncé.
The CMAs air on November 20, 2024 at 8/7c.
The Grammy Awards are set to be held Sunday, February 2, 2025 in Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena and broadcast on CBS and streamed live on Paramount+. Nominations are slated to be announced November 8, 2024.
