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Beyonce Country Project

Country music was founded on rhythm-and-blues, a musical style that originated within African-American communities in the 1940s.

Beyonce's record is an homage to that so I would not expect to hear anything more contemporary-sounding from the rest of the album. It will be inspired by the roots of American music -- R&B, gospel, early and mid-century country, maybe even rock & roll.
All popular music originated from rhythm and blues.
 
Country music was founded on rhythm-and-blues, a musical style that originated within African-American communities in the 1940s.

Beyonce's record is an homage to that so I would not expect to hear anything more contemporary-sounding from the rest of the album. It will be inspired by the roots of American music -- R&B, gospel, early and mid-century country, maybe even rock & roll.
That would be more than fine with me. There's much more R&B (and just plain blues) in the non-single "16 Carriages" than in "Texas Hold 'Em." If she can draw from the gospel, rock 'n' roll and early country genres in the album, it will be a real relief. Much better that than a full album of poppy dance novelties.
 
But I can't think of one Black female Country artist that has had more than middling success in the genre, particularly in terms of radio airplay.
Some of this is culture. How many White true soul and r&b artists are there. Music reflects culture, and different groups have their own way of expressing their feelings musically.

I don't see too many Black people singing tangos in Argentina either.
 
Country music was founded on rhythm-and-blues, a musical style that originated within African-American communities in the 1940s.
And then what were the singers on the Grand Ole Opry and all the Hayride and Barn Dance programs broadcasting live in the 20's and 30's?.

You might want to watch the Ken Burns "Country Music" documentary film.

Or this Country Music Timeline | Articles and Essays | Dolly Parton and the Roots of Country Music | Digital Collections | Library of Congress
 
I mentioned Rhiannon Giddens. Black people were playing banjos before white people.
Correct. The banjo originated in Africa. The drum may have, too, but it's more likely that humans of all races were striking solid objects with sticks or their hands far back in prehistory, either to communicate or to entertain.
 
Country music was founded on rhythm-and-blues, a musical style that originated within African-American communities in the 1940s.

The quote you may be thinking about is from musicologist John Grissim: Country music is white man's blues.

Not R&B. That was a very different genre from the straight natural blues that goes back to Robert Johnson.

What Beyonce draws on is a combination of Texas swing and gospel music. Appalachian country draws a lot on gospel.
 
Don't forget the British and Irish influences on folk and country music, as well as the eastern European/Jewish components of show tunes.
There is a big Country music scene in Ireland. The previously-mentioned song "Wagon Wheel" was covered by Irish country singer Nathan Carter just before Darius Rucker released his version of it.
 
How is country radio responding to the Beyonce song? RadioInk has asked a few PDs:

Too bad all but one of those PDs have their comments stashed away behind a paywall. I noticed, though, that the PD quoted in the free portion of the article was not named nor was his market revealed. I wonder if the other PDs contacted for their views on what's looking like a hot-button issue spoke only on the condition of anonymity -- perhaps fearing backlash if they indicated their station was holding off on or wouldn't consider playing that song.
 
There are no secrets in the music a radio station plays. Everyone can see the playlists on the internet.

We know who plays what and how often.
Can they, though?

Some stations will limit you to three songs or so.

So unless you're constantly going back to the list, that's not very useful.
 
Can they, though?

Some stations will limit you to three songs or so.

So unless you're constantly going back to the list, that's not very useful.
BigA is not talking about those little "last songs played" displays on station websites. There are other sources that give us expanded data.
 
She is the first Black woman to hit #1 on the country chart since it was created in 1958 and the first to hit #1 on the country and R&B charts.

Keep in mind the chart has changed its methodology several times since 1958. Also, as I said earlier, the fact that this song has been released cross-genre is affecting its numbers on the Hot Country Chart. The fact that it's #1 on that chart isn't reflective of country music listeners. The spins by non-country fans are affecting the numbers in the country chart.
 
Keep in mind the chart has changed its methodology several times since 1958. Also, as I said earlier, the fact that this song has been released cross-genre is affecting its numbers on the Hot Country Chart. The fact that it's #1 on that chart isn't reflective of country music listeners. The spins by non-country fans are affecting the numbers in the country chart.
Didn't the Pointer Sisters hit the country chart with a one-off country single in the '70s?
 
Didn't the Pointer Sisters hit the country chart with a one-off country single in the '70s?

I pulled out my Joel Whitburn, and yes they peaked at #37 on 10/5/74 with a song called Fairytale. TBH I never heard of this song. I know Slow Hand, which they recorded, was also a hit for Conway Twitty. But that's it.

Fairytale peaked at #13 on the Hot 100 and #13 on AC charts. But how it charted country is beyond me.
 


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