In November 2016, at the 50th annual Country Music Association Awards, Beyoncé performed “Daddy Lessons,” marking her first explicit venture into country music. The performance, accompanied by The Chicks and a full band, celebrated Beyoncé's Southern roots from Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas. However, the performance faced swift and racist backlash, with some audience members showing disapproval and the Recording Academy later rejecting the song as a country entry for the Grammys.
Beyoncé's response to these snubs came in the form of her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, which challenges traditional genre boundaries. The album, recorded before her 2022 release Renaissance, delves into country music with collaborations from both established and emerging artists in the genre.
