“Part of a beautiful American tradition”: A music theory expert explains the country roots of Beyoncé’s Texas Hold ‘Em, and why it also owes a debt to the blues

I’m the kind of insufferable hipster who doesn’t watch the Super Bowl, so I missed the announcement of Beyoncé’s two new country-flavored singles, which precede Cowboy Carter, a new album to be released March 29th. 

16 Carriages features two different pedal steel players, but the really bold step into country music aesthetics is Texas Hold ‘Em. The song is named after a card game, a version of poker. Beyoncé is famously from Houston.