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What Beyoncé’s Snub at the CMAs Says About Country Music’s Dangerous Hierarchy

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What Beyoncé’s Snub at the CMAs Says About Country Music’s Dangerous Hierarchy

As a reviewer who has spent years immersed in the rich tapestry of music, I find myself drawn to the powerful narrative woven within Beyoncé’s latest album, “Cowboy Carter.” It’s a tale as old as country music itself – one of exclusion, resistance, and triumph.

If country music is one big happy family, Black women are its bastard daughters. The illegitimate children that will never be recognized. Despite being born of its flesh, carrying the songs and traditions of the nation’s past in its blood, Black women in country have been denied legitimacy by the industry they’re so firmly a part of. Perhaps it’s because there’s a fear that, if the country music industry did truly recognize Black women as the genre’s heirs—to write them down as the rightful descendants of a great American dynasty—it (and everything it stands for) would likely cease to exist.

This apprehension was clearly evident when the Country Music Awards (CMA) nominations were revealed on September 8, failing to include Beyoncé for her work in ‘Cowboy Carter‘. The implication is stark: If country music embodies the musical soul of America, then individuals who are not heterosexual, male, or Caucasian may be deemed illegitimate.

The success of the album paints a unique narrative, undeniably. Ever since its debut, “Cowboy Carter” has been reigning supreme in music, fashion, and politics. Beyoncé made groundbreaking history as the first Black woman to hold the top spot on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart, making her also the inaugural Black woman to lead Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart list. Women in country music, notably Mickey Guyton, saw an uptick in streaming numbers due to the album. There was a surge in searches for “women’s cowboy boots” and Western-style clothing around the time of the album release. Even former First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris took to social media to congratulate Beyoncé on the powerful message conveyed by the album.

For Beyoncé, receiving a Country Music Association (CMA) nomination might symbolize an acceptance or recognition within the realm of country music, which she’s long pursued as a legitimate artist. It’s thought that her groundbreaking performance of “Daddy Lessons” with The Chicks at the 2016 CMA Awards could have been a turning point for Beyoncé in the industry, where she hinted at the mistreatment she experienced during the ceremony. A nomination like this might suggest a change in the family dynamics within country music that has long caused strife in the genre’s history.

Country music operates on a hierarchy composed of race, gender, and class. And the problem is only made worse when—in the face of backlash or critique—country artists, executives, and insiders say the genre is one, big, happy family. A close knit community who protects and cherishes one another. An example of traditional American values.

In simpler terms, Ronald Reagan, while praising country music as uniquely American, was embraced by a large, contented family-like group. This group found solace in his words during a time when they felt disheartened by the social changes of the 1960s and 70s. Notably, Reagan invited some of the most prominent country music stars to the White House in 1983 as a way to connect with this growing segment of society.

Is it really “one big harmonious family” and “purely American” if the most successful figures and decision-makers in this genre are predominantly white and male? As time passes, similar to Reaganomics, power within country music continues to be concentrated. This concentration of power, much like the economic policies you mentioned, has led to a widening gap between the haves and have-nots in the industry. Those with limited resources and opportunities in the field are the ones who suffer most.

As a passionate moviegoer and lover of music, I find myself pondering: What’s next for Black women in country music? Who will stand up for Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts – the Black women showcased on Beyoncé’s rendition of Paul McCartney’s tribute to the Little Rock Nine, “Blackbird”? Will the change that is needed in this industry once again be instigated by these trailblazing Black women, who have voiced their frustrations over the industry’s resistance to change throughout the years, particularly following the release of Cowboy Carter?

It’s fair and justified that they feel disappointed, given that no father worth his salt would look his daughter in the face and deny her inheritance.

Despite the ongoing challenges, there’s still room for celebration and joy. The country music duo, The War and Treaty, composed of a married couple, has been nominated for Vocal Duo of The Year at the CMA Awards. Furthermore, we are just under a month away from the GRAMMY Awards Nominations, where Cowboy Carter might bask in the limelight as well.

Even still, it’s interesting—if a little bittersweet— to imagine what a Cowboy Carter CMA nomination would’ve looked like for Beyoncé and country music as a whole. In that reality, would Beyoncé have succeeded in her quest of legitimacy?  Would a nomination have granted  her a seat at the table? With that seat, would she have saved an extra for the Black women after her— and so on and so on? For Tanner Adell, for Brittney Spencer, for Tiera Kennedy and for Reyna Roberts. For the legacy of Linda Martell. Maybe.

Perhaps its irrelevance has already been established. Regardless of whether country music accepts them, Black women are moving forward unabated. This self-liberation is a rite of passage for each generation, where they break free from the confines of their predecessors’ identities and create their own unique paths.

It’s not necessary for black women to look for approval from systems that treat them unfairly or inhumanely. Instead, they should find validity and legitimacy within themselves, drawing strength from their inherent human dignity.

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2024-09-10 20:06

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