Defending Beyoncé's country era... color me shocked. Of course, Beyoncé was a big winner at Sunday nights Grammy Awards, taking home the coveted "Album of the Year" award for Cowboy Carter, in addition to the head-scratching "Country Album of the Year" and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for her song “II Most Wanted” with Miley Cyrus. It caused a stir online with many country fans upset by the fact that Bey, very much a pop artist, was able to win in some of the biggest country categories. I honestly think it's weird how upset people still get about an awards show, even one that's supposed to be prestigious like the Grammys. In the grand scheme of music fandom, they are pretty meaningless... no matter who wins them. Sure, everyone wants their favorites to win, but does it really change any of your own listening habits? No... Anyways, Beyoncé and some of the more established country institutions have a dicey history at best, and the best example I can give you was the reaction by fans, and other artists, to her performance with The Chicks at the 2016 CMA Awards… since then, they’ve pretty much been at odds, and she was left out of CMA nominations this year since voters thought her explicit “this is not a country album” was more or less of a disqualifier. But at least one woman in country (well, I think she's still country, she's gone back and forth on whether she's actually leaving the genre), Maren Morris, spoke with Billboard and referenced that CMA performance specifically. She also explained that "the right people" have let her in, and it shouldn't matter what categories Beyoncé explores because she's "peerless": "I think the right people have let her in, for sure. I think that it's, especially the Beyoncé bowl performance, I mean, I was thinking about the CMA performance she did with The Chicks back in 2016 and I was like, those are unmatched performances to me. Like, they are just he highest level of performance, talent, songwriting, vocals... it's crazy that anyone would have a critique. It's like, this woman just constantly raises the bar. I don't know what to say, I am so inspired, have taken so much inspiration from her with my own music and performances. She's not a peer, she doesn't have peers." I mean, I actually like Beyoncé and a lot of her music (way more than any of Maren's), but I don't know about "peerless." But then again, I think Maren kind of hates country or a lot of the people in it, so her opinion feels a little vapid. She also has an uncanny ability to talk a lot without really saying anything... @billboard @marenmorris says Beyoncé is peerless ✨ She caught up with Billboard at the #GoldenGlobes to chat about her nomination, #BeyonceBowl and more. #beyonce #countrymusic #country #billboard #interview ♬ original sound - billboard Maren is just such an authority on the genre that she left... where would we all be without her clearing that up for us. Thanks Maren... To Beyonce's credit, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight after the show, she told a reporter that she was “honored” to win so many big awards tonight, in addition to being able to spotlight artists like Rhiannon Giddens, who played banjo on Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé also said one of her goals in released the album was to bring back some of the history of black artists who have greatly influenced country music over the decades, and she felt “so seen” by the country community tonight: “It’s very surreal, and it’s been 25 years of just working really hard, and trying my best to keep growing, keep opening up doors, so I’m just very honored. Very honored. and happy that my daughter got to see that… she’s taller than me! I don’t like it at all. But I’m so happy that she was here, and Rumi who’s on the album, my youngest daughter, she was watching and I forgot to thank her, so I get to thank her now. Thank you Rumi. Well, the banjo has a deep history and I just feel honored to reintroduce some of that history that I think has been lost, and very very honored that I got the response and the open heart, and people welcomed the album. The love I got from the country community tonight really made me feel so seen and I’m very grateful.”' I don't think Beyoncé will stick around country beyond this album cycle and tour, but we'll see... knowing she could sweep the Grammys again might invoke a Cowboy Carter 2.0. BEYONCÉ ALBUM OF THE YEAR ACCEPTANCE SPEECH #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/GnbS5Enfrz — sodi ?️‍? (@actuallysodium) February 3, 2025