I was never a big Beyoncé fan. It seemed to lack something and didn’t speak to me at all. But the first time I heard her new country song Texas Hold ‘Em, I loved it. It’s catchy as hell. Music is like food; it’s subjective. Often, it’s hard to pinpoint why I like a certain song. The term je ne sais quoi definitely applies. I knew that this was going to be one of those pivots by an artist that would cause a lot of ripples. Unlike Dolly Parton, who released a phenomenal rock album last year, Beyoncé is a more controversial figure. If Hardy is a country musician, then Beyoncé is too. Tom MacDonald is another artist who is breaking the definitions of mainstream. I’m a fan of fusion and the evolution of all types of genres. Beyoncé’s pivot to country music is pure genius. People can argue about whether they like the song because that’s based on taste. But you can’t make the argument that it’s not country music. At least not without having to take a deep look at the origins of a couple of different genres. It is fun to watch country music stations and fans wrestle with their objections to her throwing a banjo-influenced javelin right down the middle of country music.

PS Even Prince’s “Purple Rain” was originally written as a country-infused song that was to be sung with Stevie Nicks as a duet.
X
.