As Beyoncé releases her lasso in the midst of the musical desert, where tumbleweeds dance to the hottest songs and critics gather like coyotes around a bonfire. Their pens are ready for a fight. 

Ever since the 32-time Grammy Award winner released “Texas Hold ‘Em’ and Cowboy Carter, the internet has been all over it. Beyoncé’s record-breaking single song has broken down barriers in the genre, making her the first Black woman to reach the top of Billboard’s country music chart. 

Despite the success of Beyonce’s take on the country genre, after an online campaign, some country radio stations felt pressured to rethink playing her new songs, while others were hesitant to begin with. Is the music the only target of the criticism, or is Beyoncé’s superstar status a contributing factor?

Critics are trying to pull Beyonce apart with their criticisms of her new songs and since the album’s debut, these guys have been invested in proving how “horrible” the album is. “Texas Hold ‘Em” upset some die-hard country fans to the point where an Oklahoma radio station refused to play Beyonce’s music. According to a report in The Guardian, a Beyoncé fan contacted the station to request her song Texas Hold ‘Em – one of two released in a surprise drop during the Super Bowl where the 32-time Grammy winner also announced the second album in her Renaissance trilogy.

Cowboy Carter has 26 tracks with standouts that include “Texas Hold Em,” “16 Carriages”, “Jolene,” and “Ya Ya” among inspired originals, covers, and interpolations. The critically acclaimed album opens the door for new and rising black country musicians to bring some flair to the genre. Could this be the remodeling of what we know as a country? Maybe.