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carrie underwood
Country music star Carrie Underwood tipped her hat towards R&B icon Beyoncé for successfully embracing the country music genre for her latest smash album Cowboy Carter.
Cowboy Carter is Bey's eighth studio album and the second installment of her trilogy project, preceded by 2022's Renaissance album.
It is mostly labeled a country album with influences from a wide variety of musical genres, not limited to pop, hip-hop, blues, soul, rock, and folk music.
Underwood positively acknowledged Bey during a discussion about how country music positively evolved with "a diversity of new sounds" during a Yahoo! Entertainment interview.
Carrie Underwood Shares Her Take On Beyoncé Making Country Music https://t.co/ODmsqtvYrV
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) April 4, 2024
The "Jesus, Take the Wheel" singer, who rose to stardom after winning the fourth season of American Idol in 2005, said of her country roots:
“There really is something for everybody now."
“One of the great things about country music, and this is true for music in general, is that every genre has really just broadened itself."
"If you like things that are more traditional, you can find those. If you like things that seem more pop, you can find that."
"If you like things that can cross over into other genres, you can find something that you love—and it's all part of the same family. I always welcome that.”
The eight-time Grammy winner mentioned other notable artists inspired by country music to create new sounds.
“I love that people like Post Malone and Beyoncé and Jelly Roll, and people like that are artists first and foremost," she continued.
"They kind of weave in and out of different genres of music, and I think that's really cool.”
After the release of Cowboy Carter, Bey became the first Black woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts with one of the album's singles, "16 Carriages."
However, her celebratory breakthrough wasn't immune to backlash from gatekeeping conservatives like Dukes of Hazzard actor and country singer John Schneider, who likened artists like Beyoncé venturing into country territory to a dog peeing on a tree.
In response to a conservative cable news channel host's gripe about the "lefties in the entertainment industry just won’t leave any area alone," Schneider said:
“They’ve got to make their mark, just like a dog in a dog walk park."
He continued telling One America News Network host Alison Steinberg:
“You know, every dog has to mark every tree, right?”
But country music legend Dolly Parton acknowledged Beyoncé's country crossover with the biggest endorsement and approval in an Instagram post back in February.
“I’m a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she’s done a country album,” Parton wrote.
“So congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country number one single. Can’t wait to hear the full album! Love, Dolly.”
She also penned a sweet message with a nod to Bey's cover of Parton's iconic 1973 country hit "Jolene" that is featured on Cowboy Carter.
“Wow, I just heard 'Jolene'. Beyoncé is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it!” wrote the 78-year-old singer.
She also gushed over Queen Bey on The Daily Show and told Trevor Noah:
"I think she’s fantastic and beautiful, and I love her music."
Underwood could also relate to being successful for crossing over into different music genres.
According to Forbes, her debut album Some Hearts was a blend of country and pop and became the bestselling album of all music genres in 2005.
Following the release of her first chart-topping single, "Inside Your Heaven," Underwood broke Billboard chart history as the first country music artist ever to debut at number one on the Hot 100.
In 2007, she won a Grammy for Best New Artist and subsequently became the second country artist to ever win the award in the Grammy Awards' 56-year history, preceded by LeAnn Rimes in 1997.
Underwood returned to her country roots in 2022’s Denim & Rhinestones.