It was last summer when Washington Post writer Emily Yahr posted her hot take on Luke Comb's cover of Tracey Chapman's "Fast Car" topping the country charts. Chapman is a queer black woman … it brought up some "complicated emotions" — and Community Notes:
As Luke Combs's hit cover of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" dominates the country charts, it’s bringing up some complicated emotions in fans & singers who know that Chapman, as a queer Black woman, would have an almost zero chance at that achievement herself: https://t.co/7pCIMW5F0N
— Emily Yahr (@EmilyYahr) July 13, 2023
Fast-forward to today, when a black woman, Beyoncé, has a number-one hit single on the country charts — something she did herself despite having "almost zero chance."
Beyoncé’s new country single “Texas Hold ’Em” reached No. 1 on the Billboard country airplay chart this week, making her the first Black woman to hold the top spot. https://t.co/bSX031A5Ae pic.twitter.com/HNmUIwZj7n
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 21, 2024
This led Yahr to scratch her chin again and come up with another Washington Post feature: "Beyoncé has a country hit. How will country radio handle that?"
Country radio seems to be handling it by playing it if it's at the top of the charts.
The "controversy" seems to be over one country radio DJ who didn't know Beyoncé had a country album out. Yahr writes:
When Beyoncé released a video during the Super Bowl that featured the plucking of a banjo, followed by two country-sounding songs titled “Texas Hold ’Em” and “16 Carriages,” the internet lit up with anticipation. After years of hints, Beyoncé was embracing her Texas roots and making a country album, scheduled to drop March 29. Two days later, an online fury erupted: A fan emailed a small Oklahoma radio station and requested “Texas Hold ’Em,” only to receive a reply that read, “‘We do not play Beyoncé on KYKC as we are a country music station.”
The fan posted the email on social media and KYKC was flooded with furious messages that pointed to the incident as an example of racism in a majority-White genre that has long sidelined Black singers, ever since the music charts separated “hillbilly music” from “race records” in the early 20th century.
In media interviews, the Oklahoma station manager said he had missed the news that Beyoncé released a country single, and after seeing the passionate response, added the song to the station’s playlist. (That same day, Sony Music Nashville, owned by the same parent company as Beyoncé's Columbia Records, started officially promoting the song to country radio.) But the viral incident inspired a wave of online discourse that many in the industry have been having for years about the lack of success that artists of color have found in country music, despite the genre’s roots in Black culture.
"But the viral incident inspired a wave of online discourse that many in the industry have been having for years about the lack of success that artists of color have found in country music, despite the genre’s roots in Black culture." Oh, shut up. If more blacks made country records, country radio would be playing more black artists.
So the same Washington Post writer who had no idea about Tracy Chapman's actual success with Fast Car is now just plowing through it and pulling the same narrative with country and Beyoncé pic.twitter.com/HlvyB8AhMi
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) March 18, 2024
Emily Yahr's ability to not recognize anyone's understanding of music before her actual birth remains undefeated,
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) March 18, 2024
Emily Yahr's (@EmilyYahr) entire Wash Post gig is "why are all you white hick racists okay with black people making country music? I've written several pieces on why you're not"
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) March 18, 2024
*Beyoncé goes to number 1 on all country charts. Just like how Tracy Chapman was nominated for several Grammys for Fast Car.@EmilyYahr - "Stop it, racists. I have 900 words to write."
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) March 18, 2024
Tracey Chapman's "Fast Car" was named Song of the Year by the Country Music Awards, and Combs performed a duet with Chapman at the 2024 Grammys, and Combs took home the Best Country Solo Performance. It's a great song.
I understand younger people being unaware of music, movies or other artistic creations from before their time, but where are the editors?
— Susan Bernstein (@VelvetBarstool) March 18, 2024
Same lady. Incredible.
— The Acerbic Avia✈️or (@CaptainConcurs) March 18, 2024
How old is the “journalist”?
— Ginny (@ginkates) March 18, 2024
Race Pimp writes article about nonexistent race problem😉
— Just call me Chard (@DontMakeMeLook) March 18, 2024
“How violently will hypothetical straw man racists that live in my imagination react to this first-ever event that actually happens a bunch of times before but was aaalll the way on the second page of Google search results?”
— CosmosY (@CosmosY5) March 18, 2024
How about Lionel Richie hitting the country chart with "Stuck On You" in 1984? Or the Pointer Sisters with "Fairytale" in 1974? Tell me you've done zero research on this topic without actually telling me you've done zero research...
— Matt in MN (@mtwolff73) March 18, 2024
— Fünglenoid (@Funglenoid) March 18, 2024
She acts like Kane Brown doesn't exist or something. The dude sells out arenas.
— phillyfansince88 (@phillyfansince8) March 18, 2024
@EmilyYahr once again I see that zero research was completed on one of your articles. Time to look for a new job as your credibility with many is now gone.
— Kaytie (@kmhlpn) March 18, 2024
"How will country radio handle that"? They'll play Beyoncé because she has a country record out. Didn't Beyoncé know the racist hicks of country music would never accept her?
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