In March 2024, Beyoncé released Cowboy Carter, a 'country' album that received vastly mixed reactions between critics and fans. Despite its snub at the CMA Awards, it stands to become the most decorated album at the Grammys.
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I've seen many different opinions on Cowboy Carter. Some believe it doesn't qualify as a country album due to Beyoncé herself not being a country artist. Others believe it doesn't qualify as the album itself is inspired by country, and not actually country. And others just think it sucks.
With a name like Cowboy Carter and with tracks such as "TEXAS HOLD'EM" and "JOLENE," however, most do say that it's a country album. Whether you're a fan of the album or not, it's got country written all over it.
Although not many country fans publicly expressed positive opinions about the album online, it was incredibly popular. The single "TEXAS HOLD'EM" has currently been played over 600,000,000 times on Spotify alone. She also featured Dolly Parton, the Queen of Country, as well as Shaboozey.
No matter how you slice it, it is a country album. No matter how mainstream some of the tracks are and no matter whether you like it or not.
The Grammys seem to be stepping in where the CMA Awards let the album down, however.
Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' Could Be The Most Awarded Album In Grammy History
Thanks to information shared to WOC by VegasInsider, we know that Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter has received 11 nominations at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
Currently, the most awarded album was Santana's Supernatural, which won 9 Grammys in 2000. So long as Cowboy Carter wins 10 of those, it will break the record and be the most awarded album of all time.
It's interesting to see Cowboy Carter get so much love at the Grammys after being ignored at the CMAs. This proves that the album was at least notable and worthy of accolades, and yet the CMAs snubbed it. As by most definitions it is a country album, this only raises questions as to why it was left out.
Many people blamed the CMAs for being racist in its exclusion of Beyoncé's album. Even Billy Ray Cyrus was open with his criticisms. And the love from the Grammys may only solidify these claims.
Some, however, may see the Grammys love as proof that Cowboy Carter is too mainstream and simply not country enough. And although there is a point there, this opens a discussion about where we draw the line between what is 'truly country' and what 'isn't quite country enough.'
As far as I'm concerned, dividing and drawing country music will only harm the art more than help it.
