Beyoncé has again disrupted the music scene in the best way after debuting two new songs, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” and “16 CARRIAGES,” and ushering in her RENAISSANCE ACT II country era last weekend. The records have been shown an overwhelming amount of support, with fans already flooding social media with new dances inspired by the music.
But not everyone gets why the megastar is delving into the Americana genre. To those critics, Tina Knowles shared a word on Instagram reminding naysayers that her daughter is not new to country, rather she’s true to it having grown up in Houston, Texas.
“We have always celebrated cowboy culture growing up in Texas. We also always understood that it was not just about it belonging to white culture only,” began the matriarch as she re-shared a compilation of various occasions where Beyoncé’s style was inspired by her Southern upbringing, from cowboy hats and cowboy boots to wearing chaps and swinging a lasso.
She continued, “In Texas, there is a huge Black cowboy culture. Why do you think that my kids have integrated it into their fashion and art since the beginning? When people ask, ‘Why is Beyoncé wearing cowboy hats?’ it’s really funny. I actually laugh because it’s been there since she was a kid. We went to rodeos every year, and my whole family dressed in western fashion. Solange did a whole brilliant album and project based on Black cowboy culture. It definitely was a part of our culture growing up.”
Original Destiny’s Child bandmate LaTavia Roberson also hit back at actor John Schneider for disparaging comments about the entertainer’s foray into country music. “They’ve got to make their mark, just like a dog in a dog walk park. You know, every dog has to mark every tree, right? So that’s what’s going on here,” Schneider said during a One American News Network appearance.
Roberson called him out for being “disgusting and disrespectful.” “Being from Texas, we [were] raised on country music as part of our education program. We have The [Houston] Livestock Show [and] Rodeo. Our families participate every year, [and] it’s mostly African Americans that you see in those activities, so please have several seats,” she commented on a re-post of his remarks.
Regardless of what critics have to say, the love for “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” secured the icon her debut on the Billboard Country Airplay chart on Friday (Feb. 16).