Beyoncé Hasn’t Paid Her Country Dues

Paying your dues.

The saying epitomizes country music, and it’s what makes the genre so relatable to legions of blue-collar fans.

Throughout our lives, we all had to make sacrifices to get ahead. And like us, many country stars had to do the same before hitting it big.

Lainey Wilson, for example, left the family farm in Louisiana and spent three years living in a camper trailer parked behind a recording studio in Nashville before becoming a star.

Larry Fleet poured concrete for a living before finding success in Nashville.

Chris Stapleton was a songwriter who penned the words for other stars to sing before eventually landing a solo career of his own.

And Jason Aldean was dropped by two labels before he finally landed a recording contract years later.

Country music stars got their start working side jobs during the day and playing in small honky-tonks at night. They invested “sweat equity” into their careers, just like all of us did, and that’s what makes the genre so genuine.

But there are times when someone comes along and breaks onto the scene via a non-traditional path, and it’s not always a good thing for the sanctity of country music. Beyoncé’s foray into the genre is a perfect example.

And it has riled country fans and artists alike.

In 2016 Beyoncé knocked on Nashville’s door when she included a country song, “Daddy Lessons,” on her album and performed it with The Chicks at the Country Music Awards that year. The performance generated a lot of criticism from country music fans and purists, and in response, Beyoncé fired back at the industry for not making her feel welcome.

Regardless of Beyoncé’s allegations, country music is an open platform for all artists.

You just have to earn it.

That’s what Darius Rucker did when he set out to become a country artist in 2008. Rather than rely on his prior fame as the frontman for Hootie and the Blowfish, Rucker paid his dues by visiting country radio stations around the nation to introduce himself. He was well-established as a rock artist, and now it was time to meet Darius the budding country star.

There was no entitlement and no expectations. Rucker was just someone working hard and hoping for a break. He wanted it.

Rucker was sincere in his desire to be a country artist, and as a result fans, and the industry, welcomed him. “Darius Rucker, country artist” wasn’t some money-making gimmick.

“You see a lot of people doing a one-off, saying, 'This is my country record.' But this is a career I'm trying to build. The people that say that they don't get it, I'll let the music speak for itself. I plan to do a lot of country records,” Rucker told Billboard magazine in 2008.

On the flip side, Beyoncé entered the country scene in an attempt to piggyback off her mega-successful career as a pop artist, and she immediately criticized the industry when she wasn’t showered with accolades.

The tension escalated with Beyoncé’s recent Grammy Album Of The Year win for “Cowboy Carter.” The backstory leading up to the win leads one to question her sincerity, and respect, for the genre. At the 2024 Grammys, Beyoncé’s husband Jay-Z criticized the Recording Academy for repeatedly snubbing his wife for never winning Album of the Year. A few months later, Beyoncé switched genres, released “Cowboy Carter,” and won the Grammy for Album Of The Year, beating out the likes of Stapleton, Wilson and Kacey Musgraves.

Beyoncé’s recent “win” didn’t sit well with country stars like John Rich, who posted on X that award show winners are basically determined by label executives and publishers trading votes to help each other out. “It has ZERO to do with who made the best music, thus, Beyoncé with "Album of the Year." Nice, right? The same thing is true with the CMAs, ACMs, Billboard, etc. They all work exactly the same. Last night, the Grammy's outed themselves in a big way,” Rich posted.

The problem isn’t that Beyoncé put out a country album. Any artist from any genre can do that if they desire. But no artist should expect instant success, or accolades from the industry, based on their name alone.

Speaking of names, while Beyoncé already has a Grammy after just one country album, artists like Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Morgan Wallen, and Dierks Bentley—who all have made major contributions to the genre—are still waiting for their first.

Did Beyoncé use country music for self-gain? Is she sincere about her foray or just an interloper? Are the Grammy awards turning into a regular old dumpster fire?

One thing is clear: When an artist can crossover and immediately win one of the most coveted awards in the music industry while so many patiently wait for their chance, it demolishes the legitimacy of the award process and harms the credibility of the genre.

Country music shouldn’t be used as a platform by artists who make cursory career moves just to win awards.

It needs to be earned.