Oh, So Now Country Music Slighted Beyonce Via Grammy Nominations? (A Rant)
WARNING: Language
I’ve got two words for you, and two words only if you feel that at any point, for anything, at any time, for any reason, that Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, known throughout popular culture simply as Beyoncé, has somehow been screwed, disrespected, disenfranchised, or otherwise slighted by country music in any capacity. You know what those two words are?
FUCK OFF!
I am sick and damn tired of having to sit here at the helm of Saving Country Music and defend the country genre from unilateral attacks due to perceived slights against Beyoncé from country music, when all popular country music has done has been to unnecessarily ensconce her on a pedestal and help perpetuate her bloated and unjustified cult of personality just like the rest of popular culture has done in degrees that are in no way parallel with her talent level or contributions to music, especially for an artist that has absolutely positively nothing to do with country music in any capacity, and never has.
What is the issue now? It’s the news from the Associated Press—which is supposed to be America’s most unbiased news source, but is on record as being a bastion for pro-Beyonce asshole-licking sycophants and surrogates who will outright lie if necessary to protect and perpetuate the popularity of their Queen Bey—that the Grammy committee in country music denied Beyoncé’s request to be included on the country ballots for Grammy nominations.
This is how diseased the Beyoncé camp and her slavish, sycophantical, bordering on psychopathic fans are: On Tuesday morning (12-6) when the Grammy nominations were revealed, Beyoncé not only led all contenders with an incredible nine nominations, she also set a record for the entire 60 year history of the awards by being nominated in four separate genre categories in the same year.
But Beyoncé fans, and Beyoncé fans only, including many high-profile members of the entertainment press, are the only ones who could immediately find slights against Beyoncé behind these incredible, historic nominations, and immediately put pen to paper to complain about these clear injustices. What a miserable existence it must be when your favorite music artist pulls off something historic, and your first reaction is to complain.
Clearly Sturgill Simpson’s nomination for Album of the Year was nothing more than white America’s way to get a racist, white country star to somehow abscond with the Album of the Year from Beyoncé, who clearly deserves it more than anybody—said scores of Twitter accounts with strains of Beyoncé nicknames and song titles for their screen names, and Beyoncé as their avatar, as if that isn’t a creepy enough signifyer of the Stan Culture run rampant.
And of course, Beyoncé was clearly screwed because she didn’t receive any nominations in country.
You want to talk about getting screwed? Which one of the five nominees for the Grammy’s 2017 Album of the Year got to play the 2016 CMA Awards? Which one was given a predominant, headliner-level, marquee performance slot on the CMA stage? Was it Adele, Drake, or Justin Bieber? Was it Sturgill Simpson, who has turned country music upside down through the sheer power of his creative veracity and completely shifted the paradigm in the genre where the power over the music is finally moving back into the hands of the artists themselves, and has done all of this while scoring a #1 record and selling out rooms all across the country without a lick of radio play?
No, it was Beyoncé. It was Beyoncé.
That’s right. Beyoncé got to play the CMA’s, and Sturgill didn’t.
And you know what Beyoncé’s fans did after she got the incredible boon from country music, including her fans in the press, and specifically from The Associated Press?
The bitched. And they bitched some more. They bitched that she didn’t open the show, even though nobody said she would. They bitched because a few hick racists piped up on Twitter and in some comments sections. And by the way, fuck those racist assholes who truly left racist comments about Beyoncé’s CMA performance more than anybody. Don’t think for a second I’m trying to defend those pieces of shit.
But now once again the blanket of racism is being laid over country music for denying Queen Bey her clear mandate to be nominated and awarded every single fucking trophy in music in the country genre and beyond.
You want to know what’s racist? Here’s the line The Associated Press uses to justify why “Daddy Lessons” is a country song: “The lyrics include references to the Second Amendment, the Bible and shooting guns.”
…as if that’s all country music is about. By posting this, The Associated Press is clearly broadcasting how they perceive country music fans, and how ignorant they are about what country music is about. To them, country music is all about politics, all about white demographics. It’s all about Toby Keith putting a boot in your ass, and that represents the alpha and omega of the genre’s contributions to culture.
Every single day we have young black men and women getting shot and dying face down in the streets, getting systematically denied housing, employment, education, and opportunity because of the color of their skin. And it is an atrocity that the attention and vehemence for these very real issues of racism is getting watered down by the continued parade of accusations of race playing into perceived slights against a pop star by country.
Country music rolled out the red carpet for Beyoncé, and it continues to have its face spit in for it.
Let that be a lesson.
December 8, 2016 @ 10:41 am
Ok so I don’t think Beyonce getting a CMA award slot really has much to do with this. For good or ill, every major country awards show has included non-country artists for years. Beyonce just continued that tradition.
But the AP article is ridiculous, Beyonce’s daddy’s lessons wasn’t a country song, and shouldn’t have been included. Rock fans are up in arms over the fact that Beyonce is nominated in Rock, despite the fact that she had Jack White on that song…which is way more of a nod to rock than she gave to country in Daddy’s Lesson’s. Lemonaide is genre bending, which yes, then makes it hard to slot into categories, see also the fact that she got no R&B noms.
What really frustrates me about the Beyonce coverage is that country does sort of have a race problem. But when Beyonce is held up as the example, it clouds the issue, because she isn’t country. Country does have African-American artists though, some better than others.
What people should be writing about is Kane Brown. Do I like Kane Brown? No. Do I think he’s particularly country? No. But he’s not any less country than Sam Hunt. Unlike Hunt though, the criticism of Kane online often comes with name calling attached. But look he’s clearly always positioned himself as country. His youtube covers were country artists (George Straight included), he went to Nashville to make his career. He signed to a country label, and he wrote with country songwriters. And without any radio support he sells extremely well. Not sure any other artist moving 40k units on a debut album, on a major label, has ever been quite this ignored by radio. I can not like somebody, and still recognize the way they’re being treated is unfair (even if I’d prefer that Rhiannon Giddons were getting the sales).
December 8, 2016 @ 10:57 am
Beyonce’s fans should be celebrating about how amazing her year has been, and how decorated “Lemonade” has become. What is the value of being a music fan if you can’t find any enjoyment or fulfillment through the accomplishments of your favorite artists, and are constantly focusing on the negative? I don’t hate Beyonce, and I don’t want to hate her. I want to find a universal appeal in her music and celebrate that with her fans, because even in my cold heart, I am a music fan first. But I can’t get there, because I’m constantly getting attacked as a country music listener. This Beyonce fervor is HURTING Beyonce. It is being used as a vehicle to divide people, and at the worst possible time. You want to have Beyonce play the CMA’s? Fine, I get it. You put pop stars on there to drive ratings. But don’t continue to spit in my face as a country fan, because I’m going to lash back out at you, and that’s going to divide us even more.
Take your nine nominations, and your historic, four genre dominance, and be happy. Because there are other nominees who got left out because of it.
December 8, 2016 @ 11:05 am
Agree with this. Although tbf it’s really stan culture that’s terrible, and Beyonce has a stan culture following, but she isn’t the only one. Bieber fans have attacked rumored and real GF’s of his. Arianna and Brittney stans dug up those old Blake tweets because they were pissed at a joke he made & that he out sold Arianna. Miranda stans wished for Gwen to break every bone in her body, Gwen stans called Miranda fat and a whore. I could go on. While Beyonce does have a loud and vocal stan following, the vast majority of her fans are normal, sane people, who are happy for the 9 nominations. Social media has a tendency to make the crazies seem louder and more numerous than they are. Carrie and Miranda stans have gotten into some nasty stan wars etc.
December 8, 2016 @ 11:08 am
Anyways what really frustrates me is that it takes away from what should be two real questions in country, while making country look bad:
a) what is country music and
b) the fact that minority artists do have a very hard time breaking through in country
December 8, 2016 @ 12:43 pm
Trigger, I like where your heading…
December 9, 2016 @ 4:10 am
Beyonce I like her as a friend and she is getting it you are mean seak05
December 8, 2016 @ 10:45 am
Was it Sturgill Simpson, who has turned country music upside down through the sheer power of his creative veracity and completely shifted the paradigm in the genre where the power over the music is finally moving back into the hands of the artists themselves, and has done all of this while scoring a #1 record and selling out rooms all across the country without a lick of radio play?
I think this is an important point. What on Earth has Beyonce done for country music? It seems to me that this is a very one-sided relationship.
December 8, 2016 @ 12:45 pm
She’s clearly only after awards which is a shame…
December 9, 2016 @ 3:31 pm
By systematically and cruelly ignoring artists who have made a real and true contribution to country music, the industry has opened up a very broad road for singers like Beyonce and enabled them to take what they want and need out of country music but give nothing back. Of course she couldn’t give anything back even if she wanted to: she’s not country!
December 8, 2016 @ 10:46 am
“Every single day we have young black men and women getting shot and dying face down in the streets, getting systematically denied housing, employment, education, and opportunity because of the color of their skin. And it is an atrocity that the attention and vehemence for these very real issues of racism is getting watered down by the continued parade of accusations of race playing into perceived slights against a pop star by country.”
WELL SAID!
Not to mention, it’s ridiculous enough that “Queen Bey” is in one of the Rock categories simply because she has a song Jack White guested on (“Don’t Hurt Yourself”). At the end of the day, she is just another pop singer, not the end-all, be-all of everything.
December 8, 2016 @ 11:11 am
The irony of course is that her album does make this point, and does talk about this. Which then led to some country fans (including on this blog) saying they didn’t want her on the stage because she was a cop hater. Which, fundamentally, ignores both the point being made, and the statistics that back it up. And makes country fans look racist.
December 8, 2016 @ 10:51 am
She’s the greatest artist and actress of our generation. Just look at her work in Goldmember.
December 8, 2016 @ 10:51 am
Truly, her fans would only be satisfied if the Grammy’s nominated and awarded her in every category, and made the entire show a 3 hour Beyoncé concert. Anything less and they will bitch and swarm twitter to attack anyone that disagrees that she is the Almighty Queen of the Universe.
December 8, 2016 @ 11:07 am
No doubt that a lot of this drama comes from Beyonce’s Twitter army, but I just want to point out that this is the THIRD article we’ve received from The Associated Press specifically about how Beyonce deserving to be nominated and winning awards. In my opinion, this clear, biased fandom is an indictment of that entire organization, and it is also the catalyst for getting these stories posted in dozens, sometimes hundreds of other periodicals due to Associated Press article syndication.
December 8, 2016 @ 11:24 am
It’s lazy entertainment journalism written by 20 year olds who let their personal opinions cloud their articles. I saw it the day the nom’s were announced and a journalist was arguing on twitter with people after she posted her story about the “slight”. She just kept responding with “she’s the queen”, “but DADDYS MONEY” , “she deserves it all”. Ummm ok. Keep your personal opinion to yourself or write a blog instead of for the music section of a major magazine.
December 8, 2016 @ 3:51 pm
Those AP articles sound like Kanye wrote them.
December 9, 2016 @ 3:34 pm
Sometimes I feel like the fan armies of Twitter who only see and hear what they want to, are ruining music. They certainly are ruining Twitter, but that isn’t equally important, to say the least. ^^
December 8, 2016 @ 10:56 am
I am so sick of this woman. I wouldn’t be able to hear a song on the radio and say “Oh, That’s beyonce,” but I know I have heard some of her songs, and some are probably good, I just don’t associate it with her, she’s not that big to me.
I started hating her three years ago while running on the treadmill at the gym. They have TV’s on the wall in front and one was turned to music video channel. Video after video was some bikini clad gal with high heels dancing around, for the whole workout. It turned out they were all different songs, just the same outfit for each video, someone buy her a tshirt, or something. I changed gyms, for a different reason, but that sounded good.
And now here on SCM I get more of her, will it ever end?
December 8, 2016 @ 11:13 am
I can’t express to you how angry I am that I had to take my attention away from important country music matters to write this article this morning. I frankly feel the same way you do, ‘Will it ever end?’ Everywhere I go, it’s another Beyonce country music controversy when I shouldn’t even be interfacing with her or her music.
At the same time, I am not going to allow biased media to continue to attack country music when Beyonce clearly doesn’t deserve these awards. I’m not fan of the CMA’s, or CMT, or the mainstream country industry, trust me. But we have to stand in solidarity with each other on this issue, as entertainment media deceive people due to pop music fandom, and denigrate country music unfairly.
December 9, 2016 @ 3:35 pm
At least you are one voice that speaks differently. That means a lot to us.
December 8, 2016 @ 10:57 am
“…getting systematically denied housing, employment, education, and opportunity because of the color of their skin.”
Where is this happening? You have it exactly backwards. By law, you are only allowed to discriminate against white people and sometimes Asians.
December 8, 2016 @ 11:04 am
It’s probably Trumps Fault. Just ask CNN, or MSNB, they’ll tell you all about it.
December 8, 2016 @ 11:07 am
I think I just threw up in my mouth…I don’t have the time for my rant re: this & it probably wouldn’t be a clean version.
December 8, 2016 @ 11:11 am
Perfectly said Trigger.
December 8, 2016 @ 11:21 am
I’d rather talk about the fact that some of her performances are just gloried stripper shows….burlesque almost….I am sick of that her voice is amazing…the other stuff isn’t necessary and it is a shame that she can’t let the music speak for itself with out all the other. As far as race…..I can close my eyes and listen….and make it colorless… And it still isn’t country… Jamey Johnson got evicted from country for not conforming to it. But yet country wants to conform for Beyonce… Fucking ridiculous
December 8, 2016 @ 11:27 am
”…….her bloated and unjustified cult of personality just like the rest of popular culture has done in degrees that are in no way parallel with her talent level or contributions to music,……”
well stated , Trigger
December 8, 2016 @ 11:36 am
Dang I want Trigger on my side if I ever get in an argument. Well said.
December 8, 2016 @ 12:48 pm
Right I’ve said it before, he’s like a wordsmith, takes big and fancy words, and voila.
December 8, 2016 @ 12:52 pm
You have no idea how bad I feel when he writes an article I disagree with because chances are he’s right
December 8, 2016 @ 11:43 am
Trig, you mentioned in a recent article (or maybe comment), that a problem with politics and the divide in the country is that liberals trying to define conservatives based on the far, far right conservatives, and that conservatives try to define liberals based on the far far left. (this was a point I agreed with, not that it matters though).
It seems you are doing the same here with Beyonce. Just because a few folks on twitter and one article on billboard are upset that she got snubbed doesn’t mean that all of Beyonce’s fans think country is racist. At least to me, it sorta seems as if you’re only looking at a small minority of people who actually feel this way.
December 8, 2016 @ 1:17 pm
Tom,
I agree that this Beyonce madness is only representative of a minority of pop fans or even Beyonce fans. The problem here is the participation of The Associated Press. Either one of their writers or editors is part of this rabid Beyonce fandom, or The Associated Press is on the take from the Beyonce camp.
This is not just one article in Billboard. The Associated Press is a syndicated news organization that is disseminated through thousands of outlets. And so when they post a story, especially one that is so click-baity, it is going to spread all over the internet like wildfire. And that is exactly what happened with this story, and the two others story ostensibly on this same subject from The Associated Press. In fact it was the Associated Press who started this whole idea that Beyonce deserves country awards when they said she should be considered for the CMA’s Song of the Year, and even Female Vocalist of the Year when she released “Daddy Lessons.”
Just google “Beyonce Country Grammy” and you will find HUNDREDS of stories. In fact it will be harder to find a major music entertainment outlet that has not posted a story about it.
When people go to Briebart or some left-wing equivalent, they know what they’re getting. When they see The Associated Press reporting that Beyonce got snubbed for awards she never should have been considered for in the first place, they’re going to take it as an unbiased and objective news story about a true wrongdoing. That is why this issue is so dangerous. They are trying to paint country music as being against Beyonce when in fact it showed her incredible respect by booking her in the marquee spot on the 50th Anniversary of the CMA Awards.
December 8, 2016 @ 3:10 pm
I see your point about the AP article that got posted everywhere (I guess I didn’t realize how widespread it is). And I agree its stupid for people to whine about this.
However, none of the articles I’ve just read about this have mentioned race at all.
“But now once again the blanket of racism is being laid over country music for denying Queen Bey her clear mandate to be nominated.”
I just don’t believe that’s true. I haven’t seen anyone or any respectable outlet claim that race was involved.
December 8, 2016 @ 6:14 pm
The AP story is that it operates under the assumption that Beyonce should be considered for these awards in the first place or some injustice has been done. Once that premise of an injustice against Beyonce is set, folks can assign racism, sexism, or simple closed-mindedness by hayseed country fans to the reason she got snubbed when she’s not even a country artist. No, it doesn’t mention racism, but it doesn’t have to. Beyonce fans were calling racism minutes after the country awards were announced. They were also calling racism when Sturgill Simpson was nominated for Album of the Year because they believe he’s the white male plant to take away Beyonce’s Grammy. The AP knew this fervor was out there, which is why they posted that story. Why do we need a story about a pop artist getting turned down for country awards she should never be considered for in the first place?
December 8, 2016 @ 11:43 am
Damn. Fierce stuff. I like it. Screw Beyonce and her phony music.
December 8, 2016 @ 11:46 am
The degree of her overrated-ness is absolutely ridiculous. Such a piece of garbage.
December 8, 2016 @ 12:11 pm
When you get to be rich and famous despite putting out the shittiest excuse for music in history – don’t you just shut the fuck up and count your money? Is Con-Yay behind this again? Seriously I would rather listen to Sam Hunt sings the Great Hits of Nickleback on eternal repeat than be subjected to her “best song”.
December 8, 2016 @ 2:18 pm
I would totally listen to Sam hunt skngs the greatest hits of nickelback, sounds brutal.
December 9, 2016 @ 11:25 am
I am not a fan of Beyoncé at all, but I listened to the Lemonade album and it’s a really great album (with the exception of Formation and Hold Up). Too bad the Bey Hive had to keep on finding things to complain about instead of being happy for Beyoncé after achieving so much success this year.
December 9, 2016 @ 11:33 am
Look at Sturgill Simpson fans. They are elated he received a nomination for Album of the Year, and even knowing he’s a long shot to win, they are GRATEFUL, happy, walking around with a pep in their step the last couple of days because their guy was finally recognized.
I don’t know much about Beyonce’s music, but you can comb this website and you won’t find a discouraging word about “Lemonade,” her performance on the CMA Awards, or anything else, only an objection of calling her music country, and including her on a country awards show. A lot of people whose opinions on music I respect seem to think “Lemonade” is a great work, and I don’t doubt that it is. I don’t want to do to war with Beyonce. But I also don’t want to watch as country music is redefined by people who have no idea what it is.
December 8, 2016 @ 12:27 pm
I’m going to admit up front that I did not read this…
Trigger, I love the site, and you’re doing the Lord’s work here, but (you knew there was a “but” coming)
…enough with the Beyoncé stories/rants.
Let me tell you the primary reason why: I know you’ve bristled about insinuations that the country music backlash against her reeks of racism, but every time I see one of these stories on your site, I avoid the link like the plague, not because of your writing, but for the comments and overall tone, because there is such a fine, fine line about these things. If you need examples, I can point to some above. I think it invites the furthering of discourse that those of use who like this type of music could do without — if I want nuanced I’m-not-a-racist takes, I’ll go back home to a family reunion in Tennessee.
Much as one of the commenters above mentioned, “Just because a few folks on twitter and one article on billboard are upset that she got snubbed” doesn’t mean the entire world of pop music wants Beyoncé to take over country. I realize you live in the world of reporting on music, but I don’t particularly think this is a widespread issue — the AP story you link above (actually a Billboard story) is straightforward reporting with sourcing (I’m a former/sort of current journalist myself, so I have a little expertise here).
Yes, a song by Beyoncé shouldn’t be up for a country Grammy, but it’s not surprising her people would submit it for consideration. As for her appearing on the CMAs, eh, it seems there is at least one every year. Whatever.
Keep up (most of) what you’re doing, but can we let this die, please?
December 8, 2016 @ 1:04 pm
…one other thing to add: in addition to the borderline racist undertones that are inevitable in these conversations is the sexist undertones (the focus on how she dresses/looks). It’s a damn two-for-one of stereotypical awfulness.
December 8, 2016 @ 1:34 pm
SIXHIRB
Sexist, intolerant, xenophobic, homophobic, islamophobic, racist, bigoted.
The tired clichés used to shout down anybody that dares to disagree and you have nailed two of the six in one comment. Your family in Tennessee must be so proud.
December 8, 2016 @ 1:56 pm
I thought Chad’s comments were thoughtful and I personally agree with much of what he said. He certainly isn’t shouting down anyone.
December 8, 2016 @ 2:02 pm
Maybe. But it had all the hallmarks of vague criticisms topped off with the virtue signaling comment about how he is better than his racist family back in Tennessee. There is a whole cadre of people that enjoy pointing out how they may be from the country or whatever but they are not like those racist people back there because they live in the city now. The effectiveness of calling people racist, sexist, etc. has been so devalued in our culture as to be laughable.
December 8, 2016 @ 2:55 pm
….the comment below Trigger’s next comment below was meant for this one. I’m either 1.) a country yokel who doesn’t understand how to use the Internet or, 2.) a spoiled urban elite too busy texting and sipping my frappaccino to pay attention.
December 8, 2016 @ 1:43 pm
Chad,
I appreciate the feedback. Please don’t think that I’m ignoring you or others who are saying they don’t like to see these stories. I did not wake up this morning intending to write a story about Beyonce, and none of my intended content is going unpublished because of it. I cover the news here, and this was the biggest story in country music today. I don’t dictate the news cycle, but I do like to be topical and relevant. Obviously I thought this issue was so exceptional, someone needed to voice dissent, and unfortunately that usually falls to me.
Just for clarification, the story I linked to was an Associated Press story, and is attributed to the Associated Press by Billboard. The reason I linked to the story on Billboard is because Billboard posted the original story verbatim as opposed to rewriting it into their own voice like other outlets. The story has now been distributed through HUNDREDS of Associated Press affiliates, and all one has to do is search google to corroborate that. I’ll spare posting the hundreds of links as an example.
December 8, 2016 @ 2:47 pm
…actually, I do indeed think I am “better” than my racist family back in Tennessee, in that they are, well, racist. And I never said whether I am from the country or city, or where I live now — that’s an assumption. The city/country divide cliché perpetrated by pop country is the kind of thing Trigger and SCM are fighting the good fight against.
December 8, 2016 @ 4:49 pm
Trigger, I see now that that was an AP story on the Billboard site, and I see the various versions of it elsewhere. I stand by my contention that the story is fairly straightforward, though. I read through it several times — I thought first it might say she was “snubbed,” which would have a certain connotation, but it says “rejected,” which seems fairly matter-of-fact. I do see a story on the AV Club that I would characterize as being to your point — the truth is, Beyonce is “pop,” short for popular, hence the opinions in “Beyonce vs. The Country Powers That Be” are going to favor Beyonce. I’ll note that her nomination for Best Rock Performance also has caused some consternation.
The biggest intellectual fallacy of the sampling of stories I read is the seeming assumption that had the song been considered country she would have been a finalist for the award. My two cents is the version she did on the CMAs sounded “country,” but that doesn’t mean it should be in the running for a country award.
The problem country has more than many other mainstream popular genres is the notion that there are gatekeepers — some pushback against these gatekeepers is to be expected, whether you’re keeping out Beyonce or Florida-Georgia Line.
December 8, 2016 @ 6:03 pm
The problem with the AP story is that it operates under the assumption that Beyonce should be considered for these awards in the first place or some injustice has been done. Once that premise of an injustice against Beyonce is set, folks can assign racism, sexism, or simple closed-mindedness by hayseed country fans to the reason she got snubbed when she’s not even a country artist.
December 8, 2016 @ 8:56 pm
I still have to disagree with you that the AP story operates under any assumption — I’d be interested in what part of it you believe editorializes to that effect. I think it simply reports a thing (it was newsworthy that she submitted the song for country consideration). Now, in reporting that thing, I agree with the second part of your point that some will construe it as an injustice against Beyonce, etc.
At this point, I’m quibbling with the personification of an “uproar.” I just don’t see it in that story. It may exist on Twitter, but lots of silliness exists on Twitter.
December 8, 2016 @ 9:56 pm
The fact that they even reported on the topic proves they are patently aware of the controversy, and wanted to get on the right side of the click bait war. The fact that they used an anonymous source is also sketchy. If it’s not big deal and you’re just reporting the facts, why can’t you name your source? The answer is because both the source and the AP knew they were stirring the pot. The other reason the AP is minding their P’s and Q’s is because now they know folks are watching. As others have pointed out, I’m not the only one raising a stink, and it’s not even confined to country. The rock world is also in uproar.
You also have to look at the context of this as the THIRD AP story on this subject. This is what the AP said way back in May:
“The song could even qualify for CMA’s song of the year or single of the year awards if it charts in the top 50 of a Billboard country singles chart by the end of June, which it hasn’t yet. And there’s no requirement for being known as a country artist for Beyonce to be nominated for female vocalist of the year.”
The name of the article was “Country Artists Welcome Beyonce to the Format.” The Beyonce camp was using their surrogates at the Associated Press to attempt to get the country format to accept Beyonce, play “Daddy Lessons” on country radio, and nominate her for industry awards, including but not limited to Female Vocalist of the Year, which is ludicrous. The AP set it up then that Beyonce should be considered for country awards, and when she wasn’t, her fans cried foul, both with the CMA’s and now the Grammy Awards.
Look, all this Beyonce stuff is very well documented. 2 1/2 years ago, Saturday Night Live parodied how ridiculous this Beyonce Stan culture is:
The fact that Beyonce was turned down for country Grammys should not be a story. The reason it is is because you cannot cross Queen Bey.
December 8, 2016 @ 12:32 pm
Beyoncé? No racism from me – I simply don’t like her music!
December 8, 2016 @ 12:39 pm
Also, what the crap does “stan” mean? Is that like “ship”? I hate these stupid new words.
December 8, 2016 @ 12:54 pm
It refers to Eminem’s song “Stan” which is about an overly/creepily obsessed fan.
December 8, 2016 @ 1:08 pm
Ohhhhhhh, okay! Thanks!
December 8, 2016 @ 12:42 pm
Here’s the flip side to this. Dave Cobb (who I like) produced Southern Family (which I like) earlier this year. The album purports to be about the southern way of life, southern families, and the south. Yet, nary a single featured artist on the project is African-American! Now last time I checked, the African-American experience, and culture, is sort of integral to the south. So not including this viewpoint is inherently problematic.
On top of that, an African-American choir was the solo vocal on the last song on the album…and yet they are not even credited on the song! AT ALL! The only credit on the track listing is to the guitarist who wrote and produced the song. That’s unconscionable.
And yet, I didn’t hear a single peep about either of those things from any country source (or mainstream) as they rushed to praise the album.
December 9, 2016 @ 8:25 am
It’s music!!!! It’s about the art! Good music can be made by people of all backgrounds. We all get that. Haven’t we had enough of more righteous than thou libs lecturing us about racism???!!! I don’t care about skin color, it’s not a factor in determining my music choice!!!!! Most music fans would agree I believe. It’s not about quote ” inclusion ” as if that is the sole factor in determining a songs relavance. Its an art and art is judged by its own merits. And you should realize that a cultural identity isn’t a bad thing. Sure, lots of white folks enjoy country music, and the majority of artists tend to be white, big whoop. Lots of black folks enjoy r& b and hip hop as well and a majority of artists in those genres are black, big whoop. Who cares??!!! And sometimes artists and music fans cross over and find they love other genres. Who freaking cares!!!! Enjoy diversity in music. There are racist people in every culture, that’s a reality. We could talk about that till the cows come home. But I think you will find at the end of the day, there is a decency in most every day people. Most country music fans do not identify as racists. I for one am sick of hearing guilt inducing lectures on how racist country music is. It’s a dead horse so stop beating it. Learn to enjoy the positives in your life and quit picking on people’s cultural choices.
December 8, 2016 @ 2:05 pm
dear beyonce fans
THIS IS NOT A COUNTRY SONG
now move onto something else
December 8, 2016 @ 2:26 pm
Ok, I finally broke down and listened to Beyonce’s “Daddy Lessons”. It’s very “meh” IMO, but whatever.
The song opens with a very New Orleans-like jazzy instrumental, and then Bey says “Texas, Texas, Texas”. WTF???
Overall, the song has a generic “rootsy” feel to it, but that feel is NOT country.
And the lyrics are VERY pop. By the end of the song, I was subconsciously repeating the phrase “my daddy said shoot” over and over until I realized it and put on some Margo Price.
BEYONCE. NOT. COUNTRY.
Now let’s all get on with lives, LOL.
December 8, 2016 @ 2:47 pm
I think that’s a good take on the song. I would say it’s closer to country than some others (Yes, STILL more country than Sam Hunt applies), but it’s pretty pedestrian. Somebody included a link to a Leann Rimes video where she’s in a woman’s prison a while back. It reminds me a little of whatever that song was.
I listened to the Beyoncé “rock song” today for the first time. Worse than “meh”, in my opinion.
December 8, 2016 @ 3:36 pm
Yeah, this is part of the issue, when you nominate Sam Hunt last year, it’s a lot harder to sit around and say this isn’t country. Then people start asking if Sam Hunt is considered country why isn’t this?
December 8, 2016 @ 6:08 pm
Yup. I have made this exact observation more than once.
December 8, 2016 @ 6:11 pm
Two wrongs don’t make a right. Neither Sam Hunt nor Beyonce are country. THAT is why it is important to put out feet down and say Sam Hunt is being assigned to the wrong genre. Otherwise the bard dorrs open wide and anyone can claim they’ve released a country record, and cry when they don’t get nominated for awards. Country music brought this on itself.
December 8, 2016 @ 6:44 pm
Yep, but they did assign him to country, and they will again next year. Consistency is key though. Otherwise people start questioning why a white man from Georgia gets considered country but not a Black woman from Texas.
December 8, 2016 @ 3:11 pm
Let’s say IT IS a country song, just because it is Beyoncé, it deserves a grammy nod? WTF..
It’s not that great of a song.
Even Rolling Stone is on this now.
December 8, 2016 @ 3:22 pm
I saw that she was not nominated for a grammy, and I was thrilled. I also saw that she was nominated in the rock category. I was beyond annoyed, but that’s something rock fans need to go up in arms about. I’m actually surprised her fans are mad about the country thing. She got freaking 9 grammy noms, including rock. And I can’t stand her, her voice, or her songs.
1) Sturgill should have had her spot at the Cmas.
2) She sounds completely souless to me when she sings.
3) Her fans ARE crazier and more sociopathic than any other musician’s. They’re freaking controlling manipulative bullying narcissistic crazy people. Just go to youtube and express an opinion.
“systematically denied housing, employment, education, and opportunity because of the color of their skin. And it is an atrocity that the attention and vehemence for these very real issues of racism is getting watered down by the continued parade of accusations of race playing into perceived slights against a pop star by country.”
AMEN!
P.S. Trigger can you do an article about Congress banning bots?
December 8, 2016 @ 3:24 pm
Imagine whats gonna happen if Sturgill wins?
December 8, 2016 @ 3:34 pm
that’s part of why i want sturgill to win
for one he deserves it and also i kinda want it to happen just to see the beehive lose their mind
they started a hashtag with a certain four letter word and it backfired when sturgill embraced it and put it on a t-shirt
December 8, 2016 @ 4:01 pm
LOL…..
December 9, 2016 @ 4:29 pm
I sure hope Kanye doesn’t barge right in and steal the mic from Sturgill if that happens.
December 9, 2016 @ 9:06 pm
I think it would be cool to see him try it and end up with a forearm to the jaw. Talk about historic!
December 8, 2016 @ 4:04 pm
I love your rants …. but I’m getting REAL tired of my posts not being displayed….I just “replied” to; Michael
December 8, 2016 @ 3:24 pm
Imagine whats gonna happen if Sturgill wins?
……………
But, it ain’t posted.
December 8, 2016 @ 4:05 pm
Ah, now it shows up….
December 8, 2016 @ 4:07 pm
Now it is….2nd time I posted this. What am I doing wrong?
December 8, 2016 @ 6:07 pm
DJ,
Sometimes due to caching, whether on the website or your specific browser, it may take some time for comments to populate. Or, if a comment goes to moderation for some reason, it may take some time for me to manually approve it. We try to do everything to make sure comments get posted and moderated as quickly as possible, but for various reasons, sometimes it takes a while. What I can assure you is that I value everyone’s comments and opinions, including dissenting opinions, and do not delete or unpost comments unless they cross a certain by containing threats, epithets, or other very aggressive language toward others.
December 8, 2016 @ 6:48 pm
Preciate it!
December 8, 2016 @ 4:47 pm
If she thinks 1 kinda country song on 1 album should get her a Country Grammar nomination… Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, ect… should have gotten all kinds of nominations in Rap, Pop, Rock, and other categories.
Her song didn’t even chart on radio. lol.
December 8, 2016 @ 7:02 pm
Loved your rant, Trigger! Beautiful words…thanks! ‘Nuff said.
December 8, 2016 @ 8:31 pm
Yes, Beyoncé is definitely full of herself, as are her “Stans”. It is indeed ridiculous for them to suggest she should be up for any Grammys in the country field just because a single song of hers evinces a mild slice of C&W. As I said in an earlier thread, I’m not a fan (let alone a “Stan”) of hers by any means. And her fans are going way across the line by implying that country music fans are inherently racist.
By that same token, however, the reaction from some of those same country music fans, including some here, while not terribly surprising to me, is very dismaying. If both the industry as a whole, and the fans in particular, want their brand to be depicted more positively and accurately in the media, the sometimes savage tone of the responses to this whole Beyoncé brouhaha is the most counter-productive way of doing it; and it in fact can play right into the hands of those who decry country music as the haven for rednecks and cross burners.
Besides, when it comes to the integrity and the image of the music, Beyoncé isn’t anywhere near the threat to it that some want to make her out to be. Artists like Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, Kelsey Waldon, and Margo Price are among the potential long-term saviors of the genre. But it’s still the Bro-Country/Metro-Bro dudes that pose a far more damaging threat to country music than Beyoncé ever could, because they do their damage INSIDE the walls of Nashville. If you champion the right folks, and challenge leeches like Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and Florida-Georgia Line, then you’ll have a vibrant country music scene once again.
Slamming Beyoncé, however, makes absolutely NO SENSE at all.
December 8, 2016 @ 8:38 pm
too much ink spilled here
only thing needs to be said:
srsly, f*** this noise
December 8, 2016 @ 8:54 pm
Beyonce is beyond annoying as is the idea that she’s effortlessly conquered all genres with her greatness. Every popular music artist with any integrity should immediately and forever boycott all award shows, just turn it over to the jiggle-pop queens and mumbling spectacle-creators like Kanye West. Let ’em have their adulation and little trophies if it means so much to them. The ridiculous spectacle when Beck “beat” her a few years back was just pathetic and sad, her stans were frothing at the mouth and disrespecting a unique, talented performer who strives for more than cheap attention and who writes and creates music for grown-ups, all over some meaningless statue.
December 8, 2016 @ 10:24 pm
Funny but rock music never catches this much hell for its lack of diversity and really all it gave us for color was Hendrix and Kravitz…. And I suppose Prince.
And for all the ignorant talk about country music’s roots. They never seem to discuss why black artists gave up on jazz and blues as mainstream popular genres.
The big names now in jazz are white or Japanese. And in blues the big names are white mostly and big names in those genres is hardly mainstream at this stage.
Why are they not promoting the culture they actually created instead of co-opting a genre belonging largely to us of European descent.
I be more impressed if Beyonce did a jazz album. But maybe that is too complex for her “gifts” or her audience.
And personally no artist in my lifetime has underwhelmed me more consistently than Beyonce. And it all really turned for me when she sang about girls running the world because she went from grow ass independent WOMEN to girls… Okaaayyyy…
December 9, 2016 @ 7:25 am
Besides the obvious pioneers (Berry, Domino, Little Richard, Ike Turner, etc), here’s a few more:
Living Color
Bad Brains
Slash
Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy)
Rage Against the Machine (Zack and Tom)
Hootie
December 9, 2016 @ 3:49 pm
I love Fats Domino and Little Richard. It’s funny how the pioneers seem to have had a knack for crossing over into country music in some way or another, something that can not be said about Beyonce…
Fats scored the country hit “Whiskey Heaven” in 1980, from the movie Any Which Way you Can. Little Richard’s “Lucille” was re-recorded by Waylon Jennings.
While gospel by definition isn’t country, Little Richard’s gospel recordings are honest, true and earthy and can easily be played alongside those of more country-sounding artists.
December 9, 2016 @ 11:01 pm
With all due respect, Hootie/Darius was is about as rock as he is country. Straight up pop.
December 10, 2016 @ 1:52 pm
I disagree. I think H and the B were better at rock than he is at country. Bland roots rock maybe, but still rock. Hold My Hand is a legitimate roots rock song and there were some other pretty good songs on that first album (e.g., Let Her Cry). At least they were writing their own songs where as now, I think Darius just sings what’s brought to him. The thing about them for me is that I got bored with the album rather quickly after the hook wore off. I wasn’t alone, obviously, as every time I tried to trade in the CD at a used record store, they’d never take it because they had enough in stock. As one storeowner said: Everybody bought it. Everybody wants to get rid of it.
December 10, 2016 @ 9:17 am
Thanks for mentioning Phil Lynott of thin Lizzy. Fantastic, and fan-frickin-tastically underrated band. There is a reason every metal and hard rock band, from Metallica, to Maiden to Def Leppard to Smashing Pumpkins have covered his songs. …and listen to the song Cowboy Song, besides having two of the best guitar solos ever, its more country than Sam Hunt (or Beyoncé).
December 10, 2016 @ 1:57 pm
Rollins Band, too. They covered Are You Ready on Get Some, Go Again. Henry’s a huge fan.
I love Cowboy Song and yes, those guitar solos are sheer joy. Also, I love the one/two punch of that song and The Boys Are Back in Town to start off side three on Live and Dangerous. And Phil was such a great front man.
December 10, 2016 @ 5:37 am
Check out Tosin Abasi of Animals As Leaders. Vinny puts him in his Top 5 guitarists of all time that’s he’s seen live. He’s prog rock, so you’ll never hear about him on the radio. Look up the song “Cafo” on youtube and be prepared to be amazed.
December 9, 2016 @ 1:57 am
Pulling the race card is just weak. I don’t care what race you are. This song isn’t country. Get over it. It aggravates me to see people label genres of music based on race. Anyone of any race should be able to do whatever music that is authentic to whom they are. I don’t care who you are, if you actually do real country music, you have my support. Beyoncé is an overrated pop singer and is not even close to being a country singer. No amount of yeehaws is going to change that.
December 9, 2016 @ 7:04 am
This latest kerfuffle made me think of a recent “Black Jeapardy” skit on SNL. One of the answers was something like “Caitlyn Jenner says she should be on the cover of Essence.” The correct question was “What is Mmm, I don’t know, you can’t do everything“.
December 9, 2016 @ 2:16 pm
what about Darius Rucker? and the legendary Charley Pride? both country singers I’m a huge fan of, and uh, oh yeah, THEY’RE BLACK!!!!! but because I don’t like BEYONCE I’m racist?!?!! ignorance at it’s finest! you know the difference between Darius, Charley & Beyonce? D&C can sing! Bey sounds like @$$!
December 9, 2016 @ 8:08 pm
f beyonce and her cult of personality
f all major music media press
f the CMA’s
f the grammys
This is ridiculous I followed the whole Sturgill only got nominated b/c of “racist White America” on twitter one bored night. I cant belive some people I just cant.
December 10, 2016 @ 1:59 pm
Well, at least the Grammys country music committee had the sense to reject Daddy Lessons for Grammy consideration.
December 9, 2016 @ 11:28 pm
Beyoncé does not belong to country music and she has not business being on CMA’s in the first place so get out of country music period!
December 10, 2016 @ 9:05 am
Dude your brilliant
December 16, 2016 @ 7:25 am
Please, never stop. Ever. This made my day and it’s only 9AM.