Beyoncé's new music is touching the hearts of country music legends.
Just weeks after the Texas native released two new singles, "16 Carriages" and "Texas Hold 'Em," the latter reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, making the Texas star the first Black woman to take the spot.
This week, author and country songwriter Alice Randall shared her excitement with News Channel 5 Nashville, praising Beyoncé's success in country music and the genre's Black origins. Randall is also the first Black woman to write a number-one country song, Trisha Yearwood's 1995 hit, "XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl).”
"There is no country music that exists without Black brilliance and artistry," Randall said. "The sounds we hear on the steel guitar are sounds that first came out of Black throats and mouths, bringing traditions from Africa."
Randall then went on to emphasize her pride in Beyoncé, who releases her eighth studio album, Act II, on Mar. 29.
"It is so much a full-circle moment for me that I almost want to cry. I wanted to see a Black woman get to the top of the charts, and I can retire now," she said.
On Apr. 4, Randall will debut her upcoming book, My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music's Black Past, Present, and Future. The body of work will chronicle Randall's personal journey in music, and will also honor "Black Americans rising through hard times to create simple beauty, true joy, and sometimes profound eccentricity."
