A Boston news anchor’s recent reflection on his time at an area country station has Beyoncé fans pointing to the years-in-the-making nature of the 32-time Grammy winner’s upcoming album.
During a recent broadcast, Colton Bradford of NBC 10 Boston said he was working at a country music station “almost eight years ago” when none other than Mathew Knowles, father to Beyoncé and Solange, showed up.
"This is crazy. Everyone in the newsroom is gonna get a giggle out of this," Bradford said during a report on the recently announced Act II. "Seven, almost eight years ago, I was hosting a nightly radio show on a country station here in Boston. All of a sudden, a guy comes knocking on the door and it’s Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé's dad."
According to Colton, Knowles was there "to talk to the program director of the radio station because he said that there was someone in their musical family who was interested in country music."
Over the weekend, Beyoncé rolled out two new songs, “16 Carriages” plus “Texas Hold ‘Em,” as well as announced a March 29 release date for the second album in the Renaissance trilogy. She also shared a minute-long teaser video that referenced Wim Wenders' 1984 classic Paris, Texas. If you haven't seen the film, it's a must-watch and is currently available to stream on Max.
While morons might try to posit Act II as Beyoncé’s first time fully embracing country, longtime fans will wisely point to the 2016 Lemonade track "Daddy Lessons." That year, Beyoncé was joined by The Chicks for a televised performance of the song at the Country Music Association Awards in Nashville.
Beyoncé isn't the only global star set to go all in on country music this year. Post Malone, fresh off his own CMAs appearance alongside Hardy and Morgan Wallen last year, has confirmed that his long-rumored country record is on the way.