Beyoncé has reached another significant milestone in her illustrious career by becoming the first Black woman to top the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
Her latest album, Cowboy Carter, not only debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart but also marked the best-selling week of 2024, with 407,000 album units sold in the first week of April.
With this achievement, Beyoncé, a 32-time Grammy winner, now holds the fourth-most No. 1 hits among women, trailing behind Taylor Swift, Barbra Streisand, and Madonna. Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter has garnered her biggest debut since her Lemonade album.
The album’s lead single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” made history as the first song by a Black female artist to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country chart. Cowboy Carter features an impressive lineup of guest artists, including Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton.
The album has received praise from industry peers, with Jelly Roll, a three-time winner at the recent CMT Awards, expressing admiration for Beyoncé’s boldness in covering “Jolene” and hailing her as the queen of the genre.
Following initial resistance from some country music fans and radio stations, Beyoncé’s venture into country music with Cowboy Carter faced challenges. However, her bold move into new musical territory was recognized and celebrated at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on April 1.
During the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Beyoncé was honored with the Innovator Award, presented by none other than Stevie Wonder, who collaborated with her on the track “Jolene.”
