Luke Bryan talks Beyoncé’s CMA Awards snub, ‘Cowboy Carter’

Luke Bryan tries to guess why Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” was snubbed by the Country Music Assn. Rewards.

Although the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart – making Beyoncé the first Black woman to top the chart – it was excluded from the 2024 CMA Awards nominations, announced last month.

“It’s a tricky question,” the “Play It Again” singer said Tuesday on the show “Andy Cohen live» radio show. “Obviously, Beyoncé made a country album and Beyoncé has a lot of fans who support her.”

But, as is the case with himself, Bryan continued, “Just because she made one (album),” no reward was guaranteed.

The “American Idol” host then defended the CMA voting body, saying, “They vote for what they think should be successful” and inevitably “a lot of good music gets overlooked.”

Dolly Parton, who appears on “Cowboy Carter” in a track called “Dolly P,” also suggested Variety last month’s snub was nothing personal but rather a byproduct of an awards race in a very saturated genre.

“I don’t think it was a matter of exclusion, like doing it on purpose. I think it was just what the country charts and country artists did, who do that all the time, not just a specialty album,” Parton said.

But while the “Jolene” singer insisted that “everyone in country music welcomed” Beyoncé, Bryan suggested that the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer continued to keep her distance from the gender – and the “family” formed around him.

“Everyone loved that Beyoncé made a country album. Nobody is angry about it. But where things get a little tricky,” he said, “if you want to make country albums, come into our world and be a little country with us. »

He continued: “Beyoncé can do exactly what she wants. She is probably the biggest star in music. But come to an awards show and congratulate us. And have fun and be part of the family too.

Bryan qualified his statements – “I’m not saying she didn’t do that” – but did not provide evidence to the contrary.

Bryan’s comments were scrutinized by netizens who said his invitation to Beyoncé was itself laden with exclusionary remarks.

“Luke B talking about Beyoncé is so infuriating I don’t even know where to start. Does the price of entry give you a high-five? a user wrote on X. “To be a “country” on your terms, the terms that the popular white men in charge can decide, to be part of the “family”? »

“Guys like Luke seem to think white people created and own country music,” another wrote. “They are sucking the souls out of the country. This is why much of today’s mainstream country is so mediocre. Cowboy Carter is awesome. Luke could learn a lot about country from Beyoncé.

The last time Beyoncé attended the CMAs was in 2016, rolling stone reported, news of his performance sparked a #BoycottCMA trend, and his “Daddy Lessons” performance with the Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) polarized country music fans. Tanner Davenport of the Black Opry attended the show and claimed that during the show he heard a woman say, “Get that Black b— off the stage!” » (A Nashville manager also said Billboard in 2016, Alan Jackson left his front row seat.)

The 2016 ceremony was reportedly the birthplace of “Cowboy Carter,” which Beyoncé previously said on Instagram was “born out of an experience I had years ago where I didn’t feel welcome.”

“It was very clear that no. But, through this experience, I dove deeper into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archives,” she said. “Act II is the result of a challenge I took on and taking my time to bend and blend genres to create this body of work.”

In the same message, Queen Bey included a phrase that could have dissuaded the CMAs from adopting “Cowboy Carter.”

“It’s not a country album. It’s a ‘Beyoncé’ album,” she said.

Such brazen genre-busting doesn’t bode well for singers, Kelly Clarkson told NBC10 Boston in an interview that has since been removed from the news channel’s website. The Grammy winner recalls turning to the country genre herself, only to be told that her music wouldn’t be played on the radio unless she “ditch pop altogether.”

“I felt like the door was closed unless I was all in and I had to leave all the other genres behind, which I don’t think people like me, or even Beyoncé, are capable of TO DO. It’s not even a want or desire, it’s just that we like to splash around,” she said. “Why limit yourself?”

Clarkson said she found it curious that Beyoncé didn’t receive any CMA Awards nominations, “because I feel like those songs were everywhere.”

Bryan will return as host of this year’s CMAs, alongside Peyton Manning and emerging country artist Lainey Wilson. The ceremony will air live on November 20 at 8 p.m. on ABC and stream the following day on Hulu.

As for the prospects of additional awards for “Cowboy Carter,” the recording would compete in country categories, including Best Country Album at the 2025 Grammys.