Beyonce Says She ‘Did Not Feel Welcomed’ in Country Music: ‘It Was Very Clear That I Wasn’t’

Beyoncé felt all the love after releasing two songs from Act II: Cowboy Carter, and she is now shedding light on her upcoming album.

“Today marks the 10-day countdown until the release of Act II,” Beyoncé, 42, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, March 19. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of ‘Texas Hold ‘Em' and ‘16 Carriages.’ I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart.”

She continued, “That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant.”

Beyoncé, who dropped the two songs during Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024, noted that her album “has been over five years in the making.”

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“It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed … and it was very clear that I wasn’t,” she wrote. “But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive.”

Fans believe she is referring to her first country single, “Daddy Lessons,” from Lemonade. The Recording Academy's country committee refused to consider the song eligible for Grammy Awards in country categories despite winning a Country Music Association Award.

She continued in her Tuesday post, “It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.”

Beyoncé added that the “criticisms” she faced when she initially entered into the country realm “forced [her] to propel past the limitations that were put on me.” She said that her upcoming project resulted from challenging herself and taking her “time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”

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“I have a few surprises on the album, and have collaborated with some brilliant artists who I deeply respect,” she wrote.

Days after Beyoncé announced her upcoming album, TMZ asked producer Killah B whether the album would feature any collaborations — specifically with Taylor Swift — and he played coy. “Let’s just say that she is on the approach of shocking the world,” he replied. “I’ll let your imagination decide what that means.”

A source “with knowledge of the situation” later told Entertainment Weekly that the speculation of a collaboration with Swift, 34, “is not featured on Bey’s new record in any way.”

On Tuesday, Beyoncé noted she hopes listeners can “hear [her] heart and soul, and all the love and passion that [she] poured into every detail and every sound.”

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“I focused on this album as a continuation of Renaissance,” Beyoncé wrote, referring to her July 2022 album. “I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop.”

She concluded, “This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album. This is Act II Cowboy Carter, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”

Act II: Cowboy Carter drops on March 29.