The Beyoncé Effect? BeyHive Questions New Grammy Country Switch-Up
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
Okay, we all know that Beyoncé can make the whole world stop with the snap of her fingers, but did she REALLY just convince the Recording Academy to switch up their Grammy categories… just by winning?!
Billboard reports that the 'Best Country Album' category will be renamed 'Best Contemporary Country Album.' Meanwhile, a new category, 'Best Traditional Country Album,' will be added. The new change will take effect at the 2026 Grammys
'The community of people that are making country music in all different subgenres came to us with a proposal and said we would like to have more variety in how our music is honored,' Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. tells Billboard . 'They said, we think we need more space for our music to be celebrated and honored.'
The timing of the change is notable, as it comes months after Beyoncé's big night at the 2025 Grammys. In addition to finally winning 'Album of The Year,' Bey's Cowboy Carter won 'Best Country Album.' With that, she became the first Black woman to win the category.
However, many in the country music world slammed her win. Notably, John Rich of country duo Big & Rich called Beyoncé's win 'a total joke' and said that the Recording Academy 'outed themselves' as pushing an agenda.
It is also not the first time that a Beyoncé win seemingly created a Grammy shake-up. Previously, she won 'Best Dance/Electronic Album' for Renaissance at the 2023 Grammys. The following year, a new category was introduced, 'Best Dance Pop Recording.'
Whether it's simply coincidental or part of a bigger conspiracy, the BeyHive is definitely buzzing! Check out some reactions below!
The Beyoncé Effect? BeyHive Questions New Grammy Country Switch-Up was originally published on hotspotatl.com
Black America Web Featured Video
CLOSE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Beyoncé criticized for shirt calling Native Americans 'enemies of peace'
The Brief A shirt worn by Beyoncé during a performance in Paris has fueled backlash for language about Native Americans. The shirt, worn during a Juneteenth performance and featured on her website, has also sparked discussions about how Americans remember their history. A Buffalo Soldiers T-shirt worn by Beyoncé and featured on her website has sparked criticism for calling Native Americans "the enemies of peace." The shirt, worn during a Juneteenth performance on the "Cowboy Carter" tour in Paris, has also fueled discussions over how Americans remember their history. What we know The T-shirt featured images of the Buffalo Soldiers, who belonged to Black U.S. Army units active during the late 1800s and early 1900s. On the back was a lengthy description of the soldiers that included "their antagonists were the enemies of peace, order and settlement: warring Indians, bandits, cattle thieves, murderous gunmen, bootleggers, trespassers, and Mexican revolutionaries." RELATED: Brandy and Monica announce 'The Boy Is Mine' Tour What we don't know It's unclear what Beyoncé's response is to the backlash. Her spokesperson didn't respond to a comment request from The Associated Press. The backstory The Buffalo Soldiers served in six military units created after the Civil War in 1866. They were comprised of formerly enslaved men, freemen, and Black Civil War soldiers and fought in hundreds of conflicts — including in the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II — until they were disbanded in 1951. RELATED: Diddy Trial: Prosecutors drop kidnapping, arson, and certain sex trafficking charges As the quote on Beyoncé's shirt notes, they also fought numerous battles against Indigenous peoples as part of the U.S. Army's campaign of violence and land theft during the country's westward expansion. What they're saying Fans and Indigenous influencers took to social media to criticize Beyoncé for wearing a shirt that frames Native Americans and Mexican revolutionaries as anything but the victims of American imperialism and for promoting anti-Indigenous language. "The Buffalo Soldiers are an interesting historical moment to look at. But we have to be honest about what they did, especially in their operations against Indigenous Americans and Mexicans," said Chisom Okorafor, who posts on TikTok under the handle @confirmedsomaya. Okorafor said there is no "progressive" way to reclaim America's history of empire building in the West, and that Beyoncé's use of Western symbolism sends a problematic message: "That Black people, too, can engage in American nationalism." "Black people, too, can profit from the atrocities of (the) American empire," she said. "It is a message that tells you to abandon immigrants, Indigenous people, and people who live outside of the United States. It is a message that tells you not only is it a virtue to have been born in this country, but the longer your line extends in this country, the more virtuous you are." The Source This report includes information from The Associated Press.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Beyoncé fans brave scorching heat for Houston hometown kickoff of 'Cowboy Carter' tour
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is to set to light up Houston during the next stop of her "Cowboy Carter" tour. And fans are already braving scorching temperatures to witness the hometown opener. The Grammy-winning singer will launch her first concert in her hometown of Houston at NRG Stadium June 28. The show will mark her first Southern stop on her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour. She is poised to perform two nights only on June 28 and June 29. From the United States to Europe, Beyoncé and her fans have powered through severe weather conditions, including an evacuation, cold temperatures and pouring rain to experience her concerts. In Houston, it was the heat they had to beat with the first show landing on a scorching 91-degree day. Despite this, fans swarmed the stadium grounds ahead of the show--some lining up early to secure spots in the VIP pits and others enduring the sun for a chance at merchandise. Bridget and Meghan Ryan traveled to Houston from Wisconsin to see Beyoncé in concert for the first time. After several flight delays and scheduling hiccups, the sisters were determined to snag official merchandise ahead of Saturday's show. Like many other fans, they ended up standing in a long line in the heat. "We're both from the Midwest, so the humidity is a little extra than what we're used to. I figured staying hydrated would be a good plan,' said Bridget Ryan. "I think it was a come hell or high water kind of situation. Whatever the weather was going to do we were going to show." Their determination didn't stop there. "We even talked about if we don't get any today after sitting outside maybe we'll come back tomorrow and try the truck again,' Meghan Ryan said. The H-Town stop comes after Beyoncé wrapped the international leg of her tour – first with a six-night stint in London, followed by three dazzling nights in Paris. Of course, Beyoncé first debuted her "Cowboy Carter" tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with a 39-song set list. Her shows have been filled with family, fashion, different music genres, and most notably country music and cultural commentary. As fans know, Beyoncé first debuted her "Cowboy Carter" tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with 39 songs on the set list. Her shows have been filled with family, fashion, different music genres, and most notably country music and cultural commentary. The nine-city tour will span the U.S. and Europe with the grand finale taking place in Las Vegas on July 26. Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
New York Times
7 hours ago
- New York Times
Lalo Schifrin, 93, Dies; Composer of ‘Mission: Impossible' and Much More
Lalo Schifrin, the Grammy-winning Argentine-born composer who evoked the ticking, ominous suspense of espionage with his indelible theme to the television series 'Mission: Impossible' as well as scored movies like 'Cool Hand Luke,' 'Bullitt' and 'Dirty Harry,' died on Thursday in Los Angeles. He was 93. His wife, Donna, said the cause of his death, in a hospital, was complications of pneumonia. Mr. Schifrin had a startlingly diverse career as a composer, arranger and conductor in a wide range of genres — from classical to jazz to Latin to folk to rock to hip-hop to electronic to the ancient music of the Aztecs. He conducted symphony orchestras in London and Vienna, and philharmonic orchestras in Tel Aviv, Paris and Los Angeles. He arranged music for the Three Tenors. He provided what The Washington Post called the music of 'rebellious cool' for Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood. But the prolific Mr. Schifrin, who wrote more than 100 film and television scores, was best known for 'Mission: Impossible.' Interpretations of his propulsive theme have also been featured in the eight movies in the 'Mission: Impossible' series, starring Tom Cruise, which began in 1996. Like John Williams, whose many compositions for film include the theme from 'Jaws,' Mr. Schifrin was a master of creating jittery unease and peril. Both composers worked with a recognizable style and a distinct purpose. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
