01-07-2025
Gavin Adcock Blasts Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter in Wild Onstage Rant: 'That Ain't Country!'
Country-rock artist Gavin Adcock is lighting up the internet after a bold onstage takedown of Beyoncé's genre-defying 2024 album Cowboy Carter, questioning her place on the country charts and reigniting the genre-purity debate that has shadowed country music's evolution for decades.
While performing at a recent show on his Need To Know Tour, the Georgia-born singer-songwriter took a sharp detour from his setlist to share some unfiltered thoughts with the crowd about the current state of the country music charts and he made it crystal clear that he's not on board with Beyoncé being part of the conversation.
'There's only three people in front of me on the Apple Music country charts,' Adcock declared, pausing for effect. 'And one of 'em is Beyoncé. You can tell her we're coming for her fkin' a.'
The crowd erupted in cheers.
'That sht ain't country music, and it ain't never been country music, and it ain't never gonna be country music,' he continued, before launching into the next song of his set. 'We're 'bout to play y'all some Southern fking rock. Y'all hit that s**t, boys.'
His remarks came just as his forthcoming album, Own Worst Enemy, climbed to No. 4 on the Apple Music Country Albums chart, trailing only Morgan Wallen's I'm The Problem, Parker McCollum's self-titled LP, and Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, which has sparked both acclaim and controversy since its release.
Adcock's comments reignited an already volatile discussion surrounding Cowboy Carter, a genre-blending juggernaut that stunned critics and fans alike when it took home Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
The win marked a historic milestone, as Beyoncé became the first Black woman to ever win Best Country Album, a feat many hailed as overdue representation in a genre long criticized for its lack of diversity.
Yet, the project has divided the country music community. While songs like 'Texas Hold 'Em' and '16 Carriages' earned widespread praise, others have questioned whether Beyoncé's Nashville aspirations ring authentic, especially given her pop and R&B roots.
Adcock made it clear that he isn't against Beyoncé as an artist his issue is with the classification.
'When I was a little kid, my mama was blasting some Beyoncé in the car,' he said in a social media video posted days after the show. 'I've heard a ton of Beyoncé songs and I actually remember her Super Bowl halftime show being pretty kick a** back in the day.'
But he drew a sharp line between admiration and genre respect.
'I really don't believe that her album should be labeled as country music. It doesn't sound country. It doesn't feel country. And I just don't think that people that have dedicated their whole lives to this genre and this lifestyle should have to compete or watch that album just stay at the top just because she's Beyoncé.'
Gavin Adcock's rise has been anything but subtle. A former Georgia Southern football player turned hard-touring artist, Adcock is carving out a place for himself in modern country with a gritty, rock-injected style that has captured the ears of fans who prefer their Southern anthems raw, loud, and unapologetically masculine.
His upcoming album Own Worst Enemy, set for release August 15, has already stirred excitement with early singles like 'Last One To Know', a Southern confessional that threads heartbreak, hangovers, and self-destruction through a swampy soundscape.
'Wild-a* women, hard-a** living / Did it to myself, near over and over / Guess me and my buddy Jim put on a hell of a show / They woke me up this morning, I was the last one to know.'*
The track, co-written with Erik Dylan, Jack Rauton, and Luke Laird, delivers what Adcock does best: gritty vocals, Southern twang, and a backwoods reverence for telling the brutal truth.
The project spans 24 tracks, with songs like 'Loose Strings,' 'Need To,' 'Never Call Again,' 'Unlucky Strikes,' 'On One,' and 'Almost Gone' (featuring Vincent Mason) already teasing a sonically diverse yet thematically cohesive record. The full track list is expected to be announced in late July.
Adcock's rant has earned him both support and backlash. On one side are traditionalists who believe country music is being diluted by genre tourism. On the other, listeners and critics who argue that Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter not only embraces country roots but expands its possibilities.
For Adcock, the issue isn't Beyoncé's race, legacy, or talent but rather what happens to the genre's soul when 'country' becomes a marketing label rather than a lived experience.
'It's not about who she is,' Adcock emphasized in his video. 'It's about what the music is. And it just ain't country.'
While the debate rages online, Gavin Adcock is staying busy on the road, headlining small-town festivals, fairgrounds, and dive-bar venues with his Need To Know Tour. He's also slated for select opening slots on Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem Tour, placing him even closer to the heart of mainstream country.
With Own Worst Enemy just weeks away, Adcock is doubling down on his brand: unfiltered, Southern, and unapologetic.
Whether his statements endear him further to the country faithful or estrange him from an increasingly genre-fluid industry remains to be seen.
Gavin Adcock has no plans to bite his tongue or back down from Beyoncé.
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