Beyoncé Just Made Chart History With Cowboy Carter

Another day, another slay. On April 8, Beyoncé debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with Cowboy Carter, becoming the first Black woman to do so in the chart’s 60-year history.

Released on March 29, Bey’s album shifted 407,000 album units in its first week, and also topped the Billboard 200 album chart, as well as the Americana/Folk Albums and Top Album Sales charts.

Featuring collaborations with Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Willie Nelson, and Linda Martell, among other artists, Cowboy Carter has been met with both commercial and critical acclaim.

Bey’s move into the country genre was also welcomed by the “BeyHive,” who were quick to celebrate the chart milestone. “Breaking barriers once again,” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Making history once again, almost 30 years into her career,” another commented.

This is just the latest example of Beyoncé making history in her “yeehaw era.” In February, she became the first Black female artist to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with the album’s lead single, “Texas Hold ‘Em.” Later that month, the song also topped the Billboard Hot 100, making Bey the first Black woman to reach No. 1 in the chart with a country song.

Cowboy Carter was born from an experience at the 2016 Country Music Awards, where Beyoncé “did not feel welcomed.” At the ceremony, she performed a rendition of “Daddy Lessons” with The Chicks (formerly known as the Dixie Chicks).

“Because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive,” she wrote on Instagram. “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.”

On April 2, a few days after the album was released, Bey received the coveted Innovator Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards, where she highlighted the importance of enjoying music “with no preconceived notions.”

“My hope is that we're more open to the joy and liberation that comes from enjoying art,” she said on stage, before asking “all the record labels, every radio station, every award show” to embrace “the innovators who have dedicated their lives and their art to creating shifts.”