Beyoncé‘s fans are attempting to connect the dots regarding her GRAMMYs outfit and a possible country era. Fans took to social media after the award show to pose the question: did Beyoncé hint at a new country album by wearing a cowboy hat to the GRAMMYs?
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This wouldn’t be the megastar’s first foray into country music, however. In 2016, Queen Bey submitted the song “Daddy Lessons” from Lemonade to the GRAMMYs in the country category. Ultimately, the Recording Academy didn’t share Beyoncé’s opinion that the blues-inspired track should contend with more traditional country songs, and the Country Music Committee of the GRAMMYs rejected the track.
That was the year Beyoncé brought The Chicks out on the Country Music Awards stage, where they had been blacklisted since 2003. The comeback for The Chicks seemed to also mark an exploration of country music for Beyoncé. She and The Chicks released an alternate version of “Daddy Lessons,” but that seems to be as far as the Queen went into the country genre.
Now, with the decidedly country-influenced look she sported at this year’s GRAMMYs, fans are chomping at the bit to know if she’s planning her long-awaited jump to country. Beyoncé has always been proud of her southern-country roots, being from Houston, Texas. Could she possibly be planning a love letter to her hometown and the inspirational music that stems from there? It’s all fan speculation at this point.
What Other Clues Has Beyoncé Left That Could Hint at a Country Album?
We know she’s putting out new music already, as she has stated that Renaissance is meant to be a trilogy. The first part explored futuristic imagery, and she emulated 20th-century space-age robots in her costuming, possibly pulling from Fritz Lang’s 1927 film Metropolis.
As for the subsequent parts to the trilogy, the BeyHive has been analyzing the imagery from Renaissance since it came out. Fan have been hoping to catch some clue she’s left for them. Per a report from Billboard, they’ve noticed that she’s often seen wearing cowboy hats in the promotional material for the album. She followed a similar trend during her world tour. Could this be the clue they think it is, or has Beyoncé just taken a liking to cowboy hats recently?
Beyoncé has already referenced country elements in her other work, most notably the Houston Rodeo. As she told the Houston Chronicle in 2021, “I grew up seeing artists like Selena and Frankie Beverly and Maze and today it is just as eclectic with artists like Kacey Musgraves to Mary J. Blige. I remember the trail ride, with people riding from all over to the Houston Rodeo.”
This memory of the Houston Rodeo allegedly led to her fourth collaboration with Adidas, “Ivy Park Rodeo.” The promotional image on Instagram featured Beyoncé in a brown cow print set standing in front of a stack of hay bales. “Welcome to the rodeo,” read the caption.
Is this just Beyoncé expressing her love of country aesthetics? Or has this all been a hint at the Renaissance trilogy? We might have to wait until Queen Bey announces the next installment to know for sure.
Featured Image by John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
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