Walker Hayes Catches Another Stray as J.R. Carroll Adds to Critics of Beyoncé Going Country 

Beyoncé‘s foray into country music has been a hot topic since she released two singles following her Act II announcement during the Super Bowl. It seems like anyone who has a platform is weighing in on her attempt to break into the country music genre, and that includes musician and member of the Zac Brown Band J.R. Carroll.

Carroll recently posted a tweet in humorous criticism of Beyoncé’s single, “Texas Hold ‘Em.” He wrote, “‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ is essentially the Applebees Song but by someone who is universally loved and respected.”

The tweet referenced Walker Hayes’ popular but also highly criticized song “Fancy Like,” which contains the line “We fancy like Applebee’s on a Friday night.” This has led many critics to simply call it “the Applebee’s song.” Hayes has defended his track on social media following a callout from Zach Bryan, who was criticizing country music radio for taking so long to give Tyler Childers a no. 1 radio hit.

[RELATED: The Meaning Behind “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyoncé and Why She’s Taken a Country Turn]

J.R. Carroll Turns an Initial Criticism into an Interesting Perspective

Carroll expanded on his initial comment with a reply. He wrote, “And also both songs are enjoyable if you stop trying to make everything fit in a box, and also if u realize not everything is for you and that’s OKAY!!!” He then replied and wrote, “Real instruments played by real people tend to make songs better but it doesn’t make them country.”

Overall, Carroll’s comment seems generally positive towards both Hayes and Beyoncé. He is more or less calling out people who are having problems with Beyoncé’s step into country music. What he seems to be saying here is “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “Fancy Like” are both songs that were written with the express purpose of being country radio hits.

Beyoncé’s foray into country has also drawn criticism from notorious callout queen Azealia Banks, who claimed Beyoncé was setting herself up “to be ridiculed again.” She wrote that there are certain “theatrics” that go into country music, and that there was “nothing country” about “Texas Hold ‘Em.”

However, whether you, Azealia Banks, or J.R. Carrol like Beyoncé’s singles or not, at the end of the day there’s no denying she’s bringing renewed attention to the country genre.

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