Front Burner - Beyoncé and country’s Black roots

Episode Date: March 29, 2024

When Beyoncé took the stage at the 2016 Country Music Awards, alongside the Chicks, the racist backlash was immediate. Eight years later, she alluded to that experience when she announced her new album, Cowboy Carter. In recent years, we’ve seen some pushback against the genre’s whiteness. And with Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé is reminding us once again that at its roots, country music is Black. Today, music, pop culture, and politics writer Taylor Crumpton joins us to talk about how for decades, country music has been packaged for a white audience. And how that’s starting to change. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

In the Dragon's Den, a simple pitch can lead to a life-changing connection. Watch new episodes of Dragon's Den free on CBC Gem. Brought to you in part by National Angel Capital Organization, empowering Canada's entrepreneurs through angel investment and industry connections. This is a CBC Podcast. This ain't Texas, ain't no hold'em. So lay your cards down, down, down, down. Hi, I'm Jamie Poisson.

This song really needs no introduction, but just in case, this is Beyoncé with her hit single, Texas Hold'em. It's off her new album, Cowboy Carter, which is out today. And with that song, Beyoncé became the first Black woman to top Billboard's country music chart. That has caused a lot of discussion because right now you're probably thinking of the many, many country songs by white men about trucks, whiskey, and women. For decades, that's how the genre has been packaged. In recent years, we've seen some pushback against the genre's whiteness. And with Renaissance Act II, Beyonce is telling us in no uncertain terms that at its roots, country music is Black. Today, Taylor Crumpton is here with me. They're a music, pop culture, and politics writer

from Dallas, Texas, Beyonce's home state. And we're going to talk about who country music belongs to. Let's get into it. Taylor, hi. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for having me on. It's great to have you, and I've been looking forward to this conversation all week. It is a fabulous way to get into a long weekend. I want to get to Beyonce in a moment. But first, can you talk to me a little bit about your own personal relationship with country music growing up? Growing up, my first exposure to country music was through my family and the elders in my family.

I have elders in my family who are from Mississippi, which is a place we consider the deep South, as well as Texas, right? Where Beyonce is from her home state. And the cultural exchange between members of my family is that there has always been a love, appreciation, admiration for country music. Because before country music was known as this white genre, it was the music of my people, right? And I say my people as a reference to African Americans in the Southern United States who worked in agricultural industries, right? They worked in the fields, they worked with their hands, They were very much laborers working the soil. Even I would include domestic workers who were cleaning house and were singing these songs.

So country music to us is reminiscent of those songs that were sung at work and songs that were sung in the church and songs that were sung in the household because that was the origin point for a lot of these Black country stars, the first generation at the very least. That's what they were recording, the songs that they grew up with. And those are the songs that I heard growing up. So when I hear country music, it makes me think of my elders, right? It makes me think of my ancestors. So it's a full circle moment to be able to sit down and listen to a song that they have also listened to, cool, a Black artist is trying out country again. And given what, you know, you've just been talking about, I'm wondering what goes through your head when you hear that. It makes me disappointed because there's a long history of Black entertainers who have performed in the country music space. Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Deford Bradley,

Bobby Womack, the Pointer Sisters, Linda Martel. There's always been a history, but the way in which country music markets itself, it refuses to acknowledge that history, that there have been Black artists prior to Beyonce that have participated in this genre, that have shaped this genre, who have brought notoriety, success, and acclaim to this genre, but because they do not fit the archetype of what a country music star is and what they believe a country music star should be, they choose to omit this from this narrative, which robs the genre of a rich cultural diversity that reflects the origins of the United States. My understanding is that this narrative formed in part because of a change in the 1920s when race records became a thing, right? And could you explain that to me?

Yes, the creation of race records helped birth this myth of country music being seen as a white genre. Race records came into America at a time where Jim Crow legislation and policies were the law of the land. Right. There was no cultural exchange that could be seen as American, right? It was very much a Black and white binary. And country music, before it was known as country music, was referred to as hillbilly music, which is a reference to the Black Americans, Indigenous Americans, and white Americans that live in the Appalachian Mountains, right? Because of their geographical proximity, as well as their profession. And also with the element of class, they were forced to live in community with each other, which birthed this exchange among people. However, that exchange and that melody and that cornucopia in the blending was not something that

could be marketed when race records and when the modern day recording industry came into being. So there was an intentional effort to divide and categorize one as white and one as black. And that is when you have this myth start to be formed that country music is white because at its birth birth it was known and marketed and protected and championed as a white genre. Right. And so the Black artists would have their records and then the white artists would have their records, even though, you know, at times I understand they were like playing the same music and recording the same songs, right? Yes. The underbelly is that a majority of white artists during this time would re-record Black artists' songs, would re-record songs from Black genre, and then they would be marketed

as white songs or white genres, right? So there's also a long history of cultural theft. One example that I was reading about is that in some cases, black artists were actually teaching white artists. So, for example, one of the groups that shaped country music, the Carter family, was taught to write music by a black artist named Leslie Riddle, who took them to black churches. I don't know if that has anything to do with why Beyonce called her album

Cowboy Carter. I mean, obviously, she has another reason to do that. But I mean, that's like a very interesting historical example as well. And I'm grateful that you brought them up because the Carter family is the first example of this theft. I hear a low, faint voice that says, Papa, that Mama's dead. And it comes from the poor orphan child that must be closed and dead. Carter family was exposed to all of these beautiful cultural traditions because of Leslie Riddle. Leslie Riddle was their guide, their doula, the person who allowed them to come into these communities in the Appalachians and to hear these songs and to see these plucking techniques. Songs and

techniques that when they had the Bristol sessions, which is known as the big bang of country music, They had the Bristol sessions, which is known as the Big Bang of country music. This is when it really started to become commercialized and marketed. The songs that the Carter family submitted were the songs that they learned during these moments with Leslie Riddle. Can you describe modern country music today for me? Like, how would you describe it? and all the forces that benefit from Nashville in terms of economic capital, economic labor, and all the industries that are affiliated with country music, right? Hospitality, tourism, politics, X, Y, and Z, to maintain this idea of country music at Nashville as this white utopia that only services those who are seen as desirable by promoting and only promoting them to positions of power in the country music industry. I heard you talk earlier very lovingly, right, about your connection to country music.

And so would you consider yourself a modern day country fan? No, I grew up in Texas, which is known for, you know, its innovation of the country music genre, the outlaw movement, honky tonks. So when you grow up in Texas, you will be exposed to country music, whether you like to or not. You know, my high school, our mascot was the cowboy. We played Toby Keith's Shoulda Been a Cowboy. That exposure always felt in contradiction to what my perception and what my definition of country music is, because I know that there's a way in which white Americans perceive and create country music, and that is different than what Black Americans perceive and create as our country music.

This is something that I think Beyonce, what you're touching on here is something that I think Beyonce actually nodded to in her Instagram post announcing Cowboy Carter, right? She said it was inspired by an experience she had years ago where she did not feel welcome. And there's been a lot of speculation that she's talking about her 2016 CMA's performance of Daddy Lessons with the chicks. And can you tell me about what happened there and the reaction to that? And can you tell me about what happened there and the reaction to that? Yes. At the 50th annual CMA Awards, Beyoncé performed Daddy this world, daddy's little girl. At the time, it was the 2016 presidential election year. And that was a time period where Beyonce was seen as someone who was in alignment and affiliation

with the Democratic Party, as well as with the Black Lives Matter movement, which is in contradiction with country music was championed in promoting at that time. If you remember the backlash that Beyonce received, there were articles written about her saying that she wasn't country enough. There were entertainers at the awards ceremony who walked off. One of my friends, Tanner, he leads Black Opry, which is a Black-led country music organization, heard Beyonce be referred to as a racial and derogatory slur. I don't know if I can say that on air. so much hatred and vitriol to the point where the CMAs took down any evidence on social media and digital media that she ever performed at the stage. And there is a interview that one of the

chicks did saying that they were disgusted by the way in which Beyonce and her band members were treated at the CMAs. You know, It was just a weird vibe in that building. We hadn't done anything country award shows or anything since the controversy. Let me just say the week we worked with Beyonce is the single greatest working week of my professional life. I guess they can rate those shows now by the 15 minutes. It's the highest rated 15 minutes in CMA history. And then they start getting racist assholes bombarding their website with comments and emails and whatever. And so they take her down.

They took our performance down and caved. And then they, I guess, got so much bad press for doing that. Within 24 hours, they put it back up again. Just cowards. It's just crazy. She just gave you your greatest ratings that you've ever gotten. How dare you take her song off? So you're having Beyonce, someone who has given her whole entire life to music, to the production and creation of American music that has gone worldwide, experience mistreatment on every single platform. And that is what she is referring to in that Instagram post about the origins of Cowboy Carter. Yeah. So I'll just note, I've read everything you

just mentioned about the backlash. But I do just want to say that, you know, at the time to that, that, you know, they possibly left because they had to go to a performance, for example. But, you know, obviously, those responses and that reasoning, it didn't do very much to calm things down at all. And a lot of people were very skeptical of it. In the Dragon's Den, a simple pitch can lead to a life-changing connection. Watch new episodes of Dragon's Den free on CBC Gem. Brought to you in part by National Angel Capital Organization, empowering Canada's entrepreneurs through angel investment and industry connections.

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I help you and your partner create a financial vision together. To listen to this podcast, You and your partner create a financial vision together. To listen to this podcast, just search for Money for Cups. This idea that there's ownership here over like who gets to do country music. Do you see that in other genres? Not at all. And that's what comes into play. Why is this genre so steadfast on ownership, so adamant of only having one presentation iteration of itself compared to the other American genres that were birthed out of race records,

right? The white-Black genre binary no longer exists in the United States. We don't have the same of backlash for R&B, hip hop, pop. You know, there has been so many efforts to change those genres to reflect the demographics of America. You know, last year, hip hop turned 50. and the most prominent rappers of that time period were women right and also you have someone like a cardi b who is a mother but also has said you know on social media that she is sexually fluid that she has had relationships with women you have victorio bornet who is a mother and also bisexual so we're having diversity in all these other genres and there are diverse country music musicians, right? There are country music artists who are trans and queer and non-binary and members of the LGBTQ community, but they are not allotted nor

afforded to perform on country music's biggest stage or to receive recognition or airplay because country music refuses to acknowledge and grant legitimacy to those versions of themselves. If the world is evolving, if the world is progressing, why does country music refuse to do so? It's worth noting, like, there have been some Black country artists that have had some commercial success, right, even with this industry working against them. You mentioned Linda Martel. Charlie Pride had 52 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot Country chart during his career. You've got to kiss an angel good morning and let her know you think about her when you're gone. Just how difficult was it even for them to break through?

Extremely difficult. Linda Martell is still alive today, right? We are talking about her in conversation, but the record contract that she had with Plantation Records that she was uncomfortable with because she's a Black woman being signed to a record label that is named Plantation that is owned by white people who is mistreating her as a Black woman was endued with racial and ancestral trauma and they did not allow her nor were they ever going to give her the equitable treatment she deserved. In the other artist she referenced, there were so many attacks and threats on his life. I think people forget, yes, they may have achieved commercial success, but they were not able to build legacies, to build generational wealth, to profit from their labor. The majority of their earnings still went to white record labels who were owned by white people. So it was just, to be quite frank, another version of sharecropping. But instead of them working the fields, they were recording records.

recording records. Mm-hmm. You know, when I'm thinking of, like, the biggest names in country today, I'm thinking of people like Jason Aldean and his 2023 song, Try That in a Small Town. Try that in a small town. See how far you make it down. And first, like, he didn't grow up in a small town, it turns out. And second, the song and the music video that accompanied it was criticized heavily for being racist. The video, for example, was filmed in front of the site of a lynching and the location of race riots. And also the original video, it cast Black Lives Matter protests in this violent and, you know, I think it's fair to say negative light,

as basically a big city problem that, I don't know if you'd agree with this, but that wouldn't fly in a small town. And, you know, Aldine denied that there was any ill intent, but what does it mean for Beyonce, do you think, to release this album at a time when this is the climate in country music? That just came out last year. Yeah, and that song was described as a modern day lynching anthem, because that is what Jason Aldean was promoting, whether he would like to acknowledge it or not. That was a dog whistle to those who listen to his music and those who listen to mainstream country music as a way to see what their artist or a person of influence is promoting at the time, right? So for a Black woman to re-enter this space is very telling about ownership and who gets to own things and possess things in America

and anytime a Black person has tried to own something right I'm thinking about Black towns in the United States like Tulsa, Oklahoma there seems to be an effort by a white majority to destroy it and eradicate it off the face of the earth. Like the bombing that occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which for those who are music heads, if they are familiar with the Gap Band, which is a musical group composed of descendants of those who survived the Tulsa bombing, their most notable song in pop culture

is called You Dropped a Bomb on Me. You lift the fuse, I stand in fuse pop culture is called You Dropped a Bomb on Me. Black artists have always had to deal with being in spaces where their white counterparts will weaponize their whiteness to not only humiliate them but to encourage others to attack them. I think people forget that after the release of Texas Hold'em and 16 Carriages, a group of neo-Nazis marched into downtown Nashville. She is releasing country music yet again in a presidential election year. There is a fear that Beyonce may not be saying verbally at the time, but we've seen people as of late throw things at artists, both black and white and everything in between, throw objects to harm artists. So you have to also be fearful that this is not going to be maybe the same safe, positive space that was a Renaissance world tour. What is there to say that someone who listened to Try That in a Small Town will not try to try Beyonce during her tour? Because that is what

the modern day country music industry has created, promoted, and continues to feed. I think that's probably a really good place for us to end this conversation. Thank you so much for this, Taylor. This was really insightful, and I have just enjoyed listening to you talk about the legacy of country music. It's so important. Thank you. Well, I appreciate you so much for having me on. All right, that is all for this week. I'm Jamie Poisson. Frontburner was produced by Matt Mews, Ali Jane, Sarah Jackson, and Derek Vanderwyk. Sound design was by Mackenzie Cameron, Marco Luciano, and Will Yar. Music is by Joseph Chabison.

Our senior producer is Elaine Chao. Our executive producer is Nick McCabe-Locos. Thanks so much for listening, and we'll talk to you next week. For more CBC Podcasts, go to cbc.ca slash podcasts.