Beyonce becomes first Black woman to top Billboard's Hot Country Songs Chart

 Beyoncé

Beyoncé has made history by becoming the first black woman to reach the top of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, as announced on Tuesday.

Her song "Texas Hold 'Em" achieved the number one spot after its release alongside "16 Carriages," both part of a surprise album announcement made during the Super Bowl.

This accomplishment also places Beyoncé as the second solo female artist to have a song debut at number one on this chart, a distinction previously held by Taylor Swift in 2021 with her re-recorded versions of "Love Story" and "All Too Well."

According to Luminate, "Texas Hold 'Em" quickly captured the public's attention, securing 19.2 million official streams and a 4.8 million all-format airplay audience, along with 39,000 sales in the United States up to February 15.

Beyoncé's success on the Hot Country Songs chart also marks her as the first woman to achieve number one positions on both this chart and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart since their establishment in 1958.

She joins a select group of artists, including Ray Charles, Billy Ray Cyrus, Justin Bieber, and Morgan Wallen, who have accomplished this dual chart-topping feat.

The tracks "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages" are expected to feature on Beyoncé's forthcoming ninth studio album, "Renaissance Act II," which is set for release on March 29.

The relationship between country music and Black artists has been complex and contentious at times.

An incident involving an Oklahoma country radio station refusing to play "Texas Hold 'Em" led to a widespread viral campaign on X, formerly known as Twitter, highlighting the ongoing challenges Black artists face in the genre.

The struggle of Black artists in country music was also seen in 2019 when Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road," featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, was removed from Billboard's country chart after it had achieved the number-one position.

Billboard justified the removal by arguing that the song did not sufficiently conform to the contemporary country music genre, despite its clear country themes and banjo instrumentation, raising questions about the genre's inclusivity and criteria for chart classification.