Among the guests appearances on Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter are a few newer names country fans may recognize. Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts pop in to sing with Beyoncé on “Blackbiird,” a reimagining of the Beatles 1968 song “Blackbird” (the “ii” signifies the LP is the second installment in the singer’s three-album project).
Adell is a rising country star who dropped her debut album, Buckle Bunny, last summer. Her inclusion on Cowboy Carter is of note because she seems to have manifested it herself. In February, shortly after Beyoncé shared the first two singles from the album, Adell tweeted that she wanted to be considered for a guest appearance on the set.
“As one of the only black girls in country music scene, I hope Bey decides to sprinkle me with a dash of her magic for a collab,” Adell wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
After the album dropped last night, Adell shared her enthusiasm, writing, “You can expect a long sappy post tomorrow, but for tonight I just wanna say thank you to Beyoncé.”
Spencer drew attention in 2021 when she covered the Highwomen’s track “Crowded Table” and earned a co-sign from group members Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires. She also memorably performed Martina McBride’s “Independence Day” at the 2021 ACM Honors and joined the Brothers Osborne to close the 2022 Academy of Country Music Awards, both at the Grand Ole Opry. Her album My Stupid Life dropped earlier this year. Rolling Stone called it “a debut country record that’s certain to cement Spencer’s place in the genre.”
Kennedy, who is best known as the host of Apple Music’s The Tiera Show, has opened for Kelsea Ballerini and Danielle Bradbery, and released numerous country tunes. Last month, she offered her own version of Beyoncé’s single “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
Roberts came to attention in 2020 when Carrie Underwood retweeted the singer covering her song “Drinking Alone.” The singer, who has dubbed herself the “Princess of Outlaw Country,” has opened for Reba McEntire and released her debut album, Bad Girl Bible, Vol. 1, in 2023. “I’m so thankful,” Roberts wrote in an Instagram story after Cowboy Carter‘s release. “You’ve always been my inspiration. I’m in awe of you forever and always Beyoncé.”
Earlier this week, Roberts told Complex that her album saw an increase in streams on Spotify after Beyoncé unveiled two country singles. “I’m excited for her to be in this space,” Roberts said. “I love that she’s breaking down barriers and she’s already having an impact after the release of her two singles. I’ve gained probably close to 400,000 new followers across all my social media platforms, and people are also streaming my album, which is a huge deal because that doesn’t always translate.”
