Michelle Obama has praised Beyoncé for “helping redefine a music genre” with her new country album Cowboy Carter.
The former U.S. First Lady shared the artwork for Beyoncé’s new album on Instagram on Tuesday and described the music superstar as a “record-breaker and history-maker”.
“With Cowboy Carter, you have changed the game once again by helping redefine a music genre and transform our culture. I am so proud of you!” she captioned her post.
“Cowboy Carter is a reminder that despite everything we’ve been through to be heard, seen, and recognized, we can still dance, sing, and be who we are unapologetically. This album reminds us that we ALL have power. There’s power in our history, in our joy, and in our votes – and we can each use our own gifts and talents to make our voices heard on the issues that matter most to us.”
Obama then singled out Beyoncé’s song Ya Ya, one of the most obviously political tracks on Cowboy Carter. In the song, the Texas Hold ‘Em singer encourages Americans to “keep the faith” in the face of hardship and urges them to vote.
“Together, we can stand up for what we believe in, and we must do that at the ballot box this year,” Obama continued. “The issues that impact us most are on the ballot across the country – from equal pay and racial justice to reproductive healthcare and climate change. And as Queen Bey says at the end of Ya Ya, we need to ‘keep the faith’ and ‘VOTE!’
“You can register to vote with @WhenWeAllVote in the time it takes you to listen to your favorite song on the album.”