Rhiannon Giddens slams 'problematic' reaction to Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter': 'That's just racism'

Beyoncé is coming Cowboy Carter The LP is already being talked about a lot — and it's not even out yet. Set to hit digital streaming platforms at midnight on March 29, the superstar's new set marks the culmination of her foray into country music. Prior to the album's release, “Texas Hold'Em” banjo player Rhiannon Giddens joined. IMPACT x Nightline to talk about racism in country music, pop crossovers in the genre, and the backlash against Cowboy Carter in the episode airing on March 28 and Advertising sign has an exclusive sneak peek.

Giddens—a singer and scholar who has devoted her life to celebrating the black history of banjo and country music—believes Cowboy Carter it's a huge step towards genuine mainstream recognition of the genre's roots.

“It was really interesting,” says Giddens IMPACT x NightlineJanay Norman for the resounding success of the soulful country-pop track “Texas Hold'Em,” which Beyonce dropped during the 2024 Super Bowl along with the soulful, reflective ballad “16 Carriages.” “I've been on a… little roller coaster ride of… showcasing my music, dancing TikToks to my banjo sound – that's been really, really, really amazing. It feels like a real pure moment of discovery.”

“Texas” enjoyed notable commercial success: not only did it top the Billboard Hot 100, but it appeared on nine different Advertising sign airplay charts and earned Beyoncé the distinction of being the first black woman to top the Hot Country Songs and the first black woman to reach the Hot 100 with a country song. Still, the superstar faced significant backlash for her hard-hitting turn to country music. An Oklahoma radio station initially refused to play “Texas” (later reversed its decision) and, upon revealing the Cowboy Carter album cover, Beyoncé immediately became embroiled in discussions surrounding the intricacies of the dynamic between Southern Black identities and Americana icons.

In Giddens' conversation with IMPACT x Nightlinethe musician – who is a Grammy winner – emphasizes this Cowboy Carter it's more about Beyoncé exploring her family roots than crossing over for crossover's sake. “People can do whatever they want,” he points out. “Do they want to set a country record? Set a country record. Nobody's asking Lana Del Rey, “What right do you have to make a country record?” Do you know what I'm saying? Everybody gets a chance to explore their roots, to go back there, like, 'This is my life, too.' I want… I want to do this.”

“'Stay in your lane,' 'Well, this isn't a real country,' that's just racism,” Giddens argues. “People don't want to say it's because she's Black. You know? But they use these … these coded terms, you know? And that is problematic.”

The March 28 episode Impact x Nightline will look at Beyoncé's Houston roots and feature interviews with Giddens and fellow Houstonian and past collaborator Bun B. The show will also hear from up-and-coming Black country artists from the Nashville machine like Adell for thoughts and excitement them on Beyoncé's impact on modern country MUSIC.

I'm watching of Billboard exclusive clip of Cowboy Carter-central IMPACT x Nightline episode above. stream the full episode when it hits Hulu on March 28.