Beyoncé released her latest album with a country influence, called “Cowboy Carter,” on Friday. It carries a strong message for the Grammys.
In the 26th track on the album, “Sweet Honey Buckin,” which features Shaboozey, a musician blending hip-hop and country, the 42-year-old star asserts that she is unaffected by the Grammys repeatedly not choosing her for the Album of the Year award.
In the song, she sings, “A-O-T-Y, I didn't win (Let’s go) / I'm not upset by them / Take that stuff on the chin / Come back and mess up the pen.”
Even though Beyoncé is the artist with the most Grammy wins in history, she has still never won Album of the Year.
During this year’s Grammy awards, Beyoncé’s spouse, Jay-Z, a rapper and entrepreneur, criticized the Recording Academy, expressing disappointment with the organization for not giving his wife the big prize.
“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than anyone and never won album of the year. So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work,” he said from the stage, receiving an honor.
Beyoncé currently holds the record for the most Grammy awards of all time, with her album from last year, “Renaissance,” bringing her total to 32.
“Renaissance” lost to Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House,” and before that “Lemonade” was beaten by Adele’s “25” in 2017.
“You have to keep showing up, until they give you all those awards you think you deserve. Until they call you chairman. Until they call you a genius. Until they call you the greatest of all time,” Jay-Z said during his acceptance speech. “You feel me?”
In Beyoncé’s new album “Cowboy Carter,” she collaborates with Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, and others. Dolly Parton introduces Beyoncé’s version of “Jolene,” and Willie Nelson is also featured.
The recording artist said the new album was inspired by a past experience where she did not feel welcomed, especially after her performance with the Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) at the Country Music Awards, which received backlash from the country music community.
“But, because of that experience, I delved deeper into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archives,” she continued. “It feels good to see how music can bring together so many people worldwide, while also amplifying the voices of those who have devoted their lives to educating others about our musical history.
