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New Beyoncé documentary to explore Black voices in country music
The doc describes the country music debate as "the latest arena of the culture wars in America."
Every time Beyoncé does something, there’s a cultural shift!
Since the surprise digital drop of her self-titled album in 2013, we’ve been in a constant state of curiosity about her every move to effectively gag us and steal all of our money.
She did all of that again this year with the release of Cowboy Carter, which serves as Act II of her overall rumored Renaissance trilogy of albums. It explores Beyoncé’s southern roots and reconnects with the Black voices that made up country music in the first place, weaved in with present-day artists to bring the two together.
It also made her the first Black woman to ever top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
Her doing so has obviously set off racists who believe that Black people “don’t belong” in country music. But she’s also reaffirmed the fact that Black artists exist in country music in the present day just as much as the genre's origins. The same conversation occurred in 2019 when Lil Nas X released “Old Town Road.”
Now, an upcoming CNN FlashDocs documentary, Call Me Country: Beyoncé & Nashville’s Renaissance, announced by Max and Warner Brothers, will examine the impact of these conversations with Cowboy Carter front and center.
According to the press release, the album “arrived during a revolution within country music as the latest arena of the culture wars in America,” and noted that “some in the industry are welcoming more diverse artists, while others stick to a much narrower view of a genre that predominately centers around straight, white men.”
The documentary will explore the “impact of how high-profile artists like Lil Nas X and Beyoncé are challenging the country music status quo and how Black artists in Nashville have been laying the foundation for this transformation for some time.”
Other musicians featured include Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” banjo player, Rhiannon Giddens, and gay country singer T.J. Osborne and his brother, John, of Brothers Osborne. It also features analysis from culture and country music experts, including the Co-Directors of the Black Opry, Holly G. and Tanner D.
We don’t have much else to go on based on the 15-second teaser released by Max, but we’ll have all of our questions answered on April 26 when the doc drops on the platform.
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Andrew J. Stillman is a freelance writer and yoga instructor exploring the world. Check him out at andrewjstillman.com or follow him @andrewjstillman on all the things.
Andrew J. Stillman is a freelance writer and yoga instructor exploring the world. Check him out at andrewjstillman.com or follow him @andrewjstillman on all the things.
