Luke Bryan has raised some eyebrows after he addressed Beyoncé’s apparent snub at this year’s CMAs. On RadioAndy, the country singer discussed the commentary around Bey getting zero nominations despite releasing a No. 1 country album.
“Obviously, Beyoncé made a country album, and Beyoncé has a lot of fans out there that have her back, and if she doesn’t get something they want, man, they come at you — as fans should do,” Luke began. “It’s a tough thing to say. I don’t know how many albums she [sold].”
As he continued, he explained that many talented artists don’t get recognized as they should during award shows. “I’m all for everybody coming in and making country albums and all that, but just because she made one … like, just because I made one, doesn’t mean I get nominations. A lot of great music is overlooked. Sometimes you don’t get nominated.”
As one could imagine, Luke’s comments didn’t go over well with the BeyHive. So, what did they have to say?
Is Beyoncé Really Country Enough?
There’s no doubt that Luke Bryan is a respected country artist; however, after he addressed the talk surrounding Beyoncé with comments like, “I don’t know how many albums she [sold],” it sparked a strong reaction among users online.
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Beyonce on Motherhood and Introducing Kids to Family Business: ‘Raising Three Kids Isn’t Easy’“Luke B talking about Beyoncé is so infuriating, I don’t even know where to start,” one user wrote. “The cost of admission is high-fiving you? Being “country” on your terms, the terms the popular white men in charge get to decide, to be a part of the “family”?”
“Is he dumb?” another user posted. “He doesn’t remember the hate she got [with] the dixie chicks?”
In 2016, Beyoncé performed her country single, “Daddy Lessons,” at the CMAs alongside The Chicks. The performance reportedly delivered the show’s highest-rated 15 minutes ever. Despite the traffic, ABC received backlash from country music fans and scrubbed her performance from its website and social media channels.
Although disappointing, the experience is what inspired Beyoncé to create a full-length country project. “This album has been over five years in the making,” she wrote on Instagram. “It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.”
To be clear, Beyoncé, who was born and raised in Houston, Texas, had the second-biggest album debut of 2024. Her project, Cowboy Carter, became the singer’s eighth No. 1 album, selling 407,000 units in its first week. The album’s lead single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” reached No. 1 on the US Hot Country Songs and the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first Black woman with a chart-topping country song.
