Country music star Luke Bryan kicked a hornet’s nest — or “BeyHive,” if you will — after offering some light criticism of music star Beyonce’s debut country album, “Cowboy Carter.”
And now Bryan wants to set the record straight.
As Variety noted, this entire controversy started when Bryan was doing some promotional work on the radio and was asked about the forthcoming Country Music Association Award show, which he is a co-hosting.
According to Billboard, Bryan appeared on the Oct. 2 episode of SiriusXM’s “Andy Cohen Live.”
It was during that episode where Cohen asked Bryan why Beyonce‘s “Cowboy Carter” didn’t get a single nomination for the upcoming CMA Awards.
(As Variety called out, while “Cowboy Carter” did relatively well with the masses, it struggled specifically with country fans. One of the album’s most popular songs, “Texas Hold ‘Em” peaked at No. 33 on country charts.)
Bryan first tried to answer that “tricky” question by focusing on Beyonce’s outspoken fans — sometimes colloquially referred to as the “BeyHive,” with the songstress herself being “Queen Bey.”
“It’s a tricky question because, obviously, Beyoncé made a country album, and Beyoncé has a lot of fans out there that have her back,” Bryan said, per Variety. “If she doesn’t get something they want, man, they come at you — as fans should do.”
“I don’t know how many albums did [Beyoncé] sell,” Bryan added. “You know, I know she had one song … Listen, I’m all for everybody coming in and making country albums and all that.”
Is Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” album country?
Then came the light salvo from Bryan that triggered Beyonce fans.
“Just because she made one [album] … just ’cause I make one, I don’t get any nominations,” he continued. “I think the CMA, they have their voting body. And they vote what they think should make it.
“Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album. Nobody’s mad about it.
“But where things get a little tricky … if you’re gonna make country albums, come into our world and be country with us a little bit.
“She’s probably the biggest star in music. But come to an award show and high five us. And have fun and get in the family, too.
“And I’m not saying she didn’t do that … But country music’s a lot about family. We get pissed at each other, too.”
Those somewhat innocuous comments apparently triggered swathes of Beyonce fans, and triggered enough of them for Bryan to respond:
Hey yall, I’m wrapping up the last night of my tour tonight and it’s been an amazing time. For that I am thankful.
I am posting tonight based on the ridiculous nature of the headlines I have read the last couple days from an interview on the Andy Cohen show I did this week when…
— Luke Bryan (@lukebryan) October 7, 2024
“I am posting tonight based on the ridiculous nature of the headlines I have read the last couple days from an interview on the Andy Cohen show I did this week when I was promoting my album,” Bryan began in the Sunday X post. “I feel in my heart I could not let media create a false narrative. As I read thru the comments of some of you I just want to say that I encourage all of you to listen to the interview instead of reading click bait headlines.
“You will hear my tone and intentions which were not negative. I respect Beyonce and I love how loyal her fans are. I spend a lot of time supporting other artists.
“I want everyone to win. Love yall.”
The 58th CMA Awards will take place Nov. 20.
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