Beyonce’s surprise music drop of two tracks—“Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” and announcement of her new country album (due March 29)—at the Super Bowl this week shows a much larger change in the industry.
From Bey and Lana Del Rey to Post Malone, several big artists are crossing over from other genres to country music.
Alt-pop star Lana Del Rey recently announced her album, Lasso, with Nashville and Deep South vibes. It will be released in September. Rapper Post Malone confirmed a forthcoming country record.
Why?
Because as Del Rey puts it, “[T]he music business is going country.”
Country music has garnered more listeners in recent years. Streaming-wise, nearly 25% more people streamed the genre in the third quarter of 2023 than in the same period a year earlier.
Country music often topped the charts in recent years. Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” and Luke Combs’s cover of “Fast Car” were No. 1 and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart last June.
Some country songs became viral hits on social media and Spotify, including Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” and Jason Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town.”
The shift suggests an exciting new era for country music.