Country music star Luke Bryan has come under fire following his recent remarks about Beyoncé‘s lack of nominations for the 2024 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards. The 48-year-old singer has since taken to social media to address the backlash and clarify his intentions.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Oct. 6, Bryan expressed his desire to rectify what he perceived as a “false narrative” stemming from his interview on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live. He urged his followers to listen to the full interview for context, stating, “You will hear my tone and intentions which were not negative. I respect Beyonce and I love how loyal her fans are.” Bryan also added, “I spend a lot of time supporting other artists. I want everyone to win. Love y’all.”
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The controversy arose when Bryan, a two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year award winner and co-host of this year’s ceremony, shared his thoughts on Beyoncé’s omission from the nominations list. Despite Beyoncé’s groundbreaking achievement as the first Black woman to top both the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with Cowboy Carter and the Hot Country Songs chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” the CMA did not recognize her work in any category.
During the interview with Andy Cohen, Bryan acknowledged the complicated nature of the situation, saying, “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. And if she doesn’t get something they want, man, they come at you.”
Bryan went on to explain his perspective on the CMA’s decision-making process, suggesting that Beyoncé’s limited involvement in the country music community might have influenced the outcome. “Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album. Nobody’s mad about it. But where things get a little tricky and, and you know — if you’re gonna make country albums, come into our world and be country with us a little bit,” he said.
The “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” singer further elaborated, “Beyoncé can do it exactly what she wants to. 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.”
These comments sparked immediate backlash from Beyoncé’s fans and others in the music industry. One X user described Bryan’s words as “infuriating,” questioning, “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?’”
In response to the growing controversy, Bryan took to social media to defend his stance. He emphasized his support for other artists and his desire for everyone to succeed in the industry. “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. I feel in my heart I could not let media create a false narrative,” Bryan wrote in his statement.
The debate surrounding Beyoncé’s foray into country music has been ongoing since the release of Cowboy Carter in March. Prior to the album’s release, Beyoncé hinted at past experiences of feeling unwelcome in the country music scene, writing on Instagram that she was inspired to explore the genre after “an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed … and it was very clear that I wasn’t.”
