If you were surprised by the two country-infused songs Beyoncé dropped on Sunday night, hold your horses — this isn’t her first rodeo.
In fact, fans have long speculated that such a genre-shifting project from the pop icon was imminent: There was the custom Louis Vuitton fit she wore to the Grammys last week — complete with a ribbon tie, a studded leather jacket and a matching skirt, plus a Stetson cowboy hat. A source told Variety in 2022 that Beyoncé had recorded “country-leaning tracks.” Not to mention the Houston native has always repped her country roots: with her lyrics (“I’m goin’ back to the South/ … Where my roots ain’t watered down”), her past performances with artists such as Sugarland and the Chicks, her rodeo appearances and her western aesthetics in her Ivy Park clothing line. (“The Houston Rodeo is a gumbo of family, connection, delicious food and eclectic genres of music,” she said of the latter project’s inspiration.)
