They won’t break her soul.
Beyoncé said the criticism she received following her 2016 CMA performance with The Chicks inspired her to create her forthcoming country album, “Cowboy Carter.”
“This album has been over five years in the making,” she wrote on Instagram Tuesday alongside the cover art for her new project. “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.”
The “Drunk in Love” singer, 42, said because of that experience, she “did a deeper dive” into the history of country music.
“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,” she added.
“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”
In 2016, Beyoncé took the stage to perform her hit “Daddy Lessons” with The Chicks, then known as the Dixie Chicks, comprised of lead singer Natalie Maines and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer.
The country trio was infamously blacklisted from the country world due to public comments they made disapproving of then-President George W. Bush and the Iraq War in 2003.
While Beyoncé has not shared exactly how she felt unwelcome after her performance, The Chicks said they were treated “weird” backstage during the awards show.
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“They treated us very weird backstage,” Maines, 49, told the New York Times in July 2020, adding that the way the “Cuff It” singer was treated following the show was “disgusting.”
Several fans made racist comments about Beyoncé following the CMAs, and video of the performance was subsequently scrubbed from the internet altogether.
TMZ reported in 2016 that CMA execs were “concerned about the reaction to Beyoncé’s support and the support of the Dixie Chicks for the Black Lives Matter movement.”
Despite the backlash, the “Crazy in Love” singer is now moving forward with Act II of her era as a follow-up to her No. 1 album “Renaissance,” released in July 2022.
Beyoncé teased Tuesday that she has a “few surprises” on “Cowboy Carter,” including some collaborations with “brilliant artists” she respects.
“I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound,” she wrote.
“I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE…I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop.”
Beyoncé concluded her message by saying that “Cowboy Carter” — which will feature the singles “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em” — is not a country album but instead a “Beyoncé album.”
“Cowboy Carter” hits streaming platforms on March 29.
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