Did This White British Singer Try to Humble Beyoncé As ‘Cowboy Carter’ Makes UK Music History?

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On Friday, Official Charts reported that Beyoncé became the first Black artist to have a country album (“Cowboy Carter”) hit No. 1 in the UK.

She’s also the first artist ever to achieve a UK Official Chart double with a country album and country single (“Texas Hold ‘Em”). Shania Twain was the first female country artist to go No. 1 in the UK back in 1999 — an achievement that even Dolly Parton hasn’t accomplished.

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While legendary artists like Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Nancy Sinatra have praised Bey’s work, one irrelevant white British star tried to critique not just the album but the singer herself.

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On her Thursday episode of her new podcast, “Miss Me?” Grammy-nominated songstress Lily Allen shared her controversial take, even though she admitted she didn’t listen to the full album.

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“It’s very weird that you’d cover the most successful songs in that genre,” Allen commented in reference to Bey’s rendition of “Jolene.” She also referred to the “Cowboy Carter” rollout as “calculated” and said Jay-Z’s viral 2024 Grammys speech was part of the “Renaissance” singer’s “master plan.”

“That was before the album had come out or even been announced and she was wearing the blond wing and a cowboy hat and Jay-Z did that speech,” Allen recalled. “So it’s a bit about challenging these institutions that have thus far rejected Beyoncé as the icon and institution that she is of herself.”

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“Now (Beyoncé is) the most-played woman on country radio, number one, and I guess she’s coming for that market. I don’t really know why, but who am I to question it? I mean, whatever floats your boat.”

“Cowboy Carter” has dominated the cultural zeitgeist over the last week for the way it pays homage to country music’s Black roots while reimagining the genre from the modern-day perspective of a Black woman. It was Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day in 2024 to date. The record also had the most-first day streams of a country album by a female artist on Amazon Music.

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Everyone’s entitled to their opinion but it’s easy to detect a hater when you hear one. Allen’s thoughts on “Cowboy Carter”— just like her career — are boring and unnecessary.