Beyoncé Becomes First Black Woman to Hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart with Cowboy Carter

On April 8, Billboard revealed Queen Bey’s latest album Cowboy Carter reached No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart — making her the first-ever Black female artist to achieve the feat since the list’s launch in January 1964.

The 32-time Grammy winner’s eighth album also reached the top slot on the Billboard 200, Americana/Folk Albums and Top Album Sales charts, having sold 407,000 equivalent album units in its first week of chart eligibility.

In February, Beyoncé became the first-ever Black female artist to top the Hot Country Songs chart with the album’s lead single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which took over the No. 1 slot from Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves‘ duet “I Remember Everything.”

Cowboy Carter was released on March 29. In a press release issued shortly afterward, Beyoncé revealed “vocalists, musicians, and orators” on the album include Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, Stevie Wonder, Chuck Berry, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Jon Batiste, Rhiannon Giddens, Nile Rodgers, Robert Randolph, Gary Clark, Jr., Willie Jones, Brittney Spencer, Shaboozey, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell and Tiera Kennedy.

Additional collaborators throughout the project include The-Dream, Pharrell Williams, NO I.D., Raphael Saadiq, Ryan Tedder, Ryan Beatty, Swizz Beatz, Khirye Tyler, Derek Dixie, Ink, Nova Wav, Mamii, Cam, Tyler Johnson, Dave Hamelin and Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter.

Throughout the 27-track record, the Destiny’s Child alum experiments with elements and themes of country music. However, she specified prior to its release, “This ain’t a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”

Earlier this month, the “Drunk in Love” hitmaker received the Innovator Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards and spoke on stage about hoping listeners will open their to open their ears to enjoying art “with no preconceived notions.”

“Tonight you called me an innovator, and for that I’m very grateful,” Beyoncé said. “Innovation starts with a dream. But then you have to execute that dream, and that road can be very bumpy. Being an innovator is seeing what everyone believes is impossible. Being an innovator often means being criticized, which often will test your mental strength.”

She then asked “all the record labels, every radio station, every award show” to be more open to innovation within the music industry, and more accepting of out-of-the-box ideas.”

“My hope is that we’re more open to the joy and liberation that comes from enjoying art, with no preconceived notions,” Beyoncé said.