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Beyoncé Makes History With Country Songs On Billboard Hot 100

BY JO Mensah February 26, 2024 3:38 PM EDT
Beyonce
Beyonce Photo source: Instagram/@beyonce

Beyoncé is no stranger to breaking records and making history, but her latest achievement is especially remarkable.

The singing superstar has just scored her ninth solo No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with TEXAS HOLD ‘EM, a country song that showcases her roots and versatility.

The song, which debuted at No. 2 last week, climbed to the top spot on the chart dated March 2, 2024, making Beyoncé the first Black woman to ever top the Hot 100 with a country song.

Beyoncé’s Country music songs dominate

TEXAS HOLD ‘EM is one of the two country songs that Beyoncé released on February 14, 2024, as a surprise for her fans. The other song, 16 CARRIAGES, also made an impressive debut at No. 4 on the Hot 100, giving Beyoncé her 28th and 29th top 10 hits.

Both songs are expected to be part of her upcoming album, her ACT II phase, which is slated to drop on March 29, 2024. The album will be her first since 2019’s The Lion King: The Gift, and her first solo project since 2016’s Lemonade.

Beyoncé’s country songs have not only dominated the Hot 100, but also the country charts. TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES are currently No. 1 and No. 2 on the Hot Country Songs chart, respectively, making Beyoncé the first artist to occupy the top two spots on that chart since 2012.

She is also the first Black woman to have two songs in the top 10 of the Hot Country Songs chart at the same time. The success of Beyoncé’s country songs is largely driven by her massive streaming numbers and radio support.

According to Billboard, TEXAS HOLD ‘EM garnered 29 million streams in the U.S. in the week ending February 22, 2024, while 16 CARRIAGES had 26.5 million streams. Both songs also saw a huge increase in radio airplay, with TEXAS HOLD ‘EM rising 233% to 34.7 million audience impressions, and 16 CARRIAGES jumping 189% to 31.2 million impressions.

Beyoncé‘s Billboard record

With her nine solo No. 1s, Beyoncé joins an elite club of female artists who have achieved that feat, such as Madonna, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston. She also has four No. 1s as a member of Destiny’s Child, giving her a total of 13 chart-toppers in her career. She has also had No. 1 hits in four different decades, starting from the 1990s.

Beyoncé is not only ruling the U.S. charts but also the global ones. She recently topped the Spotify global charts for the first time with TEXAS HOLD ‘EM, which has over 100 million streams on the platform. She also has a strong presence on other streaming services, such as Apple Music, YouTube, and Tidal.

Beyoncé is not the only artist who is making waves on the Billboard top 10 this week. Other notable songs include Jack Harlow’s Lovin On Me, which rose to No. 3, and Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign, Rich The Kid, and Playboi Carti’s CARNIVAL, which debuted at No. 5. The full list of the top 10 songs on the Hot 100 can be found on Billboard’s website.