Texas Hold 'Em (song)
"Texas Hold 'Em" | ||||
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Single by Beyoncé | ||||
from the album Act II | ||||
Released | February 11, 2024 | |||
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Length | 3:56 | |||
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"Texas Hold 'Em" on YouTube |
"Texas Hold 'Em" is a song by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé from her upcoming eighth studio album, currently under the tentative title Act II. It serves as the album's co-lead single alongside "16 Carriages". The song was a surprise release and debuted during Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024, through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Titled after the poker game, "Texas Hold 'Em" is an uptempo country pop, western and soul song featuring elements of folk music.
Music critics praised "Texas Hold 'Em" for its playful tone, authentic sound, Beyoncé's vocal performance, and its celebration of the Black roots of country music. Country artists and country radio managers also praised the song for elevating the accessibility of country music for a wider audience. The track ignited discussions on Black musicians' place within country music, boosted the listenership of Black country artists and country radio in general, and increased the popularity of Western wear and culture.
"Texas Hold 'Em" was a commercial success and marked several historical achievements. In the United States, it topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Beyoncé's thirteenth number-one song on the chart and her ninth as a solo artist, and the Hot Country Songs chart, making her the first Black woman with a number-one country song in history. "Texas Hold 'Em" also topped the charts in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, as well as the Billboard Global 200, earning Beyoncé her first number-one song since the chart's inception.
Background
Beyoncé was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where the city's cowboy heritage and zydeco music played a role in her upbringing.[1][2] She listened to country music from an early age, particularly from her paternal grandfather.[3] She attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo every year with her family wearing western clothing, and later performed at the Rodeo four times between 2001 and 2007.[4][5] Throughout her career, Beyoncé has celebrated her Southern roots, such as implementing elements of country music on B'Day (2006), performing a country version of "Irreplaceable" with Sugarland in 2007, celebrating her country and Southern identity on "Formation" (2016), releasing the country track "Daddy Lessons" from Lemonade (2016) and later performing the song with The Chicks at the 2016 CMA Awards, spotlighting Southern culture during her 2018 Coachella performance, and centering her pride about her Southern country roots on "Black Parade" (2020).[6][7][8][9] In 2021, Beyoncé released the Ivy Park x Adidas "Rodeo" clothing line inspired by "the overlooked history of the American Black cowboy"; Beyoncé commented on the collection saying: "Many of them were originally called cowhands, who experienced great discrimination and were often forced to work with the worst, most temperamental horses. They took their talents and formed the Soul Circuit. Through time, these Black rodeos showcased incredible performers and helped us reclaim our place in Western history and culture."[10]
Release
During Super Bowl LVIII, American singer-songwriter Beyoncé starred in a commercial with actor Tony Hale for Verizon.[11] Her appearance was teased by the company in the days leading up to the Super Bowl with teaser trailers referencing her sixth and seventh studio albums, Lemonade (2016) and Renaissance (2022).[12][13] At the end of the commercial, which sees the singer attempt to "break the Internet" in various ways, Beyoncé says, "Okay, they ready. Drop the new music," leading to media speculation of the second act of her ongoing Renaissance trilogy.[14]
Beyoncé then took to her Instagram account and announced her eighth studio album, tentatively titled Act II, with a release date of March 29, 2024, through a teaser of an unidentified woman starting up a car with a license plate that read "Texas Hold 'Em".[15] As she drives through an empty road, she passes by a group of men staring at a billboard with the same slogan as the license plate featuring a cutout of Beyoncé in a seductive pose.[15] As the Super Bowl continued, she released two lead singles from Act II to streaming services and digital download: "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages".[16]
Composition
Named after the poker game, "Texas Hold 'Em" is an uptempo country pop, western and soul song with elements of folk music.[17][18][19] It features a "rapid-plucked" banjo and acoustic guitar introduction that moves into a "stomping" beat.[20] Chris Willman of Variety likened the song to Beyoncé's "Daddy Lessons" (2016) for its "playful" sound and danceability,[21] while Ben Beaumont-Thomas of The Guardian found whispers of the Jonas Brothers' "What a Man Gotta Do" (2020) in its melody.[22]
Beyoncé wrote "Texas Hold 'Em" with Nathan Ferraro, Elizabeth Boland, Megan Bülow and Raphael Saadiq; she produced it with Killah B and Nathan Ferraro.[23] Rhiannon Giddens, an American musician and scholar who has long advocated for the reclamation of country music instruments by Black musicians, plays banjo and viola on the song.[24] Giddens commented on the song following its release, writing:[25]
"My only hope is that it might lead a few more intrepid folks into the exciting history of the banjo. I used to say many times as soon as Beyoncé puts the banjo on a track my job is done. Well, I didn't expect the banjo to be mine."
Critical reception
"Texas Hold 'Em" received acclaim from music critics.[26] In a review for Variety, Chris Willman described "Texas Hold 'Em" as a "genre-embracing and -transcending" track that acts as a radical venture into "unexplored territory", with Beyoncé reclaiming country music as a Black genre. Willman noted that instead of being "genre tourism", Beyoncé is taking a serious and authentic approach to her embrace of country music, exercisizing her "natural right" to reach back into her roots as a Texas native.[27] The Guardian's Ben Beaumont-Thomas admired the "rootsy and authentically country" vocal and instrumental arrangements on track, as well as how Rhiannon Giddens' inclusion on the song highlighted her work to deepen listeners' understanding of how instruments such as the banjo was originated by Black musicians.[22]
In an article for Time, Taylor Crumpton wrote that Beyoncé's presence in country music is "signaling the birth of a new era" in which "those who have continued to carry on the legacy of country's music heart and soul" are celebrated. Crumpton also commented on how, rather than molding herself to the will of the gatekeepers of country music, Beyoncé "has been country for the entirety of her life", growing up in a community that saw a "cultural exchange between Black, Tejano, and Indigenous communities".[28] Craig Jenkins for Vulture praised how "thornily" the song "plays dealer with a stack of country clichés like wisdom earned in card games and dive bars but pumps them full of lyrics that would make a Grand Ole Opry audience sweat."[29]
Writing for Consequence, Mary Siroky proclaimed "Texas Hold 'Em" as her early song of the summer while lauding Beyoncé's "inimitable" vocal performance.[30] Kyle Denis of Billboard also praised Beyoncé's "impassioned vocal performance", as well as the "slick harmonies" and powerful instrumentation on the track.[31] Pitchfork's Nadine Smith appreciated how the song brought the "parallel worlds" of country and soul music together through its collaborators, but criticized Beyoncé's attempts at "9-to-5 relatability" and "car commercial"-esque production.[17] Will Hodgkinson of The Times wrote that the track "sure is fine", praising the "ultra-catchy melody" and describing it as a soon-to-be wedding classic.[32] Chris Richards of The Washington Post wrote that the song felt "dull, dry, unimaginative, unnecessary, unconfident and uncool."[33]
Impact
Beyoncé preserves the best of country past and evolves us into a country future that we have never seen... It's such a full-circle moment for me that I almost want to cry. I wanted to see a Black woman get to the top of the charts, and now I can retire.
—Alice Randall, the first Black woman to write a number-one song on the country charts[34]
Black artists in country music
With the release of "Texas Hold 'Em", Beyoncé was seen as reclaiming country music and bringing it back to its Black roots.[35] It also sparked conversations on the inclusion of Black artists within the country genre.[36] The BBC's Daisy Woodward wrote that Beyoncé's embrace of country music "galvanises" the reclamation of western culture by those who have felt excluded by it and subverts the traditional image of cowboys.[37] American author and country songwriter Alice Randall, in an interview for The Washington Post, affirmed that Beyoncé "is spotlighting and building on a profound tradition" which started with Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music by Ray Charles, stressing that "[Beyoncé] is going to take it even further if the things she’s already done in country is any indication", even if Charles wasn't prized by the music genre at the time.[38]
NBC News's Emi Tuyetnhi Tran wrote that "Texas Hold 'Em" has the potential to redefine what it means to be a country artist "in the cultural consciousness".[39] In an analysis for American Songwriter, Thom Donovan reported that "country music’s embrace of hip-hop was the natural progression" and "Texas Hold 'Em" is "more than a cheeky metaphor; it’s part of the larger arc of Beyoncé’s work celebrating the legacy of Black artists". As the singer did with the first act, Donovan wrote that "Beyoncé reminds listeners that country music is another kind of dance music".[40]
The release of the song spotlighted Black musicians in the country music space and boosted their listenership.[28][41] Black female country musicians saw a significant increase in streams due to the song, such as Reyna Roberts (250%), Rissi Palmer (110%), Tanner Adell (188%) and K. Michelle (185%). Linda Martell, the first commercially successful Black female country artist and the first to play the Grand Ole Opry, saw a 275% increase in streams.[41] Other musicians who saw an increase in demand include Adia Victoria, Amri Unplugged, Brittney Spencer, Mickey Guyton, Rhiannon Giddens and Sacha. Black-led country organizations such as the Black Opry also received a significant increase in followers.[28] NPR's Amanda Marie Martínez also said that the song has highlighted and boosted the profile of Black country artists. The song, Martínez writes, has revealed the "strong demand" for country music made by Black artists and a "growing community" of Black country fans.[42] In an article for The Nashville Tennessean, Andrea Williams explained how Beyoncé has opened the door for others in country music and proved that Black songwriters, producers and musicians belong in the genre. Williams wrote that Black people are generally "shut out of country music's creation" and that they "have been waiting for the opportunity to take part in the genre their forefathers helped build, to not be told they’re too urban for Nashville studios". With "Texas Hold 'Em", Williams writes, Beyoncé celebrates Black country musicians, proving they are "country enough" and allowing them to receive their due credit and remuneration.[43]
Popularity and accessibility of country music
"Texas Hold 'Em" marked a cultural shift for country music and boosted its accessibility to a wider audience, according to CBS News.[44] SiriusXM host Mike Muse told Good Morning America that the song is sparking a "global conversation" and "social discourse" on country music and increasing public interest in the genre.[45] Beyoncé's country music will "open the floodgates" for other country musicians, according to BBC News.[46] Country artist Kezia Gill said that Beyoncé's presence will make the genre "accessible to everyone" and "bring in a whole generation" of new listeners. Roisin O'Connor, music editor at The Independent, said that the new track is "a tipping point" for country music, spreading the genre to new audiences.[46] Texas Monthly's Dan Solomon wrote that the song has had a "dramatic" cultural impact, with Beyoncé "remaking country radio in her image".[47]
Country radio
Country radio managers shared their excitement about the song bringing new listeners. Mike Levine of Go Country 105 said that "anything to make country more approachable is amazing, so it's fantastic", while 93Q Country program manager Travis Moon said: "This is exciting not just for country radio, but for the artist and the legacy that she's done in her entire career." Moon noted that instead of just fitting a certain "vibe", "Texas Hold 'Em" has a "fresh" and "exciting" new sound, saying: "Just the way the song is constructed, the vocals are amazing, the instrumentation's fantastic. It fits the vibe of what we're doing on this radio station."[48]
Programmers at Cumulus Media's country stations had a call where they spoke "enthusiastically" about the song, with chief content officer Brian Philips describing it as "a gift". Philips told Variety: "This adds a completely unforeseen, unimagined new angle to country radio... We have 55 major country stations and it's very hard to get them to agree on anything. But everybody at country wants to play it." iHeartMedia chief programming officer and president Tom Poleman spoke of his excitement to play the song on iHeartRadio stations, describing Beyoncé as an "innovator" who "continues to push the creative boundaries in music". SiriusXM senior director of country programming Johnny Chiang also shared his excitement to add the track to Pandora country stations, telling Variety: "It’s a good song, and a legit modern country song. And she's iconic, so it's a no brainer... This is nothing but good for our format."[49]
Response from country artists
Country icon Dolly Parton recognized the impact that "Texas Hold 'Em" has had, praising Beyoncé as "fantastic and beautiful".[50] Parton continued to laud Beyoncé on social media, posting an image that read: "I’m a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she’s done a country album. So congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country number one single. Can’t wait to hear the full album!"[51] Country singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson shared her excitement about Beyoncé's crossover into country, telling Billboard: "I love it. The more the merrier. Country music is about storytelling and Beyoncé knows how to tell a story, so I think it's awesome and it's awesome for the country music genre. Everybody wants to feel at home and country music makes you feel at home."[52] Hootie & the Blowfish's Darius Rucker expressed himself as a fan of Beyoncé's embrace of country and praised the track as "a great song".[53] Country singer-songwriter Maren Morris described the song as "such a statement", praising Beyoncé's "reclaiming of country music back to Black people".[54]
Fashion
Beyoncé's embrace of country music and culture ignited fashion trends and boosted sales of Western wear.[55][56] Western retailer Boot Barn's Isha Nicole said that it has "catapulted Western influence into the limelight, inviting the masses to participate in the romanticism of the American spirit".[55] Google searches for "bolo tie", "cowboy hat" and "cowboy boots" increased by 566%, 213% and 163%, respectively, following the release of the song.[57][58] The cowboy hat trend fueled by the song was followed by public figures such as Kim Kardashian, Pharrell Williams, Diplo and Bella Hadid.[56] Tyler Thoreson, Vice President of Marketing at Stetson, told Glossy: "We’re honored to have Beyoncé as the latest in a long line of trailblazers to make our hats a key part of their look. We’ve seen incredible interest in our brand and our products across the social media landscape since the Grammys. And we’ve seen a spike in interest in the Shasta, the style she’s been wearing most the past couple week… Beyoncé has taken things to a whole new level."[59]
Controversy
A country radio station courted controversy after rejecting a request to play "Texas Hold 'Em", igniting a wider debate on Black musicians' place within country music, despite the African-American origins of Country music.[60] After the publication of the lead singles "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages", they were sent to U.S. pop, Hot AC, rhythmic, urban AC and country radio stations. In the two songs' first 24 hours of release, 8 out of 150 radio stations considered for Billboard Country Airplay Chart played "Texas Hold 'Em" while no station played "16 Carriages".[61]
On February 13, 2024, a listener requested Oklahoma S.C.O.R.E. country station KYKC play "Texas Hold 'Em". The general manager Roger Harris replied, writing, "We do not play Beyoncé on KYKC as we are a country music station."[62] The answer went viral and caused a stir on social media against country music stations, leading Beyoncé's fans to flood the radio station with requests to play the song and started trending on Twitter with #Beyonceiscountry.[63][64][65] After adding the song to radio rotation, a representative from S.C.O.R.E. responded to racism and boycott accusations against the singer's music with a statement: "We are a small market station. We're not in a position to break an artist or help it that much, so it has to chart a little bit higher for us to add it. But we love Beyoncé here. We play her on our [other top 40 and adult hits stations] but we're not playing her on our country station yet because it just came out."[66] The station further clarified its position, saying it was unaware the song had a country sound until staff members heard it, and subsequently added it to their playlist.[67]
Variety reported that Sony Music, owner of Columbia Records that holds a contract with Beyonce's company Parkwood Entertainment, "did not immediately respond to requests for comment about any plans to promote the song at country radio", as of IHeartRadio e Cumulus Media.[68] After the media attention, CMT added "Texas Hold 'Em" to its branded streaming stations.[61] In the afternoon of the same day, after the impact on social media, Billboard confirmed that Columbia officially sent the song to country radio stations, pointing out that country stations generally do not broadcast songs not supported by the labels.[61]
Commercial performance
United States
In the United States, "Texas Hold 'Em", debuted at number 54 on Billboard Country Airplay Chart (despite not servicing the track to country radio), with 1.1 million in audience via 100 stations, becoming Beyoncé's first entry on the chart.[69] Beyoncé became the eighth Black woman to land on the Country Airplay chart in history, and the first since Mickey Guyton in 2016.[70] The song also debuted at number 38 on Pop Airplay Chart, with its plays on 98 chart reporters translating to 1.3 million audience impressions at the format.[69] The song was also the most added track on country stations.[71]
The song was a groundbreaking success and marked several historical achievements.[39][72] It debuted at number one on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, making her the first Black woman to reach number one on the chart.[73][74] Prior to Beyoncé, only six black women had placed a song on the country chart, none of whom reached the top 20 (the previous highest-ranking song by a Black woman was Linda Martell's "Color Him Father", which peaked at No. 22 in 1969).[75][44] Beyoncé's feat also made her become the first artist to achieve number-one songs on this specific combination of seven of Billboard's song charts: the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Hot Gospel Songs, Hot Latin Songs, Hot R&B Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[76][77] The song also became the singer second top-ten appearing simultaneously on the chart with "16 Carriages", which debuted at number nine.[41]
The song debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Beyoncé's 22nd top-10 hit, and the highest debut of her career on the chart with 19.2 million streams, 4.8 million in airplay audience and 39,000 download between its February 11 to 15.[78] It also debuted at number one on the Digital Songs Sales chart with nearly 40k copies sold, becoming her 12th number one.[78] The following week the song peaked at number one on the Hot 100, becoming Beyoncé's ninth number-one song and her thirteenth as a member of Destiny's Child.[79][80] In doing so, Beyoncé became the first black female artist to top the chart with a country song in the chart's history.[81]
International
"Texas Hold ‘Em" debuted at number four on the Billboard Global 200, with 31.9 million streams and 48,000 download sold worldwide, becoming her second top-ten hit since the survey began in 2020, after "Break My Soul" reached number six in 2022.[82] The following week the song peaked at number one, becoming Beyoncé first song to top the chart since the chart's inception in 2020.[83]
In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 9 on the UK Singles Chart with only three days of sales, becoming the week's highest new entry and Beyoncé's 22nd top 10 song in the country as a solo artist.[84] The following week, the single topped the UK singles chart, becoming the singer's sixth number one, eighth considering singles released as a member of Destiny's Child; the song also marked her first number one single in almost 14 years.[85] Official Charts Company stated that "Texas Hold 'Em" became the first female solo country song to reach number one on the chart and the second country record since Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" in 2019.[86]
In Australia, the song debuted at number 38 after a partial week of tracking. The following week, the song climbed 35 positions to reach a new peak of number three, becoming Beyoncé's 16th top ten single in the country and her highest-charting single since "Telephone" with Lady Gaga (2010).[87] In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 26 and reached number one the following week, becoming Beyoncé's sixth number-one song in the country and her first number-one single since "Perfect Duet" with Ed Sheeran (2017).[citation needed]
In Norway, the song debuted at number four becoming Beyoncé's highest-charting single since "Halo" (2008).[citation needed]
Track listing
Streaming/digital download[88]
- "Texas Hold 'Em" – 3:55
- "Texas Hold 'Em" (instrumental version) – 3:55
- "Texas Hold 'Em" (a cappella version) – 3:48
Personnel and credits
Performers
- Beyoncé – vocals
Musicians[89]
- Khirye Tyler – keyboardist
- Raphael Saadiq – drum and bass
- Rhiannon Giddens – banjo and viola
Charts
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Version(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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Various | February 11, 2024 | Original | [121] | ||
United States | February 13, 2024 | Contemporary hit radio | Columbia | [122][123] | |
Country radio | [124] | ||||
Rhythmic contemporary radio | [125] | ||||
Various | February 14, 2024 |
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[126] |
Italy | February 22, 2024 | Radio airplay | Original | Sony Italy | [127] |
See also
- Black cowboys
- List of Billboard number-one country songs of 2024
- List of Billboard Global 200 number ones of 2024
- List of Billboard Global 200 top-ten singles in 2024
- List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 2024
- List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of the 2020s
- List of Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles in 2024
- List of Billboard Digital Song Sales number ones of 2024
- List of Billboard Streaming Songs number ones of 2024
- List of number-one singles of 2024 (Ireland)
- List of number-one singles from the 2020s (New Zealand)
- List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 2020s
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On Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 13), Columbia officially serviced "Texas Hold 'Em" to country radio, whereas it had previously been sent to other formats, according to a source.
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- 2024 singles
- 2024 songs
- African-American-related controversies
- American country music songs
- Billboard Global 200 number-one singles
- Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
- Canadian Hot 100 number-one singles
- Country pop songs
- Beyoncé songs
- Columbia Records singles
- Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
- Number-one singles in New Zealand
- Race-related controversies in music
- Song recordings produced by Beyoncé
- Songs written by Beyoncé
- Songs written by Raphael Saadiq
- UK Singles Chart number-one singles
- Western music (North America)