Beyoncé becomes first Black woman to top this Billboard chart
Beyoncé is unstoppable! A year after making history with the most Grammy wins, the Houston-born singer has become the first Black woman to top Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart with her latest single, Texas Hold 'Em. Released on February 11, the song debuted at No. 1 on this chart, marking a significant milestone in country music, a genre often criticized for its treatment of Black artists. Here, let's explore her other "firsts."
Why does this story matter?
Texas Hold 'Em's success highlights the ongoing debate surrounding country music's relationship with Black artists. In 2019, rapper Lil Nas X's country-trap fusion Old Town Road was removed from Billboard's Hot Country Songs after topping it, with compilers claiming it "wasn't country enough." Former American Idol mentor Bobby Bones has noted country music's origins are partially indebted to African music. He stated on social media, "Country music is based on the music from Africa brought over on the slave ships."
First, know more about 'Texas Hold 'Em' success
On February 11, Beyoncé unexpectedly announced her upcoming album, Renaissance: Act II—scheduled for March 29 release—alongside two singles, Texas Hold 'Em and 16 Carriages. Texas Hold 'Em was streamed 19.2M times and downloaded 39,000 times in the United States, per entertainment data company Luminate. The track also debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart, while 16 Carriages debuted at No. 38 on the Hot 100 and No. 9 on Hot Country Songs.
First female artist to debut seven No. 1 albums
With her Black queer-inspired dance album Renaissance (2022), Beyoncé became the first female artist to have seven studio albums debut at No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The other six included her debut album Dangerously in Love (2003), B'Day (2006), I Am...Sasha Fierce (2008), 4 (2011), Beyoncé (2013), and Lemonade (2016). In 2022, Renaissance also set records for the largest streaming week for a female artist's album, accumulating 179.06M streams.
When Beyoncé's 'Lemonade' made chart history
In 2016, Beyoncé achieved another historic feat, becoming the first female artist to chart 12 or more songs at the same time simultaneously. This happened as every track from her sixth album, Lemonade, entered the Billboard Hot 100. The album included hit singles like Formation, Sorry, Hold Up, Freedom, and All Night. By the end of that year, Lemonade had sold over 1.5M copies in the US, ranking as the third-best-selling album of 2016 in the country.
First woman with 20 Top 10 hits
Furthermore, the Grammy Award-winning artist has notched up the title of the first female solo artist to secure at least 20 Top 10 songs and 10 Top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. With this, she became only the third performer, after singer-songwriter Paul McCartney and late pop sensation Michael Jackson, to achieve the feat. With a career spanning nearly three decades, Beyoncé has sold over 200M records globally, solidifying her status among the best-selling music artists ever.
