Beyoncé’s country music career has been met with brash criticism and glorious praise. Regardless, Cowboy Carter has recently been nominated for two Grammys in the upcoming awards show. Both nominations Beyoncé received are for Best Country Album of The Year and Album of The Year.
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To Beyoncé, she is not the only one deserving of all the credit. Queen B recently took to Instagram to pay credit to one other artist featured on the album. The musician Beyoncé praised was the first ever commercially successful female black country artist to perform at The Grand Ole Opry, Linda Martell.
Beyoncé’s Congratulatory Post
In the post, Beyoncé simply wrote, “Congratulations to my queen Linda Martell on your nomination and your contribution to Country Music.” Beyoncé’s congratulation is a result of Martell’s collaboration on the album’s 12th track, “Spaghetti.” Additionally, Martell also receives credit for The Linda Martell Show spoken word segment featured on the album.
Martell and her granddaughter have been very appreciative of the attention Beyoncé’s album has brought to her music. Her granddaughter, Marquia Thompson, stated, “One thing my grandmother will notice is a young woman who can sing” and “I’m very, very glad” per Billboard.
Beyoncé’s album has helped Martell’s legacy and music rise from obscurity. Since Cowboy Carter came out in March, Martell’s music has seen a 1,100% streaming surge according to Billboard. Martell’s streams aren’t the only thing skyrocketing as the country musician has also had a boom in her merchandise sales with the 600 orders she’s recently received.
With the help of Martell, Beyoncé has officially become the most nominated Grammy artist of all time. With 99 nominations, 32 wins, and possibly two more on the way for her revolutionary country album and persona. In short, Beyoncé and Martell’s Grammy nominations are history in the making. Win or lose, the two have still left an undeniable mark on Nashville and the country music industry.
If the pair so much as win one of their two nominations, they will join Darius Rucker, Tracy Chapman, Mickey Guyton, and Charley Pride as black country singers to win a Grammy.
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