Beyoncé's Cultural Appropriation

We mostly write about Rock, Metal, and Punk at Beacon of Speech, but we are certainly aware of other genres of music.

As the Beyoncé Halftime show wound down, social media started asking immediately: What did you think?

Honestly?

Do you know what real country is?

Johnny Cash in the 60's.

Dolly Parton in the 70's.

Hee Haw in the 80's.

Willie Nelson in the 90's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBjPAqmnvGA

It wasn't a visual, it was a sound, it was an attitude. Country artists had a distinct 'twang' to their sound, they had a certain don't-mess-with-the-South cockiness.

But around the year 2000, all of that began to change. As Rock music began to decline in popularity, a new Country sound began to emerge, a sound that didn't spring up from the "Old Country," but from the traditions of "Light Rock," like the Eagles. Soon the charts were filled with interchangeable men in expensive cowboy hats, harmonizing about nothing. Modern Country, today, is only a few shades away from Moden Pop.

Enter Beyoncé. She made a "Modern Country" album with the help of a hundred producers and writers (not exaggerating), and for what it was, I suppose it was fine.

What do I mean by that? Cowboy Carter was as good as any other Modern Country album...which means it sucked.

So, when Beyoncé is dancing and singing with a hundred other performers and a marching band at halftime during the Ravens/Texans game, it didn't sound anything like Country Music, at least the old school definition that I was familiar with.

Listen, Beyoncé can make any type of music she wants, that's her right as an American. I applaud her for willingness to take a risk...

But as her performance finished, all I could think of was Harry Styles. What would happen if Harry Styles had a hundred producers and writers collaborate on a Rap Album? And then Styles showed up at an NFL Halftime Show with a hundred White performers doing their interpretation of Modern Rap. It wouldn't matter if the show was as good as Kendrick Lamar or Drake, it would be blasted, at minimum, as Styles trying to buy some sort of street cred.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhC7BxAeAi8

I am telling you, that would not be celebrated anywhere, from Rolling Stone Magazine, to CNN, to Vloggers across the internet.

From a technical standpoint, Beyoncé did a stellar job.

From an artistic standpoint, very few artists have the resources to PAY a hundred technicians to make an album that successfully captures a genre.

Just because you can make a Country Album, doesn't mean you SHOULD make a Country Album....

(Oh, and do we want to mention Beyoncé's part in the 'White Parties?' No, not today.)