“I’ve been a fan of Beyoncé for years,” Parton said in an interview just days after the CMA’s announcement. “She covered my song ‘Jolene’ on her new album, and let me tell you, she did it justice. Anyone who says that woman isn’t country doesn’t know what they’re talking about. I reckon she’s more country than half of Nashville these days.”
With Dolly’s endorsement in hand, you’d think Beyoncé would have the genre on lockdown. After all, when the Queen of Country gives you her blessing, it’s a pretty big deal. But the CMA remains unfazed by both Beyoncé’s talents and Parton’s support.
“We appreciate Ms. Parton’s contributions to country music,” said a CMA spokesperson, “but our decision is final. Country music has specific traditions and values, and we don’t believe Ms. Knowles-Carter’s work adheres to those.”
It’s unclear which traditions the CMA is referring to—whether it’s their aversion to inclusivity or their strange obsession with ensuring no one has too much fun—but it’s clear that Beyoncé’s attempts to break into the genre have rubbed Nashville the wrong way.
This entire debacle has reignited long-standing conversations about who exactly gets to “own” country music. For decades, country has been dominated by white artists, but the genre’s roots in Black music run deep. From the influence of the blues on early country to the contributions of Black pioneers like DeFord Bailey, the harmonica player who helped shape the Grand Ole Opry, the history of country music is anything but monolithic.