Charley Crockett fiercely defended Beyoncé and her genre-bending album Cowboy Carter, calling out the nation music world for what he sees as years of hypocrisy and selective outrage.
In a pointed Instagram submit earlier this week, the Texas-born singer addressed the backlash Beyoncé has confronted from components of the nation music neighborhood.
“Hey nation people,” he started. “Beyoncé ain’t the supply of your discontent. It was 25 years of bro nation.”
Crockett, who has constructed his profession mixing conventional nation with blues and soul, didn’t title names straight however appeared to take a swipe at Morgan Wallen, one of many style’s largest stars.
“#1 nation artist on earth listens to nothing however rap,” he mentioned. “Brazenly says he doesn’t actually know any nation music. Gotta respect his honesty,” he wrote.
He went on to criticize the business’s remedy of Beyoncé, who grew to become the primary Black girl to win Greatest Nation Album on the Grammys in 2025 however was notably omitted of the Academy of Nation Music Awards.
“The machine factors to a black girl who’s making a press release about marginalized individuals being faraway from the dialog altogether,” Crockett wrote. “And by some means all of us act like your entire pop business didn’t simply ambush roots music.”
View this submit on Instagram A submit shared by Charley Crockett (@charleycrockett)
He additionally took intention on the style’s evolving sound, noting that many male nation artists have lengthy borrowed from Hip-Hop manufacturing kinds. “These ‘nation boys’ been singing over entice beats for years. So what’s completely different now? Authenticity,” he added.
Crockett shared his personal expertise with the Nashville music enterprise, claiming business insiders as soon as tried to mildew him right into a prefabricated act. “Lots of these enterprise people referred to as me early on. That they had complete albums pre-written and recorded, prepared to simply plug me in. I’ve receipts,” he wrote.
He made it clear he wouldn’t tear down one other artist—particularly a Black girl—to get forward.
“I don’t must put down a black girl to advance my music. That’s simply embarrassing to the thought of America and I obtained no respect for it,” he mentioned.
Crockett additionally praised Texas rapper BigXThaPlug, calling him “real” and “a real story teller,” including, “The perfect Hip-Hop sound to come back out of Texas on this century.”
He ended his submit by pushing again in opposition to the business’s tendency to field artists into slim classes. “I don’t have an issue with Americana. I’ve an issue with being compartmentalized by the music enterprise.”
The submit drew each reward and pushback.
One of many extra vocal critics was Gavin Adcock, who beforehand dismissed Beyoncé’s album by saying, “It simply ain’t nation,” and argued that lifelong nation artists shouldn’t must compete with a worldwide pop icon.
Cowboy Carter debuted in 2024 and has remained a lightning rod in nation circles, with some praising its innovation and others questioning its place on nation charts.
