R&B

• act ii COWBOY CARTER arrives today following the successful release of two lead singles, "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" and "16 CARRIAGES" on February 11, Superbowl Sunday.
• COWBOY CARTER, executive produced by Beyoncé, is about genres, all of them, while deeply rooted in Country.
• On COWBOY CARTER the work of an artist who created on her own terms, in the absence of rules, persists boldly.
• The character, Cowboy Carter was birth from these experiences and inspired by the original Black cowboys of the American West.

• But to me, the most important guest voice is the one least likely to be familiar to Beyoncé’s listeners: Linda Martell, the first commercially successful Black female country music artist.
• Two tracks on “Cowboy Carter,” “Spaghettii” and “The Linda Martell Show,” include spoken word commentary from Martell.
• By giving Martell a platform, Beyoncé simultaneously gives credit to her predecessor while staking her own place in the country music tradition.

‘A true feeling for a country lyric’

• Linda Martell’s rapid ascendancy to prominence as a country musician and her equally precipitous decline offer a lesson about the challenges Black artists faced in the 1970s.
• Born in South Carolina, Martell first began to sing as a child, forming a group with her sisters that performed R&B and gospel songs.

• Having recently released the hit “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me),” Pride was proving that Black country music artists could succeed.
• She went to Nashville, Tennessee, to record a country version of “Color Him Father,” a soul song by The Winstons that had hit No.
• She has a terrific style and a true feeling for a country lyric.” Martell’s success opened doors for her in Nashville.
• She was invited to join a host of country artists on tour, including Waylon Jennings and Hank Snow.

No margin for error

• Martell also faced thinly veiled racism from the people who were supposed to be promoting her career.
• Producer Shelby Singleton, who signed Martell, didn’t release “Color Me Country” on his SSI label, opting instead to record her on a subsidiary label, Plantation Records.
• With her record company promoting what essentially amounted to a one-hit wonder at her expense, Martell tried to switch labels.

Kicking open doors

• Brace yourself.
• But don’t give up.” Martell’s industry exile resonates with one element of “Cowboy Carter,” in particular.
• With “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé has triumphantly returned, kicking the doors open and marching through them with Martell proudly by her side, giving the 82-year-old country star the recognition that has long eluded her.

William Nash does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn., March 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 615 JJ Entertainment is excited to announce the release of Julian King's newest single ahead of his performance at the Roots Picnic.
• In addition to the release of "Hoodie," King is also gearing up for an electrifying performance at the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia on June 1 and 2, 2024.
• As the only independent artist in the lineup, King promises to deliver a show-stopping performance that will leave audiences spellbound.
• With more content and performances expected in 2024, Julian King is set to leave a lasting impression on the music industry.

• Queen Bey topped our charts by generating 2,876% more engagement than the median Super Bowl LVIII celebrity.
• Usher drives major engagement across multiple appearances: Super Bowl LVIII was the Usher show — and not just during halftime.
• All three appearances landed in our top 25 most engaging celebrity activations, with Usher’s halftime show generating 539% more engagement than the median Super Bowl celebrity.
• Viewers were moved by FanDuel’s tribune to the late, great Carl Weathers: Beloved Rocky, Happy Gilmore, and Arrested Development actor Carl Weathers sadly passed away before his planned appearance in FanDuel’s Super Bowl ad.