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 publish earlier this week, the Texas-born singer addressed the backlash Beyoncé has confronted from elements of the nation music group.

“Hey country folks,” he started. “Beyoncé ain’t the source of your discontent. It was 25 years of bro country.”

Crockett, who has constructed his profession mixing conventional nation with blues and soul, didn’t identify names straight however appeared to take a swipe at Morgan Wallen, one of many style’s greatest stars.

“#1 country artist on earth listens to nothing but rap,” he mentioned. “Openly says he doesn’t really know any country 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 Best Country Album on the Grammys in 2025 however was notably unnoticed of the Academy of Country music Awards.

“The machine points to a black woman who’s making a statement about marginalized people being removed from the conversation altogether,” Crockett wrote. “And somehow we all act like the entire pop industry didn’t just ambush roots music.”

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He additionally took goal on the style’s evolving sound, noting that many male nation artists have lengthy borrowed from Hip-Hop manufacturing kinds. “These ‘country boys’ been singing over trap beats for years. So what’s different now? Authenticity,” he added.

Crockett shared his personal expertise with the Nashville music enterprise, claiming business insiders as soon as tried to mould him right into a prefabricated act. “Many of those business folks called me early on. They had whole albums pre-written and recorded, ready to just plug me in. I have 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 need to put down a black woman to advance my music. That’s just embarrassing to the idea of America and I got no respect for it,” he mentioned.

Crockett additionally praised Texas rapper BigXThaPlug, calling him “genuine” and “a true story teller,” including, “The best Hip-Hop sound to come out of Texas in this century.”

He ended his publish by pushing again towards the business’s tendency to field artists into slender classes. “I don’t have a problem with Americana. I have a problem with being compartmentalized by the music business.”

The publish drew each reward and pushback.

One of the extra vocal critics was Gavin Adcock, who beforehand dismissed Beyoncé’s album by saying, “It just ain’t country,” and argued that lifelong nation artists shouldn’t should compete with a world 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.

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