Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Slammed By Country Singer Gavin Adcock: ‘That Sh*t Ain’t Country Music’

The country music community has heavily criticised Beyoncé since the release of Cowboy Carter in March 2024. Most recently, a country music star called out the singer during a recent set, claiming that her country-inspired album was, in fact, “not country” by his standards.

“There’s only three people in front of me on the Apple Music country charts, and one of them is Beyoncé,” Adcock said in a whiskey-filled speech. “You can tell her we’re coming for her f*cking a**.” The crowd, seemingly in agreement, cheered in approval as Adcock droned on.

Adcock added, “That sh*t ain’t country music, it ain’t ever been country music and it ain’t gonna be country music.”

“It doesn’t sound country, it doesn’t feel country,” Adcock says in an Instagram post following his rant

Not long after Adcock’s rant, he received significant backlash from Beyoncé fans, who are often referred to as “the hive.” Adcock would later walk back some of his comments in an Instagram video post to his official account.

“When I was a little kid, my mama was blasting some Beyoncé in the car. I’ve heard a ton of Beyoncé songs, and I actually remember her Super Bowl halftime show being pretty kick-ass back in the day, but I really don’t believe that her album should be labeled as country music,” Adcock said. “It doesn’t sound country, it doesn’t feel country, and I just don’t think that people who have dedicated their whole lives to this genre and this lifestyle should have to compete or watch that album just stay at the top just because she’s Beyoncé.”

While some of country music’s old guard haven’t been the biggest supporters of Cowboy Carter, others, like Dolly Parton, felt “honored” by Beyoncé’s venture into country music.

The legendary country performer tells the outlet that she’s a “huge fan” of the singer and refers to Beyoncé as a “magnificent artist.” Beyoncé’s version of “Jolene” is featured on her Cowboy Carter album. Parton revealed that she “loved” the album and called it “really, really good.”