What is Call Me Country: Beyoncé and Nashville's Renaissance about?
Call Me Country: Beyoncé and Nashville's Renaissance is a documentary that examines the role that high-profile pop artists, such as Beyoncé and Lil Nas X, play in transforming the landscape of contemporary country music.
The documentary continues from the social media discussion surrounding the release of Beyoncé's first dedicated country album, Cowboy Carter, in early 2024, with the conversation examining the discourse between Black musicians in Nashville and their underrepresentation in the contemporary country music scene.
Why did Beyoncé make a country album?
Ahead of the release of Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé took to social media to explain why she decided to pivot genre to country after 25 years of success in pop music.
"[Cowboy Carter] was born out of an experience I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed... and it was very clear that I wasn't but, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archive," she wrote.
Following Beyoncé's comments, many fans quickly connected the incident to her 2016 Country Music Awards performance.
Taking to the stage to sing Daddy Lessons alongside country trio The Chicks, her performance received a less than enthusiastic response from many of the male country artists in attendance; sparking a conversation regarding the intersections of race and gender in the country music industry.
After releasing her first single from the album, Texas Hold 'Em, in early March 2024, Beyoncé made history by becoming the first Black woman to receive a number-one single on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart.
Commemorating the achievement, Beyoncé wrote, "My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist's race, as it relates to releasing genres of music will be irrelevant."
"It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives to educating on our musical history."
Who is the cast of Call Me Country: Beyoncé and Nashville's Renaissance?
While Beyoncé may not personally feature in the documentary, many of those in her inner circle have participated in the documentary, such as her Texas Hold 'Em banjo player Rhiannon Giddens.
The documentary also includes an intersection of country musicians and country music experts, with interviewees including esteemed country music duo Brothers Osborne, country singers Rissi Palmer, Aaron Vance, and Denitia, and experts Touré, Larisha Paul, and Kyle Coroneos.
Where to watch Call Me Country: Beyoncé and Nashville's Renaissance
Call Me Country: Beyoncé and Nashville's Renaissance will be available to stream in Australia on BINGE from May 24, 2024.
Stream Call Me Country: Beyoncé and Nashville's Renaissance on BINGE from $10.00/month with a 7-day free trial. Subscribe here.
