2024 Was the Year of Black Country Music

Whether a fan of country music or not, most could agree that in 2024, Black country music artists had a breakout year like none other. Considering the genre was originally pioneered by Black musicians, this might sound surprising. Yet, when most people think of country music, names like Rhiannon Giddens, Miko Marks or even Beyoncé don’t typically come to mind. However, it’s these artists and others like them who prove that 2024 was a pivotal year for Black country music artists.

No shade to others in the genre (there's room for everyone, of course), but with Black country artists being recognized and given their flowers in a genre that has largely excluded them for almost a century, that's certainly something to celebrate.

So, why was 2024 such a standout year for Black country music?

Let’s begin with one of the most headline-grabbing moments: Beyoncé’s country album, Cowboy Carter, which dropped in March. The album prominently featured several Black country artists who may not have been on many people’s radar before. Names like Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy and Shaboozey—who were all featured on Cowboy Carter—were not names that rang a bell for me beforehand, but guess what? They do now.

And considering Cowboy Carter made it onto a number of 'Best Albums of 2024' lists, including Billboard, Rolling Stone and The New Yorker, debuted at number one in several countries, earned 11 Grammy nominations and broke chart and streaming records, I'm probably not alone here.

The momentum didn’t stop there. Take Tanner Adell’s viral TikTok hit, “Buckle Bunny,” which became an anthem earlier this year. Then there’s Shaboozey, who recently performed on SNL and during the NFL's Thanksgiving Halftime Show. His record “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” dominated global charts and tied Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” as the longest-running number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100, holding the top spot for an incredible 19 weeks.