Beyoncé Makes Billboard History: First Black Female Artist Tops Hot Country Songs Chart with ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’

On Tuesday, Billboard announced that the 42-year-old musician known as “Alien Superstar” made history as the first Black female artist to reach the top of the Hot Country Songs chart with her single “Texas Hold ‘Em.” Additionally, the track debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart.

“Texas Hold ‘Em” was officially introduced to country radio on Feb. 13, displacing Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’ duet “I Remember Everything,” which had held the No. 1 position for 20 weeks.

The song accumulated 19.2 million streams and received 4.8 million in all-format airplay audience, along with 39,000 sales in the U.S. up to Feb. 15, according to Luminate. Beyoncé joins Taylor Swift as the only solo female artist to debut at No. 1 on the chart. Swift achieved this with “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” and “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” in 2021.

This achievement marks Beyoncé’s 32nd Grammy win and also makes her the first female artist since October 1958 to top both the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts since they became all-genre inclusive, according to Billboard. Other artists who have led these charts include Morgan Wallen, Justin Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Ray Charles.

Beyoncé’s accompanying release, “16 Carriages,” entered the Hot Country Songs chart at No. 9 and the Hot 100 at No. 38. It has garnered 10.3 million streams, 90,000 in radio airplay, and 14,000 in sales. The surprise release of “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” coincided with the Super Bowl, following her Verizon ad, and teased her upcoming album, referred to as Act II, set for release in March.

Beyoncé teased the album on Instagram with a video reminiscent of the 1984 western film “Paris, Texas,” featuring bystanders in the desert observing her billboard while “Texas Hold ‘Em” played in the background.

The untitled project, referred to as Act ii of Renaissance, is slated for release on March 29, approximately a year and a half after the release of her house-inspired record in the summer of 2022.