More than two decades into her career, Beyoncé is still making history.
On Feb. 20, Billboard released its updated music charts and revealed that Beyoncé’s new song “Texas Hold ‘Em” landed at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
The track, which she released on Feb. 11 along with another country song called “16 Carriages,” is the music superstar’s first No. 1 on the country chart. She also made history as the first Black woman to secure the top spot, Billboard confirmed to TODAY.com.
“We’re thrilled to see Beyoncé top our Hot Country Songs chart, becoming the first Black woman to land the No. 1 spot,” said Hannah Karp, editorial director of Billboard, in a statement to TODAY.com.
“As ‘Texas Hold ‘Em” continues to gain momentum on country radio, it’s also driving attention — and streams — for other Black women artists working in country music, cultivating a diversity that will surely enrich this genre’s sound and culture, push its boundaries and fuel its growth.”
The historic wins kept coming. With “Texas Hold ‘Em” claiming the top spot, Beyoncé is now the only woman to score a No. 1 song on both the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
“Texas Hold ‘Em” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 ahead of the new song from Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, called “Carnival” from his album “Vultures 1” with Ty Dolla $ign. Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me” landed the top spot for the second consecutive week.
“16 Carriages” placed No. 9 on the Hot Country Songs chart and No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.
According to the music outlet, “Texas Hold ‘Em” has gained 19.2 million streams since Beyoncé surprised the BeyHive by releasing new music during the Super Bowl on Feb. 11.
She teased the arrival of “Act II,” which follows her Grammy-winning 2022 album “Renaissance,” during a Verizon commercial halfway through the big game, essentially breaking the internet.
Fans had a feeling that a major announcement was on the way after dissecting the music icon’s outfit at the 2024 Grammys earlier this month.
Beyoncé arrived wearing a wide-brimmed white cowboy hat that BeyHive members speculated could be a hint she was working on a country album. Their theories were proven to be correct when they heard the first notes of “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.”
The 32-time Grammy winner previously dabbled in the genre when she released a version of her "Lemonade" track “Daddy Lessons” featuring the Chicks in 2016. She performed the track with the trio at the 2016 Country Music Association Awards, but this appears to be the first time she is releasing a country LP.
Beyoncé posted a short video about “Act II,” out March 29, on Instagram shortly after her Super Bowl commercial premiered.
In the teaser, she drives up to a giant “Texas Hold ‘Em” billboard that has a group of people fascinated. With the success of her two country singles, it seems Beyoncé predicted the future.