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The success of Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter has given rise to a boost in streaming for other Black country artists.
THR reports that artists like Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, and Shaboozey have increased streaming in the past week. All of these musicians appeared on the Cowboy Carter album.
For example, Spencer saw a 170 percent uptick in first-time listeners. Meanwhile, Roberts and Tanner Addell both increased by 125 percent. Tiera Kennedy's first-time listeners had a 110 percent increase.
The album's influence stretched beyond these individuals. This past week, Spotify saw a massive uptick in catalog listening.
For Beyoncé, all the buzz surrounding her latest album hasn't hurt her. Due to Carter's release, she had an 85 percent increase in first-time listeners. Also, she had a 395 percent increase in listening to her catalog.
NyAsia Burris, Spotify's lead, artist partnerships, R&B, said, “It's incredibly encouraging to see this kind of impact coming out of Cowboy Carter. Not only does this showcase the strength of the Spotify ecosystem and how Spotify drives discovery, but it speaks volumes to the influential power of Beyoncé. The proof is in the numbers — this album has created a cultural movement and is uplifting Black creators to new levels of visibility. It's only been three days since release, so we're just beginning to see the true long-term impact of this project.”
Bee's country mix came out Friday, May 29, and, according to Deadline, it broke streaming records on Spotify and Amazon Music. It was the most streamed album in a single day this year, and twenty-three songs were on the U.S. Top 50 chart on Spotify.
Some of the top songs include the Dolly Parton cover of Jolene. Also, singles released before the album Texas Hold ‘Em and 16 Carriages remain on the charts.
As for Beyoncé, she hit a milestone with the album, considering she's the first Black woman to top the Hot Country Song chart.
About Cowboy Carter
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Teen Vogue reported several factors that led the singer to assemble this iconic album.
Western films inspired it all. A press release from Parkwood Entertainment, Beyoncé's company, states, “Inspiration further takes into account Southern and Western culture beyond music.”
They add, “Each song is its own version of a reimagined Western film. [Beyoncé] took inspiration from films like Five Fingers For Marseilles, Urban Cowboy, The Hateful Eight, Space Cowboys, The Hader They Fall, and Killers of the Flower Moon, often having the films playing on a screen during the recording process.”
Also, Blackbird is a Civil Rights song initially performed by The Beatles. Paul McCartney wrote, “That imagery of the broken wings and the sunken eyes and the general longing for freedom is definitely of its moment.”
Another fun fact is Beyoncé recorded 100 songs for the album. She said, “I recorded probably 100 songs. Once that is done, I am able to put the puzzle together and realize the consistencies and the common themes, and then create a solid body of work.”
Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter's influence and impact are just beginning. It'll be interesting to see how much more the groundbreaking work will affect musicians and more.
