Country Singer Clarifies His Criticism of Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’

Gavin Adcock, known for his country music, has stirred controversy with comments about Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning album, “Cowboy Carter.” During a recent concert, he made remarks suggesting the album doesn’t belong in the country genre, stating, “There are only three people ahead of me on the Apple Music country charts, and one of them’s Beyoncé,” and adding, “That s— ain’t country music.”

In a subsequent social media video, Adcock explained his stance, recalling his childhood experience of hearing Beyoncé’s music and admiring her Super Bowl halftime show. However, he emphasized that he doesn’t believe her album truly fits into the country category, asserting, “It doesn’t sound or feel like country music, and I don’t think it’s fair for her to stay at the top just because she’s Beyoncé.”

Recently, Adcock posted a brief clip with the caption “Here’s my apology,” where he appears shirtless in bed, smiling, and stating, “I just wanted to wake up and tell you that s— ain’t country.” Despite the caption suggesting an apology, his words suggest otherwise, making it seem more like a reaffirmation of his earlier comments.

This ongoing controversy has increased Adcock’s visibility ahead of his upcoming album, titled Own Worst Enemy, set to release on August 15. Meanwhile, Beyoncé responded to the criticism in an Instagram post, revealing that her album was inspired by feeling unwelcome in the country music scene and reiterating that it is not a traditional country album. Still, “Cowboy Carter” has achieved commercial success, topping Billboard’s Country Albums chart and earning Beyoncé her first Grammy for Album of the Year.