Beyonce's latest album, Act ll: Cowboy Carter, has hit No 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart in the US, making her the first black woman to top the chart since its 1964 inception.
The album also topped the all-genres Billboard 200, marking her eighth No 1 album in the US.
According to Luminate, the industry data and analytics company, Cowboy Carter totalled 407,000 equivalent album units, a combination of pure album sales and on-demand streams, earned in the US since its March 29 release.
The critically acclaimed record also hit the top spot on the official Irish album chart.
As a black woman reclaiming country music, Beyoncé stands in opposition to stereotypical associations of the genre with whiteness.
Conversations surrounding Beyoncé’s country music explorations began when she arrived at the 2024 Grammy Awards in full cowboy regalia — making a statement without saying a word.
Then, during the Super Bowl, she dropped two hybrid country songs: Texas Hold ’Em and 16 Carriages, eventually leading to the release of Cowboy Carter.
Source: Press Association
