The statement, which has since been dubbed the “Nashville Declaration of No-Beyoncé,” sent shockwaves through the entertainment world. Fans of country music and Beyoncé alike flooded Twitter (or X, as the tech overlords now demand we call it) with hashtags like #JusticeForBey and #CMAIsCancelled.
One particularly passionate fan wrote, “Y’all are really out here saying BEYONCÉ isn’t good enough for country music? The same Beyoncé who just gave us ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’? The same Beyoncé who covered Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’? Y’all tripping.”
Speaking of Dolly Parton, the country icon herself weighed in on the controversy, and as always, she did not disappoint.
“I’ve been a fan of Beyoncé for years,” Parton said in an interview just days after the CMA’s announcement. “She covered my song ‘Jolene’ on her new album, and let me tell you, she did it justice. Anyone who says that woman isn’t country doesn’t know what they’re talking about. I reckon she’s more country than half of Nashville these days.”
