And with that, it seems Beyoncé will continue to blaze her own trail, CMA be damned. While the Nashville establishment might not be ready to embrace her, the rest of the world has already crowned her the queen of country. Or at the very least, the queen of whatever genre she decides to conquer next.
One thing is certain: Beyoncé’s not leaving the country stage quietly. She’s going to saddle up, ride off into the sunset, and make sure the rest of us know what country really sounds like.