Beyonce doesn’t make albums; she makes statements. She doesn’t try to persuade you; she demands your allegiance. She can do that, too. She has an internet army to back her up.
And so, the question was whether she could make the country music establishment bend the knee to her by releasing a record with several country songs. So far, the answer is no. While her record, as usual, has been received ecstatically by her fans and the critics, country radio won’t play it.
But this should be fun, if you’re a member of the blue team. First of all, some hapless country music establishment figure is bound to put his foot in it, and the Beyhive will respond with all of its fury. There are times when it feels like only the red team is fighting the culture war, so this will provide some reassurance to the rest of us. In addition, it would be amusing to see Beyonce, Jay-Z, and family performing at the Grand Old Opry as the Carter Family.