Carrie Underwood recently spoke out about the current state of country music. She also voiced her support for Beyoncé, who just dropped a new album Act II: Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé's new album garnered controversy with some critics calling the album not real country.
Look at any comment section, and you'll notice a clear divide between those who support Beyoncé and those who don't. Speaking with Yahoo, Underwood questions why there isn't room for Beyoncé in the genre. For one, country music has changed and evolved with many different sounds and voices.
Underwood singled out three artists who defy categorizing, classifying Beyoncé as one of them. "I love that people like Post Malone and Beyoncé and Jelly Roll, and people like that are artists first and foremost. They kind of weave in and out of different genres of music, and I think that's really cool," Underwood shared.
Overall, Underwood said she's in favor of broading the genre. She said there's still room for traditionalists and pop fans to cohabitate the industry. What country may mean for one fan may mean something different for another. But overall, Underwood said she welcomes the experimentation.
Carrie Underwood Welcomes Beyoncé
She said, "There really is something for everybody now. One of the great things about country music, and this is true for music in general, is that every genre has really just broadened itself. If you like things that are more traditional, you can find those. If you like things that seem more pop, you can find that. If you like things that can cross over into other genres, you can find something that you love — and it's all part of the same family. I always welcome that."
Previously, Beyoncé called out the country music industry for not welcoming her. She shaded backlash that she received after performing at the 2016 CMAs. It inspired her to develop her new album.
She said, "This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed...and it was very clear that I wasn't. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history."
