KYKC, a rustic music radio station based mostly in Oklahoma, got here underneath hearth for rejecting a fan’s request to play Beyoncé’s new music “Texas Hold ‘Em,” one in every of two new nation tracks she launched after a surprise Super Bowl ad on Sunday.
Followers have been despatched into an uproar after a put up by one on X, previously often known as Twitter, made the rounds on social media Tuesday. Consumer @jussatto tweeted a screenshot of an e-mail from S.C.O.R.E. Broadcasting.
“I requested ‘Texas Maintain ‘Em’ at my native nation radio station (KYKC) and after requesting, I acquired an e-mail from the radio station stating ‘We don’t play Beyoncé on KYKC as we’re a rustic music station,'” the consumer wrote on X.
The station’s basic supervisor mentioned the station wasn’t but enjoying Beyonce’s new singles due to the scale of its market.
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I requested Texas Maintain ‘Em at my native nation radio station (KYKC) and after requesting, i acquired an e-mail from the radio station stating “We don’t play Beyoncé on KYKC as we’re a rustic music station. @BeyLegion pic.twitter.com/eQksQemk6m
— JUSTIN 🫧 (@jussatto) February 13, 2024
“We’re a small market station. We’re not ready to interrupt an artist or assist it that a lot, so it has to chart a bit of bit greater for us so as to add it,” mentioned Roger Harris, the final supervisor of Southern Central Oklahoma Radio Enterprises (S.C.O.R.E.). “However we love Beyoncé right here. We play her on our [other top 40 and adult hits stations] however we’re not enjoying her on our nation station but as a result of it simply got here out.”
Beyoncé appears to have been embraced on nation music playlists curated by streaming providers corresponding to Apple Music and Spotify. Nation music radio charts are launched each Monday.
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S.C.O.R.E. is comprised of 5 radio stations, starting from FM to nation. Harris mentioned the KYKC station hadn’t performed both of Beyoncé’s new singles as a result of it follows developments from larger stations.
“We form of sample ourselves after the larger stations,” he mentioned. “After they begin enjoying it, that is a giant issue, and the charts are the second greatest.”
Harris described the e-mail as a “normal response” to requests to play songs by artists that do not sometimes make nation music. “If someone calls and requests the Rolling Stones on that station, we’ll say the identical factor,” he mentioned.
However he did say the station would play Beyoncé’s new songs sooner or later.
“We do not play her, however we’ll (with) this one, if it is a nation music, we will definitely play it,” Harris mentioned. “It simply has to chart greater.”
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He mentioned he was focused on a contemporary tackle the style.
“I’ve heard that (the songs are) leaning towards being nation music, and I that like that,” Harris mentioned. “I feel that is cool as a result of we get bored with enjoying the identical outdated beer ingesting, truck driving… issues like that. So, yeah, I am actually enthusiastic about someone completely different doing a rustic music music.”
As followers know, Beyoncé not too long ago shocked the world when she dropped “Texas Maintain ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” through the Tremendous Bowl. The songs have nearly damaged the web and made headlines as they problem music business norms and spotlight the Black roots of nation music.
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Beyoncé has dabbled within the nation music realm earlier than together with her 2016 hit “Daddy Classes.” The identical 12 months she carried out on the Nation Music Affiliation Awards alongside the nation band the Chicks. Whereas the efficiency was praised by many, she was met with some controversy for it.
Beyoncé’s full “Act II” album will likely be accessible March 29.
Observe Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Community’s Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
This text initially appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Beyoncé’s country songs: Radio station won’t play ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’
