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Beyoncé becomes first Black woman to claim top spot on Billboard’s country music chart

FILE - Beyonce performs at a Get Out the Vote concert for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio, Nov. 4, 2016. Beyonce teased the possibility of new music during a Verizon Super Bowl ad, and then added a cryptic Instagram video that ended with the words "act ii" and a release date of March 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beyoncé made history once again: The superstar singer has become the first Black woman to top Billboard’s country music chart.

The Grammy winner achieved the feat after her new single “Texas Hold ‘Em” reached No. 1 on the country airplay chart this week. She dropped the song on Feb. 11 — during the Super Bowl — along with her other single “16 Carriages,” which debuted at No. 9 on the same chart.


Both songs are expected to be featured on Beyoncé’s upcoming, country-themed album, which is referred to as “act ii,” on March 29. It’s a follow-up offering to her 2022 album “Renaissance,” which is frequently referred to as “Act I: Renaissance.”

Beyoncé announced the full-length new album after a Verizon commercial she starred in aired during the Super Bowl this month.

Beyoncé is also the first woman to claim the top spot on the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts since both began in 1958, according to Billboard. The only other acts who have topped both include Justin Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus and Ray Charles.