Beyoncé 's eighth studio album — the country-influenced Cowboy Carter — was an undeniable success, as it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and sold 407,000 units in the first week of its release. But still, the album proved polarizing within the country music landscape.

In 2016, Beyoncé faced backlash for her performance of her country-tinged song “Daddy Lessons,” with The Chicks at the 50th annual CMA Awards. While the singer received some applause, others in the country music space criticized her, with her performance even being scrubbed from the CMA website.