Country superstar Luke Bryan has been braving backlash all week for polarizing comments made about Beyonce‘s unceremonious snub at the 2024 CMAs (Country Music Association) Awards.
As reported here, Bey landed zero nominations at this year’s ceremony despite owning one of the year’s best-selling Country albums and making history on the genre’s Billboard charts.
Not long after Country Queen Dolly Parton made headlines for seemingly defending the event’s academy for holding the ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ hitmaker from its nominations roster, Bryan did the same – sending the ‘Cowboy Carter’ diva’s fans (affectionately called the #Beyhive) into swarm mode.
Look inside to see how he’s responded to the hoopla.
The drama started when Luke took to Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM show to promote his latest album. There, he was asked about Beyoncé’s snub.
“Obviously Beyoncé made a country album. And Beyoncé has a lot of fans out there that have her back, and if she doesn’t get something they want, man, they come at you … as fans should do,” he started before saying, “I’m all for everybody coming in and making country albums and all that. But just by declaring that, just because she made one… A lot of great music’s overlooked. Sometimes you don’t get nominated.”
Later in his response, he suggested Bey doesn’t play ball by attending Country music events or mingling with its biggest stars – behavior that may have led to her being snubbed.
“[She should] come into our world and be country with us a little bit,” he stated. “…come to an awards show and high-five us and have fun and get in the family too…Country music’s a lot about family.”
Many decoded Bryan’s statement as assertion she was an “outsider,” a subtext that some even suggested had a racial undertone.
To clear up the murk, Luke took to X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday night (October 6).
“I am posting tonight based on the ridiculous nature of the headlines I have read the last couple days from an interview on the Andy Cohen show I did this week when I was promoting my album,” he said to his 9 million followers on the platform. “I respect Beyonce and I love how loyal her fans are. I spend a lot of time supporting other artists. I want everyone to win. Love yall.”
Read his full statement below.
LB has NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE ABOUT AS IT PERTAINS TO HIS VERY ACCURATE COMMENTS AIMED AT BEYONCE, WHO WAS TRYING TO WIN AWARDS IN A CATEGORY THAT SHE HAS NO BUSINESS VENTURING INTO DUE TO HER NOT PROPERLY FELLOWSHIPPING WITH ARTISTS IN THE MUSIC GENRE SHE TRIED TO STOMP IN, BUT GOTTEN BOOTED OUT OF BEFORE SHE KNEW WHAT DAY IT WAS!
FACE IT: LB WAS RIGHT & DOES NOT HAVE TO APOLOGIZE FOR TELLING THE TRUTH. BEYONCE SHOULD APOLOGIZE FOR TRYING TO INFILTRATE A MUSIC GENRE EXPECTING TO WIN AWARDS W/O PUTTING IN THE WORK TO BUILD UP AN AUDIENCE IN COUNTRY MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The ONLY THING LB NEEDS TO APOLOGIZE FOR IS SUPPORTING REPUBLICANS WHEN HE KNOWS THEY’RE WRONG IN THEIR POLICIES!
All true except the last sentence
NAW, YOU HAD IT RIGHT: “ALL TRUE..”
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS- I’M VOTING TOMORROW DEMS ALL ACROSS THE BOARD!!!
Do it if you want to become the United States of Islam
WT ENTIRE F ARE TALKING ABOUT?!?!?!?!?
I SHOULD HAVE YOUR COMMENT FLAGGED SINCE IT’S CLEARLY RACIST! KAMALA IS FROM AMERICA, YOU RACIST O!NK!
COME JANUARY 2025 THE U.S.A. WILL HAVE A FEMALE PRESIDENT WHO IS A PERSON OF COLOR!
AND NOTHING’S WRONG WITH PEOPLE WHO PRACTICE ISLAMIC CULTURE!
Jay must’ve made a phone call LMAO
I have a feeling pretty soon that THE BIG WIGS WON’T BE TAKING ANY MORE OF JAY-Z’s Calls much longer
#THE P-DIDDY EFFECT COMING SOON FOR JAY-Z
Nothing wrong with what he said! I can see his point.