Internet Reacts: Luke Bryan’s “Come into Our World” Comment to Beyoncé Sparks Controversy

Luke Bryan recently spoke out regarding the controversy surrounding Beyoncé’s country album, Cowboy Carter, which was notably snubbed at the 2024 Country Music Awards despite its chart-topping success. In a September 30 interview with Andy Cohen, the country star remarked that merely creating a country album does not automatically warrant awards recognition.

He emphasized that country music has always been about community and family, suggesting that if Beyoncé seeks acknowledgment in the genre, she should “come into our world.”

“Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album. Nobody’s mad about it. But where things get a little tricky — if you’re gonna make country albums, come into our world and be country with us a little bit,”he stated.

“Like Beyoncé can do exactly what she wants to. She’s probably the biggest star in music. But come to an award show and high-five us and have fun and get in the family too. And I’m not saying she didn’t do that…but country music is a lot about family,” he added.

His remarks generated significant backlash on social media, with many users criticizing Bryan for his perspective, labeling it as “racist.”

While several users echoed Bryan’s sentiments, many disparaged him for his choice of words.

“I’m trying to figure out where exactly ‘their world’ is. White people will say something like, come to our world,’ and then deliberately give you the wrong directions,”one user tweeted.

“We know exactly what he means. F**k that whole genre. When we start listening to more black country singers aligned with our values all of a sudden Luke Bryan will find religion. Just trash,”another commenter added.

“”Be country with us for a bit” she was country before some of your colleagues decided to be to win a Grammy,”a netizen remarked.

Others pointed out the contradiction of Beyoncé needing to prove her authenticity as a Black artist from Houston, Texas, in the country genre.

“Keith Urban is from Australia and y’all basically made him the face of the genre. But the girl from Houston needs to prove she’s part of your world?”one user questioned.

“Telling a Black woman from TEXAS she’s not country enough is just….if white people don’t have s**t else, they got the audacity..”another person commented.

“Come into OUR WORLD! !!! OUR WORLD? ??????? THE world she GREW UP IN? ?? Mind you Luke Bryan was born in GEORGIA! How dare you give yourself the power to INVITE, or ACCEPT a Woman from Houston Texas into Country culture? Come high five us…lmao the same low lives that spitted on her when she performed with The Chicks. Be for real!”one user added.

“Country music’s supposed to be for everyone, so why does Beyoncé have to PROVE herself more than anyone else? Isn’t great music enough??”another user asked.

Beyoncé’s Reflections on Cowboy Carter

When Beyoncé announced Cowboy Carter in March 2024, she revealed that the album was inspired by a past experience where she felt unwelcome.

“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. The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” she shared on Instagram.

Fans speculated that her comments were related to her performance of “Daddy Lessons”with The Chicks at the 2016 CMAs, which drew substantial backlash. She explained how this prompted her to explore the roots of country music, stating that the criticisms made her strive to exceed the expectations placed upon her.

Cowboy Carter was released on March 29, 2024, achieving significant commercial success and making her the first Black woman to reach the top of the country charts. Her single “Texas Hold ‘Em”also hit No. 1 on Billboard’s country song chart. Nevertheless, upon its release, she clarified that Cowboy Carter was not simply a country album; it was a Beyoncé album.

However, despite the success of the album, it did not receive any nominations from the CMA, leading many fans to feel that Beyoncé had been unfairly snubbed by the awards show. As of now, Beyoncé has not commented on the controversy.

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter is the second act of a trilogy, following her 2022 album Renaissance.

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