2024 CMT Awards Paid Beyoncé's Country Debut Dust & We're Not Surprised

Following the release of her eighth studio album, Beyoncé has continued to make headlines but the CMT Awards is seemingly not yet sold on her new status as a country artist. On March 29, the "Drunk in Love" singer released "Cowboy Carter," a self-proclaimed country album that marked her foray into the country music scene. "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," she wrote in a statement announcing the album on Instagram.

Since its release, "Cowboy Carter" has continued to make its way to global music charts while also racking up noteworthy achievements for Beyoncé. On April 7, Billboard announced her as the first Black woman to lead the Top Country Album chart. With the album also reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 list, she also becomes the fourth woman in history with the most No. 1 albums. If there were any doubts about the singer's status as an icon, many Beyoncé fans believe "Cowboy Carter" is all the proof needed. "I say this with absolute confidence; Cowboy Carter is Beyoncé's best work," one fan declared on X, formerly known as Twitter.

But while the singer has continued to break records with her latest project, the CMTs apparently need a little more convincing!

When it comes to Queen Bey, the hive doesn't play! At the 2024 CMT Music Awards, Beyoncé's conspicuous absence from the performance lineup had fans buzzing with disappointment. "As I watch @CMT Music Awards to see if there'll be a surprise @Beyonce award, appearance or performance find myself subjected to my least preferred sounds of the genre. They are determined to illustrate how Beyoncé isn't country," one fan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. But while the multiple Grammy award winner might not have gotten a slot on the CMT stage, she was not entirely left out of the show.

As seen in a clip shared on X, Beyonce's "Jolene" was played in the auditorium during a commercial break but this apparently was not enough to pacify fans who called the award show out for its biases. "Ouuu I know they pissed rn hearing Beyoncé and seeing black country artists there," one tweeted. "CMT fans don't want beyonce. They are just racist af," another speculated.

This wave of outrage was fueled by the hive's hope for an announced show-stopping performance from the "Crazy in Love" singer. "Manifesting a surprise Beyoncé and Miley performance at the CMT awards tonight. I'll actually cry," one user wrote ahead of the event.