Beyoncé’s ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ Makes Debut on Country Airplay Chart

Pop and R&B/hip-hop sensation Beyoncé marked a significant career milestone during the Super Bowl LVIII event by releasing two new tracks, ‘Texas Hold 'Em‘ and ’16 Carriages’.

The announcement to promote ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ to country radio came through a communication from Columbia Nashville to stations on Feb. 14 at 11 a.m. ET. The track debuted at No. 54 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, capturing 1.1 million in audience from 100 stations at the format in the tracking week ending on Feb. 15.

KBAY San Jose, Calif., owned by Alpha Media, swiftly added ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ to its sub-power rotation, emphasizing the song’s top-trending status and its ability to introduce excitement to listeners. Bo Matthews, the program director, highlighted the appeal of the track stating, ‘One of the biggest artists in the world has delivered a fantastic country record, and we are excited to share it with our audience.’

With eight No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and seven No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 as a solo artist, Beyoncé has established herself as a dominant figure in music. She has also achieved significant success on various Billboard airplay charts, including the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Pop Airplay charts.

‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ not only entered the Country Airplay chart but also made its debut at No. 38 on the Pop Airplay chart. The track amassed 1.3 million in audience impressions from 98 reporting stations at the format.

Rhiannon Giddens, known for her work as a banjo and viola player, contributed to ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’. Giddens previously secured a spot at No. 6 on the Country Airplay chart with her feature on Eric Church‘s hit ‘Kill a Word’. She has also topped the Americana/Folk Albums chart and the Bluegrass Albums chart as a member of Carolina Chocolate Drops.

Dave Parker, the program director at WUSH Norfolk, Va., emphasized the uniqueness and positive response to ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ within the station. He expressed interest in keeping the station engaging by adding diverse and captivating music to the rotation to maintain listener interest.

Tim Roberts, the program director at WYCD Detroit, echoed the sentiment of embracing Beyoncé’s foray into country music, emphasizing the genre’s popularity and welcoming artists from various backgrounds. He noted that the ultimate judgment on the success of the track lies with the audience.

Billboard’s charts, including the Hot 100, are scheduled to update on Tuesday, Feb. 20, a day later than usual due to the Presidents’ Day holiday in the U.S. on Feb. 19.