Beyoncé!: How the 2025 Grammys Achieved Relevance

The “Do the Grammys even matter?” question dates back decades, probably since “Winchester Cathedral” beat “Eleanor Rigby” and “Good Vibrations” for Best Contemporary Rock & Roll Recording in 1967. But the 2025 Grammys demonstrated that the Grammys matter as a cultural and musical touchstone. By awarding Album of the Year and Best Country Album to Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter,” the Recording Academy highlighted both Black country music and Beyoncé’s genre-busting artistry.

“But ‘Cowboy Carter’ isn’t country!” is a common argument you hear from country die-hards. And, well, it’s true that “Cowboy Carter” is more than country. It’s a sprawling masterpiece that incorporates elements of R&B, hip-hop, blues, gospel, zydeco, folk, classical music, and, yes, country. In fact, “Cowboy Carter” reimagines what country music can be. The album also challenges racial and cultural gatekeeping often associated with the genre.

“Cowboy Carter” honors country’s rich Black artistry and heritage in many ways. For example, Beyoncé collaborates with Black artists like Linda Martell, who was the first Black female solo artist to perform at the Grand Ole Opry (in 1969) and is considered to be the first commercially successful Black woman in the genre. Beyoncé also re-contextualizes white country music by interpreting and updating Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”

One of the album’s notable songs, “II Most Wanted” — which won Best Country Duo/Rap Performance — cements the connection to Parton by featuring the voice of Miley Cyrus, who happens to be Parton’s goddaughter and contributes to “Cowboy Carter”’s musical eclecticism.

Beyoncé does not conform to the country genre with “Cowboy Carter”; she expands its possibilities. By doing so, she has created an album that is as much about cultural reclamation as it is about musical innovation. The 2025 Grammy Awards have demonstrated cultural and musical relevance by awarding “Cowboy Carter” both Album of the Year and Best Country Album.