Beyoncé’s latest album, Cowboy Carter, has been making waves on Spotify, not only for the music icon herself but also for the Black country-based artists featured on the album. Since its release, several lesser-known artists like Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, and Shaboozey have experienced a significant increase in first-time listeners. Spencer saw a remarkable 170 percent uptick, while Roberts and Tanner Adell both saw a 125 percent increase, and Tiera Kennedy's first-time listens rose by 110 percent.
These artists collaborated with Beyoncé on a cover of The Beatles' “Blackbird,” featured on Cowboy Carter. The album has not only impacted first-time listeners but also led to a surge in catalog listening on Spotify. Kennedy experienced a staggering 40,000 percent increase, Spencer saw a 37,220 percent rise, Roberts saw a 16,000 percent increase, and Jones, Adell, and Shaboozey also saw significant boosts in their catalog listening numbers.
Beyoncé herself saw an 85 percent increase in first-time listeners and a 395 percent increase in catalog listening since the album's release. The success of Cowboy Carter has been attributed to the Spotify ecosystem's ability to drive discovery and the influential power of Beyoncé in uplifting Black creators.
Cowboy Carter set a new record on Spotify by becoming the most-streamed album in a single day this year. Twenty-three songs from the 27-track album debuted on Spotify’s U.S. top 50 chart, with Beyoncé's rendition of Dolly Parton's Jolene reaching the No. 3 spot. The album features hit singles like “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts, marking Beyoncé as the first Black woman to achieve this feat.
Notable guests on the album include Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Willie Nelson, Beyoncé's daughter Rumi Carter, and Linda Martell, a trailblazer for Black artists in country music. Martell was the first Black woman to perform solo at the Grand Ole Opry, showcasing the diverse and inclusive nature of Cowboy Carter.
