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[00:00.40] American music star Beyoncé released her new album Cowboy Carter last week.

[00:06.51] The singer said the country music record was born of an earlier experience in which she “did not feel welcomed” by the country music industry.

[00:17.66] Country music stars Linda Martell and Willie Nelson are among the album’s guest artists.

[00:24.83] Beyoncé also sings duets with Miley Cyrus and Post Malone and covers the famous Dolly Parton song Jolene.

[00:33.60] Experts and fans say Beyoncé's move into country music is a reclaiming and honoring of the legacy of Black Americans within country music and culture.

[00:45.82] That history, they argue, has gone largely unrecognized in some mainstream music circles.

[00:53.79] Many Black musicians try to make it in country music but have trouble being accepted by its mostly white fans.

[01:03.09] Beyoncé said the record is a reaction to her experience from 2016 when she released the song Daddy Lessons.

[01:21.68] She performed the song with the country group The Chicks at the Country Music Awards.

[01:27.78] Some country music fans said Beyoncé did not belong place at the event.

[01:33.89] Beyoncé’s Jolene comes with an introduction from Dolly Parton herself.

[01:41.07] She speaks about Beyonce’s song Sorry from 2016, saying that it reminded her of the story in Jolene.

[01:48.24] Parton and Nelson also appear in other parts of the record, introducing songs like a radio DJ.

[01:57.01] Guest artist Linda Martell was the first Black female singer to appear at the famous Nashville, Tennessee, live music site, The Grand Ole’ Opry in 1969.

[02:10.55] In the weeks leading up to the album release, Beyoncé posted images of herself in cowboy hats and other clothing linked to country life.

[02:21.44] The artist grew up in Houston, Texas, where country music is extremely popular.

[02:27.82] She has talked in the past about how she is connected to country music and southern culture.

[02:35.25] She called the new record “a deeper dive into the history of Country music.”

[02:41.10] Some country music experts say Beyoncé is walking in the footsteps of the Black country singers who came before her.

[02:51.20] They point to past singers Lesley Riddle and Charley Pride and current singers including Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton and Rhiannon Giddens.

[03:05.27] She released two songs earlier this year – Texas Hold’em and 16 Carriages – using a clear country “twang” and instruments common to country songs.

[03:15.10] Texas Hold’em recently reached the top spot on Billboard magazine’s “Hot Country Songs” chart.

[03:28.64] Just before Cowboy Carter came out, Beyoncé made a post on Instagram.

[03:33.96] She said “I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart.”

[03:41.39] She went on to say that in the future she hopes people will no longer need to talk about a singer’s race when discussing music.