Mickey Guyton is hopeful things will get better for black artists in the country music genre following the release of Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album.
“I hope so. Time will tell,” the “Black Like Me” singer told Page Six exclusively at the 2024 CMT Music Awards in Austin, Texas, Sunday night.
“I think that a lot of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) boards are closing, and … that’s across all the entertainment industry. So, I hope her doing this continues the conversation. And there’s a lot of excitement about it, which there should be, and this amazing album that she’s written. So I hope it stays.”
After Beyoncé, 42, released her eighth studio album on March 29, she sent a bouquet to Guyton, 40, with a note thanking the “Nothing Compares to You” singer for “opening doors” for her as a black woman in country music.
“With opportunity comes possibility. The possibilities are endless with you @beyonce. God gave me an assignment and I followed. May the doors continue to stay wide open,” Guyton captioned an Instagram post of herself posing with the white flowers.
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Guyton has long been vocal about the problems she has faced as a black woman in the country genre.
In 2021, she released her single “Black Like Me,” in which she sings about facing racism and discrimination in her childhood and as an adult in America.
“Little kid in a small town / I did my best just to fit in / Broke my heart on the playground, mm / When they said I was different,” she sings.
“Oh, now, now I’m all grown up, and nothing has changed / Yeah, it’s still the same.”
Guyton adds, “If you think we live in the land of the free / You should try to be black like me.”
The song earned the country musician her first Grammy nomination and made her the first black woman to receive a nod in the category for best country solo performance.
“This nomination is a testament to never give up and live your truth,” she said at the time.
“I can’t think of a better song to make history with than ‘Black Like Me,’ and I hope that I can continue to help open doors for other women and people who look like me.”
