‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ Producer Killah B Teases Beyoncé’s Country Era: ‘She’s on the Approach of Shocking the World’
Forget yeehaw, it’s all about Bey-haw now! During the Super Bowl (Feb. 11), Beyoncé teased new music — in a glitzy Verizon commercial, no less — and by the time the Chiefs won, two new singles had appeared on streaming platforms. One of the new tracks, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” released alongside the plaintive “16 Carriages,” is already sending country radio into a tailspin, and producer Killah B is hinting that it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
“Let’s just say she’s on the approach of shocking the world,” Killah B said in response to TMZ‘s inquiry of the possibility of guest artists on Beyoncé’s forthcoming album. “I’ll let your imagination decide what that means.”
“Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” mark a stark genre pivot for the consummate pop star. After all, just two years ago, Beyoncé made history as the first Black woman to win the best dance/electronic album Grammy. She won that award — and three others — for her Billboard 200-topping Renaissance album. Serving as her seventh solo studio effort, Renaissance spawned a $579 million-grossing stadium tour, a box-office-topping documentary concert film, and a pair of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles — “Break My Soul” (No. 1) and “Cuff It” (No. 6). The album, which paid tribute to the Black queer roots of dance music and culture, was the first act in a trilogy announced by Beyoncé back in 2022.
Although a title for Beyoncé’s country record has yet to be revealed, the two new tracks are confirmed to be a part of Act II of the trilogy — and that’s essentially all fans know so far.
“Because the album hasn’t dropped yet, I can’t say and I don’t wanna ruin it,” Killah B replied when asked how many tracks would be on the LP. Once TMZ started naming potential collaborators — particularly one Taylor Swift — the “Texas Hold ‘Em” producer said, “You guys gonna have to wait and see!” with a cheeky grin.
Kyle-Brandon Denis
Billboard
