Luke Bryan insists his comments about Beyoncé's CMA Awards snub were 'not negative': 'I respect Beyoncé'
The country star and CMAs cohost previously said, "If you're gonna make country albums, come into our world and be country with us a little bit."
After kicking the dust up with recent remarks about Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter album being snubbed by the CMA Awards, country star and ceremony cohost Luke Bryan is clarifying his comments.
In a statement posted to social media Sunday evening, Bryan took issue with "the ridiculous nature of the headlines I have read the last couple days from an interview on the Andy Cohen show I did when I was promoting my album." He added, "I feel in my heart I could not let media create a false narrative. As I read thru the comments of some of you I just want to say that I encourage all of you to listen to the interview instead of reading clickbait headlines."
Insisting that his "tone and intentions" were "not negative," Bryan added, "I respect Beyoncé and I love how loyal her fans are. I spend a lot of time supporting other artists. I want everyone to win."
Related: CMA Awards host Luke Bryan weighs in on Beyoncé Cowboy Carter snub: 'Have fun and get in the family'
Bryan, who is set to emcee the CMA Awards with Peyton Manning and Lainey Wilson on Nov. 20, appeared on Cohen's SiriusXM show last week and was asked about Beyoncé's celebrated country album receiving zero nominations from the Country Music Association.
"It's a tricky question because, obviously, Beyoncé made a country album and Beyoncé has a lot of fans out there that have her back," Bryan said. "And if she doesn't get something they want, man, they come at you, as fans should do."
Calling it a "tricky" situation, he added, "If you're gonna make country albums, come into our world and be country with us a little bit. Like, Beyoncé can do exactly what she wants to. She's probably the biggest star in music."
Hey yall, I’m wrapping up the last night of my tour tonight and it’s been an amazing time. For that I am thankful.
I am posting tonight based on the ridiculous nature of the headlines I have read the last couple days from an interview on the Andy Cohen show I did this week when…— Luke Bryan (@lukebryan) October 7, 2024
Related: From Miley to Dolly to Willie, here are all of Beyoncé's collaborators on Cowboy Carter
Bryan also called on Bey to "come to an award show and high-five us and have fun and get in the family, too."
Cowboy Carter was blanked by the CMAs despite making historic strides on country charts. Beyoncé became the first Black woman to top Billboard's country albums charts with the album earlier this year, after her single "Texas Hold 'Em" lassoed a similar historical feat on the country songs chart. When she announced the release date of the album on social media earlier this year, Bey notably said Cowboy Carter was born out of an experience years ago when she did not "feel welcomed" in the country genre.
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"The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me," she wrote.
Linda Martell, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson are among the country heavy hitters featured on the album, as are Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, and Shaboozey.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.