Kelly Clarkson is dishing out some hilarious wisdom on the great Beyoncé snub at the 2024 CMA Awards, and boy, does she have some thoughts!
First off, let’s talk about Beyoncé. The queen herself, Beyoncé, got about as much CMA love as a vegetarian at a barbecue pit. Her album, Cowboy Carter, which made history by sitting at the top of the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for four weeks, was about as welcome at the CMA Awards as a bull in a china shop. Despite it being a massive hit and totally qualifying for some shiny trophies, Beyoncé was as overlooked as a needle in a haystack.
Kelly Clarkson, who’s practically the country music equivalent of a unicorn, found this whole thing “fascinating”—a bit like finding out your favorite pizza place doesn’t deliver. Speaking to NBC10 Boston, she quipped about how it seemed like everyone and their grandma was listening to Beyoncé’s album, and yet, the CMAs were as unresponsive as a dial-up modem.
Kelly shared her own country music woes, which sound like they came straight from a soap opera. She’s had her own country journey that was bumpier than a dirt road. “Country music is like trying to get a cat to take a bath,” she said. “I was told that if I didn’t ditch my pop hits and go full cowboy, no one would play my music. I mean, who knew that my lunch would turn into a career intervention?”
She admitted that her attempt to conquer the country music world was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, especially since she grew up on country music in Texas. “I bet Beyoncé grew up with the same country vibes. It’s like you’re born with a lasso in one hand and a country tune in the other,” she joked.
Kelly then gave a shoutout to the “dabbling” nature of artists like her and Beyoncé. “We don’t want to be stuck in one genre like a record on repeat. We like mixing it up like a DJ at a wedding,” she said. “Why put yourself in a musical straightjacket?”
Kelly dropped some deep wisdom about the real meaning of success. “It’s not about the awards. It’s about people showing up, singing along, and having a blast,” she said, tipping her hat to Beyoncé. “I’ve got fans who love my pop, my country, and everything in between. And I’m sure Beyoncé’s fans are just as thrilled. So, who needs a trophy when you’ve already got the love?”
Whether you’re winning awards or just rocking out, Kelly’s got the right idea: the real prize is all the love and music in the world.
