#Jon Batiste Applauds Beyoncé for Breaking Down Music Barriers With Her Country Album

Jon Batiste is giving high praise to Beyoncé, with whom he collaborated for her new country music album, Cowboy Carter.

Beyoncé dropped the 27-track album on Friday, but she made history last month with the release of single “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. That made her the first Black woman to accomplish such a feat, according to Billboard.

Batiste, who was one of several collaborators on Cowboy Carter, praised the Grammy-winning singer for her role in breaking down barriers across music genres.

“This is the moment yall, where we dismantle the genre machine,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.

He added: “Quincy Jones told me, as he also wrote in his forward to my WE ARE album, ‘it’s up to you to de categorize American music!! ‘ , which is what Duke Ellington told him. I really believe that is our generations role, led by a few artists willing to take this leap.”

Batiste noted his role in producing and writing for the album’s song “Ameriican Requiem,” which he called “an example of extraordinary alignment—when many leading artists see a similar vision at the same time, that’s when you know a major shift is happening. A new era, long time coming. Let’s liberate ourselves from genre and break the barriers that marginalize who we are and the art that we create.”

He also addressed Beyoncé directly, saying he is “very grateful for my contribution to your brilliant album, a work of such unimaginable impact and artistic firepower by a once in a generation artist. So glad that we finally got to collaborate with each other at this time.”

Batiste is one of several Cowboy Carter collaborators, a list that also includes Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, Stevie Wonder, Chuck Berry, Mylie Cyrus, Post Malone, Rhiannon Giddens, Nile Rodgers, Robert Randolph, Gary Clark Jr., Willie Jones, Brittney Spencer, Shaboozey, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell and Tiera Kennedy.

“I think people are going to be surprised because I don’t think this music is what everyone expects,” Beyoncé said in a statement Friday. “But it’s the best music I’ve ever made.”

Amid the release of her new album, Beyoncé sent flowers and cards with sweet messages to country music singers K. Michelle and Mickey Guyton to show her appreciation for what they had already done in the genre.

“Thank you for opening doors for me, queen. Keep shining. Love and respect, Beyoncé,” she wrote to Guyton, along with a stunning bouquet of white flowers.

In her card to K. Michelle, the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer said, “You’re killing it! I love what you’ve been doing and I know it’s not easy to enter a new space. Sending you positivity and respect. I hope to meet you one day. Love, Beyoncé.”

Read Batiste’s full post below.

This is the moment yall, where we dismantle the genre machine. I was happy to produce and write for AMERIICAN REQUIEM, along with Beyoncé and Dion “NO ID” Wilson. When I catch inspiration, the words and chords pour out of me. What a honor to then see how brilliantly Beyoncé made them her own and THEN further enhanced the lyrical statement, synthesizing it into the larger body of work. After the harrowing vocal prelude that happens to start Cowboy Carter, you get to hear these words that read like a proclaimation. “Do you hear me or do you fear me? ” or better yet in our Louisiana vernacular “Looka dere, Looka dere”

Prior to this, Dion and I had been on a creative journey, having conversations about the state of music and where we could take it. We’d been having these conversations for years but something about recent times has felt ripe with the power of actualization. When I picked up my guitar and notebook to write this song I put my trust God to liberate my creative mind, as I always do when channeling inspiration.

Quincy Jones told me, as he also wrote in his forward to my WE ARE album, “it’s up to you to de categorize American music!! ” , which is what Duke Ellington told him. I really believe that is our generations role, led by a few artists willing to take this leap.

@Beyonce, very grateful for my contribution to your brilliant album, a work of such unimaginable impact and artistic firepower by a once in a generation artist. So glad that we finally got to collaborate with each other at this time.

Producing and writing for AMERIICAN REQUIEM was an example of extraordinary alignment—when many leading artists see a similar vision at the same time, that’s when you know a major shift is happening. A new era, long time coming. Let’s liberate ourselves from genre and break the barriers that marginalize who we are and the art that we create. Grateful also for the contribution by my brother @dixson and the other collaborators who made this opening statement of Cowboy Carter possible.