Category: Music

After Beyoncé’s Historic Win, the GRAMMYs Suddenly Split the Country Category. Coincidence?

In February, Beyoncé made history at the GRAMMYs—again—becoming the first Black woman to win Best Country Album for her genre-bending opus Cowboy Carter. She beat out names like Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson, Kacey Musgraves, and even Post Malone (yes, that happened). And while the Beyhive rejoiced, the industry? Well… let’s just say it’s reacting in classic fashion. Fast-forward a few months and the Recording Academy has announced a structural change: the Best Country Album category will now be split in two—Best Traditional Country Album and Best Contemporary Country Album. The only category tweak ahead of the 2026 GRAMMYs, and its timing couldn’t feel more… precise. Beyoncé herself seemed stunned by her win, thanking “all the incredible country artists that accepted this album,” and subtly calling out the genre’s historically rigid boundaries: “I think sometimes genre is a cold word to keep us in our place as artists.” She wasn’t wrong. Despite Cowboy Carter’s chart dominance and cultural reach, Beyoncé was snubbed by the CMAs—yet again. (The same CMAs that gave her backlash for daring to perform Daddy Lessons with The Chicks in 2016.) When she announced Cowboy Carter, she even acknowledged the cold shoulder, writing: “It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t.” But let’s talk about that new GRAMMY split. According to Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., the proposal for a two-category system had been submitted multiple times before, but only now did it get approved. The stated goal? To reflect the diversity within the genre. The real question: whose diversity? The Traditional Country definition is heavy on “fiddle,” “banjo,” and “adherence to sound structures.” It reads like a musical history class designed to gatekeep. Meanwhile, fans across social media have been quick to point out the suspiciously strategic timing. One tweet simply read: “Best Traditional Country Album. How subtle.” Another? “A Black woman won best country album, NOW we need two categories? Interesting.” Some fans have called it what it feels like: a post-victory reshuffle designed to quietly keep future Cowboy Carters from sweeping “traditional” territory. Others noted how no one blinked when country music flirted with pop for years—but the moment Beyoncé dominates, the Academy suddenly rediscovers genre purity. Because let’s be honest: Cowboy Carter wasn’t just an album—it was a movement. It pulled dusty corners of country into the light, reclaimed Black influence in a whitewashed genre, and still had time to serve looks, lyrics, and a historical reset. So, is the category split progress or preservation? Evolution or exclusion? A long-overdue update or a cleverly veiled reaction? Maybe it’s all of the above. But as one viral tweet so perfectly put it: “Rules always change when Black people start breaking in.”

Sabrina Carpenter Drops “Man’s Best Friend” Album News With a NSFW Twist—Yes, That’s the Actual Cover

If you thought Sabrina Carpenter was done playing with double meanings and dominance metaphors—think again. The GRAMMY-winning pop provocateur just announced her next album, Man’s Best Friend, and the internet has not taken a collective breath since. Set to drop on August 29, the album will feature nine explicit tracks—including her latest single, “Manchild,” which has already begun clawing its way up Billboard’s Hot 100 like it’s got something to prove. (Spoiler: It does.) In just under a week, “Manchild” has fans quoting lyrics, fighting for their lives in the comments, and comparing its rise to Alex Warren’s viral hit “Ordinary.” But nothing has sparked more discourse than the cover. Or should we say—the two covers? Following her Primavera Sound Festival performance in Barcelona, Carpenter posted two photos that broke the internet in half. First: a sultry, hair-pulling glam shot that looks like it belongs in the Louvre—or a very expensive tab on OnlyFans. Second: a close-up of a dog collar reading Man’s Best Friend, worn by an actual dog, naturally. This unhinged one-two punch led fans to speculate which image was the cover. The collar? A decoy. The dog? Just vibes? Turns out, the NSFW shot is the official album cover. Carpenter confirmed it herself on Instagram, because of course she did. She knows exactly what she’s doing—and so does her audience. If the visuals are anything to go by, Man’s Best Friend is shaping up to be equal parts pop performance, gender play, and brat-coded chaos. Brace yourselves. She’s about to go full alpha.