A small-town radio station in Oklahoma recently found itself in the midst of controversy when a listener accused it of purposely refusing to play Beyoncé’s new country songs. The listener claimed that KYKC, a local country station in Ada, OK, had sent him an email stating that they do not play Beyoncé. This accusation quickly spread on social media, with many people condemning the station for what they perceived as blatant racism.
However, upon closer examination, it appears that the whole situation was a misunderstanding. The listener in question had requested Beyoncé’s new song “Texas Hold ‘Em” from KYKC. The radio station responded by stating that they are a country music station and therefore do not play Beyoncé. The listener then took this response and labeled it as racist, calling for a boycott of the station.
TMZ decided to investigate the matter and reached out to both the listener and KYKC for clarification. The listener revealed that his original request to the station was specifically for Beyoncé’s country song “Texas Hold ‘Em.” He believed that it should have been evident to the station that he was requesting a country song, as it is already labeled as such on major streaming platforms. KYKC confirmed that they had not yet received Beyoncé’s new songs and that was why they were not playing them. Another Oklahoma country station, KECO in Elk City, echoed the same sentiment.
It became clear that KYKC and its staff were simply unaware of Beyoncé’s new country songs. They had not been following social media or seen her Verizon commercial during the Super Bowl. The station was not intentionally excluding Beyoncé or her music from their playlist.
Thanks to the attention brought by the listener’s post, KYKC decided to play “Texas Hold ‘Em” for the first time on Tuesday afternoon. While Beyoncé’s new songs have yet to make it onto the Billboard charts, they are performing well on streaming platforms. It is likely that KYKC listeners will soon be hearing the songs regularly.
This incident sparked a larger discussion about Beyoncé’s foray into the country music scene and the preconceived notions some may have about the genre. However, in this particular case, the outrage directed at KYKC was not justified. It was simply a misunderstanding that has now been resolved.
As with any controversy, it is important to gather all the facts before passing judgment. In this age of social media, it is easy for misinformation to spread rapidly and create unnecessary tension. Hopefully, this incident serves as a reminder to approach such situations with caution and seek out the truth before jumping to conclusions.
