Beyoncé Songs Get Countrified Remixes From BRELAND, ‘BLACKBIIRD’ Collaborators, And More For Apple Music
Apple Music is concluding its Black Music Month programming with a special series of covers from some of country music’s newest, budding talent.
Some of Beyoncé‘s collaborators — Brittney Spencer, Tanner Adell, and Tiera Kennedy — partnered up with the streaming platform alongside BRELAND, Joy Oladokun, and Madeline Edwards to put their own country spin on some of the CÉCRED founder’s hit records for Apple Music‘s Nashville Sessions.
Those selected were chosen to celebrate Bey’s latest release, COWBOY CARTER, and her indelible impact on music overall.
Each act chose a different Bey era to wrangle and make their own.
Spencer covered “Irreplaceable” from B’Day, Edwards covered “Halo” from I Am… Sasha Fierce, Kennedy tackled “1+1” from 4, Adell put her spin on “Drunk In Love” from Beyoncé, BRELAND covered “Sandcastles” from Lemonade, and Oladokun covered Bey’s duet with Miley Cyrus, “II MOST WANTED,” from COWBOY CARTER.
For BRELAND, his choice stems from the idea that “people should be able to express themselves however they want.”
Spencer reflects feeling “ready” after hearing that Beyoncé was working on a country album.
She was part of cohort of artists tapped for Bey’s rendition of The Beatles’ “Blackbird.” Adell and Kennedy, who are also part of this Black Music Month programming, joined her along with Reyna Roberts.
As a first-gen Nigerian and queer Black woman, Oladokun is proud to stand out as country artist.
“Audiences of country music are bigger than we thought,” she notes, adding, “and they don’t look like we thought.”
Edwards was born in California and raised in Texas, but loves that she’s able to “add to the tapestry of beautiful American stories that make up the South.”
It’s no surprise that everyone’s favorite “Buckle Bunny” chose one of Bey’s most risqué songs to cover. When it comes to how she shows up musically, she explained, “Country music to me means family, and country music lets you tell your story.”
Kennedy’s music has always had an R&B influence and she praised Bey for helping to pave the way for that duality. She told Apple Music, “Beyonce has opened a door that’s going to be really hard to close,” and we agree.
The entire Apple Music Nashville Sessions: Beyoncé Covered collection is streaming exclusively on Apple Music. Watch each preview above.