Megastar Beyonce's highly anticipated country album, out Friday, has cast a spotlight on efforts by Black performers—a vital part of the genre's history—to create a more inclusive Nashville
Trea Swindle, Danica Hart, and Devynn Hart of Chapel Hart stand for a portrait before their performance at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 14, 2024.
Image: Seth Herald / AFP
"Twenty-three in Music City / With dreams and high-heeled boots / Singin' for a crowd of blue eyes / Will they want me too?" croons Julie Williams at the Blue Room venue in Nashville.
The 26-year-old, who is biracial, is one of many Black female artists carving out space in country music's capital, where predominantly white, male gatekeepers dictate who makes it -- and who doesn't.