Even though Beyoncé claims her latest effort is “not a country album,” there’s no denying the genre’s influence—from the singer’s current cowgirl fashion aesthetic to the Bey-esque cover of Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene” to the inclusion of black country artists like Tanner Adell, Willie Jones, Tiera Kennedy, Linda Martell, Reyna Roberts, Brittney Spencer and alt-country artist Shaboozey.

But they’re not the only ones whose careers could benefit from Queen Bey’s entry into country    music . They say a rising tide lifts all boats, and here are just a few of the artists who could potentially ride the wave of attention currently being given to black artists looking to break into country music.

The BoykinZ will perform on stage during the Atlanta Chapter Member and Nominee Induction Ceremony in Atlanta on January 25, 2024.

This quartet of singing sisters from the suburbs of Atlanta already counts Kelly Clarkson and Shania Twain among their fans.

After their harmonious harmonies and energetic dance moves made waves on TikTok, the young women were invited to a surprise meeting with Twain during an appearance on Clarkson’s daytime talk show last year. Twain used the opportunity to invite them to join her onstage at the CMT Awards.

“I invited her to sing a little a cappella piece with me tonight, just as part of my exchange to support emerging young female artists, people who may be excluded in this day and age,” Twain told People at the time.

These days, the group couldn’t be more excited about Beyoncé’s new album and the buzz it has generated.

“I honestly think it’s so beautiful,” 22-year-old Kylan Boykin told CNN. “We listened to the album and were just blown away by what she did. Her creativity is on a whole other level and we think it opens doors for artists like us to be just as creative and do what we want in this genre.”

Her 19-year-old sister and bandmate Nytere Boykin said she understands why Beyoncé made it clear that “Cowboy Carter” is not a traditional country album.

“I love what she has done. Every single song is unique and not tied to a genre,” said Nytere Boykin.

The couple is working on their debut album together with their sisters Anale (21) and Alona (17) and feels inspired.

“[Beyoncé] did what she wanted to do and that’s so inspiring,” Kylan Boykin added. “I think it speaks to everyone in a lot of different ways that you can do what you want and not have to hold back and limit yourself to what people think you should do, no matter what race you are, where you’re from, what size you are or whatever. That’s awesome.”

RVSHVD performs during a Sticks and Swamp tour concert at Exit/In in Nashville on April 21, 2023.
Andrew Nelles /The Tennessean/USA Today Network

RVSHVD (pronounced Ra-shad) is another Georgia native  making his mark in the country music industry.

His songs like “Hit Different,” “For The Streets,” and “Small Town Talk” mix hip-hop influences with his obvious love of country music.

Last year, the artist, born Clint Rashad Johnson, told Billboard that it all started for him when he heard Keith Urban’s 2009 hit “Sweet Thing.”

“I thought, ‘Okay, this isn’t bad.’ My dad listened to all kinds of music – Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, gospel. He worked all kinds of jobs and had me work with him, washing cars and hauling junk,” he said. “He listened to country while he was working. He tried to get me to listen to country, and I didn’t like it at first.”

After discovering artists like Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker and Florida Georgia Line, he was immediately hooked and set out on his journey.

RVSHVD also makes beautiful    music   with his wife Angel Rewis-Johnson.

She is credited as the author of his playful and irreverent Christmas song “My Tree.”

Ashlie Amber may not have won a televised competition designed to open doors for underrepresented country artists, but she is definitely winning fans.

The singer was one of the contestants on last year’s Apple TV+ reality music competition series “My Kind of Country,” which was executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves.

Black country artists Jimmie Allen and Mickey Guyton, as well as country artist Orville Peck, served as scouts whose goal was to “select a list of exceptional up-and-coming artists and invite them to the home of country    music   in Nashville, Tennessee, to showcase their unique sound.”

Micaela Kleinsmith was ultimately crowned the winner, but the show brought   additional attention to Amber because she   had already been in the industry for over a decade and appeared on the 2012 season of American Idol.

 When the singer-songwriter was recently asked  by the Instagram account Black Country Music about Beyoncé’s potential influence on country music for  people of color  , she responded, “It’s about damn time.”

“I think it’s important for people to know that there are incredibly talented black women who have been on the front lines fighting to be seen in country    music  ,” she said. “But it’s such a difficult genre.”

Country music, she added, is a “close-knit community” that tends to celebrate “a very specific type of artist.”

“It took someone like Beyoncé because Beyoncé doesn’t answer to anyone,” Amber said. “Beyoncé is the queen bee. She’s an icon of icons. It took someone like Beyoncé to finally say, ‘You know what? Nah. This isn’t working for me anymore.'”

Derek Campbell and Brandon Campbell of The Kentucky Gentlemen perform at City Winery Nashville in Nashville on August 15, 2023.
Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Twins Derek Campbell and Brandon Campbell are fighting for inclusivity in country  music in many ways.

The gay brothers told GLAAD last year: “It took a while, but we found other creative minds and fans who share our vision and are doing what they can to make it happen and make us feel safe and at home.”

In 2022, the Versailles, Kentucky-based band’s single “Whatever You’re Up For” was named “the most compelling commercial country slow jam of the year” by Rolling Stone magazine.

The brothers are determined to make it big in Nashville.

“Honestly, waking up and living every day as who we are is no different than waking up as black and gay people in America our whole lives. So it’s nothing we’re not used to,” Derek Campbell told WSMV4 last year. “So we just face it every day, keep going and get through it.”

(From left) Trea Swindle, Danica Hart and Devynn Hart of Chapel Hart perform at the CMT Music Awards in Austin, Texas.
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Beyoncé gave us a cover of “Jolene,” but a few years ago Chapel Hart released “You Can Have Him Jolene.”

The trio – consisting of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart and their cousin Trea Swindle – are independent artists who you may recognize from their golden buzzer moment and fifth-place finish on “America’s Got Talent” in 2022.

The original song they performed on this show is an “update” of Parton’s classic and was approved by the legend herself.

“What a fun new version of my song, @ChapelHartBand!” Parton wrote on X in 2022.

Although the women, who hail from Mississippi and Louisiana, are familiar with the challenges that come with being artists of color, they stress that their goal is to make music they love.

“We’re just country artists and it wasn’t until later that people said we were breaking barriers and we didn’t realize it because our focus was on the music,” Swindle recently told News Channel 5 Nashville.