Beyoncé’s latest album, “Cowboy Carter,” has not only taken the internet by storm. Its impact has reverberated into other industries, ranging from culture to business and beyond.
On one front, the “Ya Ya” singer has highlighted Black country artists — past and present — and propelled an ongoing conversation about country music, Black artists and genres.
She’s “illuminating the actual complexity of the history, the dress, the style, the line dancing, the aesthetics … in such a way that people can connect to it and line it up with the true history (of country music),” says Richard Cooper, coordinator of the African and Afro-American Studies at Widener University.
Cooper says this huge impact is apparent throughout Beyoncé’s career and is reiterated with the latest project, extending far beyond music.
“She is doing work that is greater than just being considered in the realm of culture or pop culture, or music culture, intellectual culture,” Cooper says. “She’s a phenom.”
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Recent research and studies reflect this notion. Here’s a closer look at a few of the industries Beyoncé’s latest album has already impacted, according to numbers.
Cowboy core fashion
Prior to the release of the album, experts at Boohoo found a massive spike of interest in items that are directly associated with Southern and country music culture — dubbed “cowboy core” — directly tied to Beyoncé’s first two singles, “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and the announcement of her full renaissance, “Act II.”
According to ecommerce accelerator Pattern, that demand has only continued after the release of “Cowboy Carter” on March 29. The data science team analyzed tens of thousands of consumer data points on Amazon in 2024 to quantify the impact of Beyoncé’s new album on fashion, focusing on the weeks following the Super Bowl and Grammy Awards, where Beyoncé wore a white cowboy hat.
“Cowboy core isn’t totally new to Gen Z, fashion lovers, or Beyhive fans, but with ‘Cowboy Carter’ released (in March), Beyoncé is making her mark on the rising trend,” Pattern data scientist Hamilton Noel says.
The research shows the following uptick in demand for respective fashion trends compared to the weeks prior:
- 86% increase for black cowboy hats.
- 72% increase for red cowboy hats.
- 70% increase for white cowboy hats.
- 48% increase for denim skirts.
- 39% increase for cowboy boots.
- 38% increase for bolo ties.
- 33% increase for cowboy belts.
- 30% increase for cowboy chaps.
Levi’s Jeans
More specifically, Beyoncé’s new single “Levi’s Jeans” is driving fans to the stores in masses. According to the fashion brand, there has been a 19.87% surge in Levi’s brick-and-mortar store visits compared to years prior.
And the company says that is directly related to Beyoncé’s song with Post Malone on the album. The increase in traffic has also caused a jump in Levi’s stock price.
“This isn’t just a spike in foot traffic; it’s a cultural movement, underscoring the symbiotic relationship between celebrity influence and retail dynamism,” notes James Ewen, vice president for marketing at pass_by.
“This surge is not merely a testament to Beyoncé’s star power but highlights a nuanced layer of consumer behavior — where the intersection of music, fashion and iconic personalities can breathe life into traditional retail formats, creating moments of connection that transcend the convenience of online shopping.”
Celebrity followings
Beyoncé made sure to collaborate with some Black country artists, including Brittney Spencer, Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, Willie Jones, and Shaboozey. And by doing so, she put a huge spotlight on their careers. In the words of Kennedy, she’s “putting all of us on a platform that, you know, we can only dream of.”
Many of the artists have seen a huge surge in followers and streams since the release of “Cowboy Carter.” Roberts says she added over 400,000 fans on social media within three weeks just based on Beyoncé releasing her first two singles “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em”, even before her song with the singer and the three other women had been released.
Additionally, Beyoncé featured some country music legends and industry titans, such as Dolly Parton, Linda Martell, Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus and Post Malone. And according to research, she’s even had an impact on their already established social media following.
According to an analysis done by kingcasinobonus.com, which uses data from Social Blade, Parton saw an increase of 36,037 Instagram followers, Cyrus saw an increase of 26,486 Instagram, followers and Malone’s Instagram followers increased by 48,599. These numbers, are tied to the release of the “Cowboy Carter” album, which featured these artists.
“She’s like, nothing I’ve ever seen, in terms of her ability to capture, to enhance, to illuminate to provide insight just to about any things she does,” says Cooper.
Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network’s Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
