Beyoncé and country’s Black roots

On Thursday, former Prince Andrew was arrested by U.K. police.After years of controversy, scandal and allegations of sexual assault, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office.The arrest is related to his decades-long friendship ...  Show more

Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberals welcomed a third Conservative floor crosser on Wednesday – Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux. And with three by-elections coming up, two from Liberal strongholds, a Liberal majority is looking like a possibility. So a pretty seismic day on Parl ...  Show more

Renaissance Act II truthers, your time has come: There’s new music from Beyoncé, and boy, is it country. Her two new singles dropped two weeks ago, and in the time since, they’ve both climbed up the chart and taken the internet by storm. There’s the barnstorming stomp and holler ...  Show more

Beyoncé has a new country album. The first single has already broken records and drawn criticism from those who think of country music as a “white” genre. Except it’s not. Author and songwriter Alice Randall tells the story of country music’s very Black roots. This episode was pr ...  Show more

And does Country need Beyoncé? The likely answer to both of those questions is no. But the discussion Beyoncé sparked seems to be the larger point of her new album, Cowboy Carter. Sidney Madden is a reporter for NPR Music, and has delved deep into the intricate dynamics of race, ...  Show more

In this episode of Riffs on Riffs, join Toby and Joe for a lively discussion about Beyoncé's latest single, "TEXAS HOLD 'EM.” They discuss Beyoncé's career and celebrate her work ethic and talent, particularly her ability to transcend genres and challenge musical conventions. The ...  Show more