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Instead of doing her homework one day after school, the multihyphenate born Atia Boggs used her time for a different assignment. She had just bought Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and recalls coming home, sitting down and writing all the lyrics on flash cards. “That’s when I realized how important a good song was and how substance matters,” says Boggs, now 37 and known as the songwriter–producer INK. “And that really inspired me in a whole new way… I learned how to create my own path.”
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She taught herself guitar and started street performing, walking “miles on miles” from downtown Atlanta to the residential Buckhead neighborhood “playing for pennies.” Without any music industry connections, INK sought a mentor online, searching for her favorite songwriters such as James Fauntleroy, with whom she became Facebook friends in the late 2000s. “He was a mentor for me in the very beginning,” she says. “That gave me the confidence to say, ‘I can do this.’ ” Her first big break came in 2019, after she had co-produced and co-written Chris Brown’s song “Don’t Check on Me,” which featured Justin Bieber — and Brown decided it should feature INK, too. “It gave me so much exposure and another boost of confidence to have a superstar say, ‘Hey, we’re going to introduce you to the world.’ That was one of the moments that led to the unstoppable train I’m on now.”
This year has proved to be INK’s biggest, and busiest, yet — but she teases 2025 will be even crazier, as she’s working on her own music and a documentary while continuing to collaborate with music’s upper echelon.
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Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
“Beyoncé was definitely a catalyst for the freight train to keep going,” says INK, who started working with Bey before COVID-19 hit on Cowboy Carter tracks including “Ameriican Requiem” and “16 Carriages.” INK recalls how, in 2019, they met at Roc Nation’s Grammys week brunch: “We have an inside joke because I went up to her and said, ‘Hey, I just wanted to let you know, I’m going to be writing your next album.’ And she giggled and said, ‘What’s your name?’ We just hit it off.” Soon after, INK was working with producer Ricky Reed, who introduced her to Beyoncé’s A&R executives. “They said, ‘We would love to have you be on this journey with us from the start.’ And five years later, Cowboy Carter was delivered.”
INK was friends with Lopez’s A&R executive long before he had the gig. So when it was time to assemble a team for Lopez’s personal album This Is Me… Now, he told INK, “You’re the first person I thought of for this.” INK most loved how “there’s not a session that happens without [Lopez]… I remember one time, she was like, ‘Hey, pull up today, but I’m going to send you a different address.’ And it’s the movie set [for Atlas]. We’re recording parts from the album in her trailer, and she comes in covered in blood, wet, cuts, bruises all over her body. And then she’s on the mic recording the song that we just wrote in her trailer. I thought that was the coolest thing ever, and it just showed the work ethic.”
Latto, “Look What You Did”
INK has long worked with Latto’s producer, Go Grizzly, another Atlanta native, but she had yet to work with the “Big Energy” rapper herself until this year. As INK recalls, she and Grizzly were working in Paris when they “cooked up the beat” that became “Look What You Did,” off the rapper’s third full-length album, Sugar Honey Iced Tea. “We did a beat in the studio, and then he was like, ‘Yo, you already know we have to get Latto on this.’ She heard it, she loved it and snapped.” INK had previously worked with Mariah the Scientist, who featured on “Look What You Did,” earlier this year when she guested on 21 Savage’s American Dream album. “So the dots connected,” she says.
This story appears in the Oct. 5, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Even with all the pop greats and breakout stars likely to be involved in the Grammys in February 2025, one icon seems certain to garner outsize attention: Beyoncé, who is both the winningest artist in the show’s history and a perennial cause célèbre for having never received the marquee Grammy, album of the year.
Bey’s presence on Music’s Biggest Night will be particularly fascinating, since her acclaimed country-Americana pivot set, Cowboy Carter, is at the center of a number of questions about genre — namely, who gets to decide what does and doesn’t constitute country music. Whether Cowboy Carter, its singles and its collaborators are recognized within the country categories will be a major subplot of the awards — one that got even thicker when Beyoncé was shut out entirely from the recently announced nominations for the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards.
But of course, the biggest Grammys question with Beyoncé remains: Will this finally be the year that she wins album of the year? The Recording Academy is under more pressure than ever over the answer, particularly after Jay-Z took the Grammys to task in a speech at the 2024 awards for having never bestowed its most prestigious honor upon his wife.
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Here, four Billboard staffers discuss the most pressing questions concerning Cowboy Carter and the Grammys it hopes to lasso in February.
Will there be a “Beyoncé effect” at the Grammys — recognition for the Black country artists she spotlights on Cowboy Carter?
Paul Grein (Awards Editor): “Blackbiird,” featuring Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell and Tiera Kennedy, and/or “Spaghettii,” featuring Linda Martell and Shaboozey, could be nominated for best country duo/group performance. The latter would give a nod to Martell, who in 1969 became the first Black woman to play the Grand Ole Opry. And Shaboozey is very likely to be nominated for best new artist and record of the year; “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has done so phenomenally well, it stands on its own.
Gail Mitchell (Executive Director, R&B/Hip-Hop): With Shaboozey — who guests on two Cowboy Carter tracks — recently notching his 12th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” we’re already seeing the Beyoncé effect. It’s no surprise that he’s poised to score a nomination or two in the country categories and perhaps a best new artist or song and/or record of the year nod. I’m not sure the effect will extend to Grammy recognition for Cowboy Carter’s other featured Black country artists. However, there’s no discounting the heightened visibility that comes with a Beyoncé co-sign: Featured artists Martell, Spencer, Adell, Roberts, Kennedy and Willie Jones all gained significant catalog boosts after the album’s March release.
Melinda Newman (Executive Editor, West Coast/Nashville): Is this like the butterfly effect, where the ripples caused by Cowboy Carter may reverberate and cause seismic shifts down the line? The only artist likely to see any recognition is Shaboozey — and he probably would have gotten it without his Cowboy Carter appearance, given the massive success of “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” though Beyoncé’s seal of approval certainly doesn’t hurt. Besides Spencer, whose January album didn’t get the attention it deserved, most of the wonderfully talented Black women on “Blackbiird” didn’t release anything that popped during this year’s Grammy eligibility period.
Andrew Unterberger (Deputy Editor): I think somewhat unquestionably we will see major recognition for Shaboozey, who was introduced to much of mainstream America through his pair of Cowboy Carter guest appearances — but who also went on to have a bigger solo hit than anything on Cowboy Carter this year with his double-digit-week Hot 100 No. 1, “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” The other guest artists on the album will likely not be major contenders in the same way — best new artist nominations for Spencer and Adell are certainly both possible, but it’s a crowded field there this year, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see both shut out.
At the last Grammys ceremony, Beyoncé’s husband, Jay-Z, accepted the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award with a speech in which he noted that she “has more Grammys than anyone and never won album of the year,” adding that “even by [the Recording Academy’s] own metrics… that doesn’t work.” Is it likely that academy members will remember his words when they vote — and will that help or hurt her chances?
Grein: Jay calling out the Grammys, right there on the Grammy stage, was a moment of high drama. It’ll be remembered — and I believe it will help her cause. Some context that Jay didn’t provide: Several other artists with large numbers of Grammys have never won album of the year, including Jay himself, with 24; Ye, also 24; Vince Gill, 22; and Bruce Springsteen, 20. And four other artists have equaled Bey’s 0-4 record as lead artists in album of the year — Ye; Kendrick Lamar; Lady Gaga, counting her second Tony Bennett collab; and Sting, counting one album with The Police. Also worth noting: The Grammys have gone out of their way to trumpet Bey’s record-setting accomplishments on the Grammy telecast, more than they have for any other artist. Bey is clearly due, even overdue, for an album of the year win. Jay’s comments put considerable pressure on voters to give her the award. Voters should be able to make these never-easy decisions without that kind of outside pressure, but here we are.
Mitchell: It’s been nearly a year since Jay-Z’s impactful comments, so I don’t think it’s likely they’ll be top of mind for most academy voters when they fill out their ballots. Voters are going to choose based on their perceptions of the project overall and its songs. Additionally, Cowboy Carter will be vying against a strong slate of contenders that will likely include Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift.
Newman: While some folks probably didn’t like being chastised that they weren’t voting “correctly,” a lot of voters likely weren’t even aware that Beyoncé had never won album of the year. Country voters are unlikely to nominate her over a core country artist, given how hard it is for country artists to get any recognition in the Big Four categories other than best new artist. If she does get nominated for album of the year, it will be because noncountry voters nominate her.
Unterberger: It did put the squeeze on them a little bit. While pop fans — and the Beyhive in particular — are more than familiar with the narratives around Beyoncé and her history of AOTY snubbery, members of the Recording Academy are more likely to get the message when one of the biggest recording artists in history publicly calls them out over it. But I don’t know if it’ll be enough to get Cowboy Carter over the top.
Beyoncé
Mason Poole
Some of the discourse surrounding Cowboy Carter upon its release had to do with whether this really was Beyoncé’s “country album” in the first place. How is the album likely to be treated categorywise, and should we expect the Nashville/country community to show its support on the ballot?
Grein: When the album was released, Beyoncé said, “This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.” There probably will be discussion in the screening committee room about which genre album category it should compete in — best country album or best pop vocal album. There was discussion about whether her last album, Renaissance, should be slotted in best pop vocal album or best dance/electronic album. It was classified as dance/electronic and won. I suspect the academy will again follow Beyoncé’s wishes — whatever they may be — in making that call.
It’s not a good sign that the CMA passed over Cowboy Carter in its recently announced nominations, but it’s not necessarily fatal, either. The Chicks’ Taking the Long Way and its single “Not Ready To Make Nice” were passed over for CMA nods in 2006, but went on to win Grammys for album, record and song of the year, as well as two country-specific awards. And even if the Nashville/country community is mixed on Bey’s album, she can garner enough support from other sectors of the academy to win album of the year.
Mitchell: Can Beyoncé earn her fifth album of the year nomination as well as a ninth record of the year nod — a category she’s also never won — and fifth song of the year nomination? Yes, given that these are among the six general-field categories in which all eligible members can vote. But if that comes to pass, can she finally win the coveted album of the year? The optimist in me hopes so, considering Cowboy Carter’s commercial success — it was Beyoncé’s eighth Billboard 200 No. 1 — and the chart inroads it made — she’s the first Black woman to lead Top Country Albums. But what are supposed to truly count are Beyoncé’s artistic and cultural accomplishments — and that’s when the cynical realist in me says, “Hold on.” The album scored zero nominations for the upcoming CMA Awards. And there’s also past history: The academy’s country committee rejected Bey’s “Daddy Lessons” in 2016. It’s not a slam dunk that she will earn nods in the country categories. Bey’s team might even be considering submissions in the Americana categories. Despite concerted efforts in Nashville to level the country playing field, it remains an uphill push for women artists, especially women of color.
Newman: Beyoncé receiving no CMA Award nominations in some ways gives the country community permission to continue to ignore her work in country categories. Plus, given that voters are only allowed to vote in three fields, most noncountry voters aren’t going to spend a vote for her in the country categories. However, plenty of country voters are upset she was not nominated for any CMAs and very well may put her forward. Beyoncé herself said this was not a country album — but whether it’s nominated for best country album feels like it could go either way. Still, Cowboy Carter tracks like “Texas Hold ’Em” or her remake of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” have better shots at getting country nominations than the album itself.
Unterberger: If the CMA Awards are any indication, Bey might be in a little bit of trouble there. She didn’t receive a single nomination for this year’s awards, while Post Malone, another pop star interloper doing country this year — but one who promoted the set heavily in Nashville and recorded it with many of its biggest stars — secured four, which sent a pretty loud message about the embrace, or lack thereof, of Cowboy Carter in Music Row. I don’t necessarily see that message as racially motivated, but I think the country community has always been very insular and self-celebratory, and when an outsider comes along insistent on doing country their own way, without specifically enlisting the community’s active participation and support, they are quickly othered and often ultimately ignored. I wouldn’t be surprised if Zach Bryan gets shut out in the country categories this year, despite his consistent genre success, for similar reasons.
Cowboy Carter’s commercial performance and critical reception weren’t entirely parallel. How could both affect its nomination chances?
Grein: It did well enough both critically and commercially to be nominated. The album topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks and spawned three top 10 hits on the Hot 100 — the most from any of her albums since I Am… Sasha Fierce, which spawned four. If Cowboy Carter isn’t nominated, it won’t be because it didn’t do well enough.
Mitchell: Commercial performance isn’t supposed to be the main criteria for the peer-voted Grammys. And neither is critical reception, even though both undoubtedly factor somewhat in voter decisions. Cowboy Carter outpaced Renaissance commercially, 407,000 vs. 332,000 equivalent album units, according to Luminate, during their respective biggest streaming weeks. But those doing the streaming aren’t necessarily doing the voting. While some country die-hards didn’t heartily welcome her stepping across the aisle, Cowboy Carter garnered praise like Renaissance and Lemonade before it. Those albums won Grammys in the dance and R&B fields, but none of their general-field nominations — including album of the year. Perhaps the tides will shift perceptibly this year in the wake of the academy recently inviting more than 3,000 music professionals — many of them young, women and/or people of color — to become voting members.
Newman: In recent years, Grammy voters have leaned into commercial albums more than they used to, even though these are awards for artistic merit, not commercial success. That may hurt Cowboy Carter, which got off to a strong commercial start — topping the Billboard 200, as well as Billboard’s Top Country Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts — before dropping off quickly. Still, Cowboy Carter is seen as a culturally significant album and one that is an important, yet very palatable, lesson about the essential role of Black artists in country music’s history — which may carry some weight among voters.
Unterberger: They might not have been exactly parallel, but I think they were close enough. Cowboy Carter debuted at No. 1 with the year’s biggest non-Taylor Swift first week, and it generated a legitimate No. 1 hit in the culture-capturing “Texas Hold ’Em.” Neither had quite the commercial longevity her fans and supporters might’ve hoped for — “Texas Hold ’Em” fell off the Hot 100 after 20 weeks, and Cowboy Carter failed to generate a real second hit and is currently ranking in the lower half of the Billboard 200 — but both were successful enough that I don’t think any voter could look at Cowboy Carter and go, “Yeah, sure, it got good reviews, but did anyone actually listen to it?” It’s still one of the year’s major pop releases by any measure.
Cowboy Carter isn’t the only foray into country by an ostensibly “noncountry” artist eligible for big Grammy wins this year — there’s also Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion. Are Post and Bey likely to get the kind of Big Four attention that has eluded core country artists in recent years — and who are the artists who could get the same kind of consideration this year?
Grein: I’d be shocked if Beyoncé wasn’t up for album of the year. Post also has a very good chance at a nod. He’s been nominated three times in the category, and F-1 Trillion was a very successful departure for him. The country community appreciated that he put in the time to get to know them and their ways. The academy has been aggressive in recent years about expanding and diversifying its membership, but it hasn’t put that same energy into expanding its Nashville membership. That reflects in the voting. The last country album to be nominated for album of the year was Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour six years ago, which won. As it happens, Musgraves is vying for an album of the year nod again with this year’s Deeper Well. Chris Stapleton, who was nominated in 2015 for Traveller, could also be nominated this year with Higher. Lainey Wilson — the reigning Grammy winner for best country album, for her Bell Bottom Country — is another possibility, for Whirlwind. But that would make five country albums in the mix. We’ve never had more than one country album nominated in any one year. They’re not all going to make it.
Mitchell: It will be interesting to see how Post — a fellow country outlier who partnered with Beyoncé on Cowboy Carter’s “Levii’s Jeans” — fares in the Grammy derby. Judging by the reception and success he’s lassoed with several F-1 Trillion singles, including “I Had Some Help” with country superstar Morgan Wallen, Post has made a smooth transition into this new genre. So it’s not far-fetched that he’ll be competing against Beyoncé and Swift, with whom he partnered on her hit “Fortnight,” in the album, song and record of the year categories that have eluded core country artists. And Wallen could possibly earn another nod and his first Grammy win with “I Had Some Help.” As the genre continues to enjoy its mainstream renaissance, perhaps Wilson, Stapleton and other country stars will find themselves breaking out of the genre-specific corral and charging into the big show.
Newman: F-1 Trillion is a lock for a best country album contender, as is Stapleton’s Higher, and both could land in the final eight for the all-genre album of the year category, even though mainstream voters tend to ignore country. Cowboy Carter’s fate feels a bit fuzzy only because Bey, who has been nominated in this category four times before, faces such strong competition from the likes of Carpenter, Swift, Eilish, Roan and Grande.
Unterberger: I would expect to see both Beyoncé and Post scattered across the major categories — though Post may be hurt a little by his set’s signature hit, “I Had Some Help,” being a collaboration with Morgan Wallen, whose recent history of being ignored by the Grammys indicates his presence still makes the Recording Academy a little squeamish. Aside from them, Zach Bryan’s new The Great American Bar Scene didn’t quite get the attention last year’s self-titled set did, but its “Pink Skies” single has done very well and could be a fringe song of the year contender. If the academy is still willing to treat Megan Moroney as a new artist, she could certainly be a nominee for best new artist. And while he might be a long shot, I’m holding out hope that Luke Combs can parlay the Grammy attention he got last year for his “Fast Car” performance — alongside original artist Tracy Chapman — into a song of the year nod for the thunderous “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” from the highly successful Twisters: The Album.
This story appears in the Oct. 5, 2024, issue of Billboard.
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Source: YouTube / LEVI’S
Beyoncé is back! No, not with any new songs or music videos, but with a new pair of jeans as she stars in Levi’s latest REIIMAGINE commercial campaign.
On Monday (Sept. 30), Levi’s dropped their new campaign spot, which featured the Queen B remixing a classic 1985 ad, “Launderette.” Stunting in all her cowgirl glory complete with the cowboy hat, Beyoncé steps into a laundromat where she simply takes off her own jeans and throws them into a laundry machine much to the surprise of onlookers who can’t help but notice the music icon’s physical dimensions. With her fan favorite cut “LEVII’s JEANS” playing in the background, Bey simply sits and waits for her jeans to get washed, tumbled and dried as she reads the newspaper.
The jeans already looked clean, but hey, who’s going to argue with Beyoncé?
Dubbed “Chapter 1,” you can expect to see Beyoncé in another Levi’s commercial or two in the coming future.
While we don’t know if this will help spike sales of Levi’s jeans going forward, we do know that we can’t wait to see more commercials for Levi’s starring Beyoncé.
Check out Levi’s latest commercial spot with Beyoncé, and let us know your thoughts on the clip in the comments section below.
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Source: FOX / Getty
One of America’s most beloved brands is tapping into one of culture’s brightest stars. Levi’s has announced a Beyoncé collaboration.
As reported by Hypebeast the iconic apparel brand is seemingly adding to the Cowboy Carter promotional rollout. On Monday, September 23, the denim icons posted a graphic featuring a silhouette of the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer riding a horse. While the caption only read “INTRODUCING: A New Chapter.” the visual tagged Beyoncé directly. As expected her fans understood the play and immediately expressed excitement for the drop. On Tuesday, September 24) the San Francisco, California based label gave further details on the collaboration via a follow-up on their Instagram account.
“A new chapter is written alongside a fellow trailblazer” the caption read. The first slide showed a building advertisement of a woman wearing a white crop top t-shirt and low rise jeans with the same graphic on the thigh. The outfit is further accentuated with a big buckle belt that reads Levii’s Jeans. The copy says “Chapter 01 September 30: ‘LAUNDERETTE’ REIMAGINED WITH BEYONCÉ.” There are four other visuals in the carousel that all play into a laundromat theme.
On Cowboy Carter Beyoncé paid homage to the brand with the song “Levii’s Jeans” featuring Post Malone. You can listen to the song below.
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Source: Bryce Anderson / GQ / Bryce Anderson / GQ
In a new interview, Beyoncé addresses her pivot away from making music videos for her recent album releases, referring to them being “a distraction” at times.
After being an artist who has helped shape the idea of music videos with her past releases, fans questioned why Beyoncé didn’t release videos for her last two albums, Renaissance and Cowboy Carter. In a cover story interview with GQ, she laid out the reasons why it was time for her to move away from having visuals as part of her music projects going forward. “I thought it was important that during a time where all we see is visuals, that the world can focus on the voice,” the singer shared. “The music is so rich in history and instrumentation. It takes months to digest, research, and understand.”
“The music needed space to breathe on its own,” Beyoncé continued. “Sometimes a visual can be a distraction from the quality of the voice and the music. The years of hard work and detail put into an album that takes over four years! The music is enough. The fans from all over the world became the visual. We all got the visual on tour. We then got more visuals from my film.” The superstar did leave a little bit of potential room for a change of mind, revealing that among other creative activities that she enjoys, “I also edit for fun.”
Fans have clamored for videos from Beyoncé for her last two hit albums, imagining they would be on the level of those visuals she delivered for her 2016 album Lemonade and Black is King, her 2020 collaborative film with Disney and Blitz Bazawule reimagining the lessons from The Lion King for young Black girls and boys. The multiple Grammy Award winner also spoke about her love for other female artists out now including Raye, Victoria Monét, and Chloe x Halle as well as expressing her love for the classics from Motown legends Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.
Source: Bryce Anderson / GQ / Bryce Anderson / GQ
Whoopi Goldberg weighed in on the conversation surrounding Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album and its lack of nominations at the 2024 CMA Awards, offering a pragmatic take.
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While many have expressed disappointment over the “snub”, Goldberg believes it wasn’t a case of being overlooked. “A lot of people are surprised — I don’t know why — that it didn’t receive a single CMA Award nomination,” Goldberg stated on The View.
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“I don’t think she was snubbed, I think they just didn’t… it wasn’t for them.”
Goldberg’s perspective comes as part of a larger conversation sparked by the Cowboy Carter album, which marks Beyoncé’s foray into country music. Released in March, the album has performed remarkably well, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 – her eighth record to do so – and staying on the Top Country Albums chart for an entire month.
Despite the album’s commercial success, the country music industry has been slow to embrace it fully, a sentiment echoed by some of Goldberg’s cohosts.
Sunny Hostin expressed her surprise at the lack of recognition for two tracks in particular: Beyoncé’s reimagining of Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene” and the original song “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
“I thought she would at least get nominated for those two,” Hostin said, referencing how even Parton herself had given Beyoncé her blessing to cover “Jolene,” even appearing on the track to introduce it.
“But, my mother always told me, ‘Find the audience that’s looking for you.’ This audience isn’t looking for her,” Hostin concluded.
Alyssa Farah Griffin chimed in, pointing out that while industry insiders might not have been supportive, fans certainly were. “The Country Billboard charts do not lie,” she added. However, Goldberg reminded her that fans and voters don’t always see eye to eye.
Sara Haines rounded out the discussion by pointing out that awards aren’t necessarily the ultimate validation, remarking, “The best revenge is success.”
The conversation on The View follows comments made by Beyoncé’s father, Mathew Knowles, who has been vocal about his disappointment with the CMA Awards.
In an interview with TMZ, Knowles said, “There’s more white people in America and unfortunately they don’t vote based on ability and achievements. It’s still sometimes a white and Black thing.”
Knowles also referenced Beyoncé’s controversial performance with the Dixie Chicks at the 2016 CMAs, noting that the show never properly acknowledged her contribution.
Though the Cowboy Carter snub left many puzzled, the album’s chart performance speaks volumes. It dominated the Billboard 200 for two weeks and made Beyoncé the first Black woman to top the Hot Country Songs chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
The album boasts a diverse lineup of billed guest artists, including Tanner Adell, Beyoncé’s daughter Rumi Carter, Miley Cyrus, Willie Jones, Tiera Kennedy, Linda Martell, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Post Malone, Reyna Roberts, Shaboozey and Brittney Spencer.
Among the many additional players on the album: 070 Shake, Jon Batiste, Ryan Beatty, Gary Clark Jr., The-Dream, Rhiannon Giddens, Paul McCartney, Pharrell, Robert Randolph, Nile Rodgers, Raphael Saadiq, Sara Watkins and Stevie Wonder.
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Cheers to Beyoncé! SirDavis American Rye Whisky became available online and in select stores on Wednesday (Sept. 4), coinciding with Queen Bey’s 43rd birthday.
The release marks a new chapter for the multi-platinum selling singer who in the last two years, gave us Renaissance and Cowboy Carter, embarked on a world tour with merch to match, debuted the Renaissance tour film and introduced the world to Cécred — all before revealing her latest venture.
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In classic Beyoncé form, the announcement of SirDavis Whisky surprised most fans, but the Houston native may have dropped an Easter egg on the Cowboy Carter track “II Hands to Heaven” where she sings: “Bottle in my hand, the whiskey up high.”
To celebrate Queen Bey’s birthday, I secured an advance tasting of SirDavis Whisky and whipped up four of the signature cocktails (yes, they’re easy to make and cute to look at).
Keep reading for details on SirDavis and a step-by-step cocktail hour, Beyoncé-style.
The Hidden History of SirDavis Whisky: An Ode to Black Distillers
The story of SirDavis Whisky begins with Beyoncé’s paternal great-grandfather, Davis Hogue. According to online records, Hogue was born in Alabama around 1871. Online records show that Hogue was married with approximately six children, one of whom was Beyoncé’s paternal grandmother, Lou Helen Knowles. U.S. Census records indicate that Hodge was a farmer, but he was also a moonshiner, as Beyoncé revealed last month.
“When I discovered that my great-grandfather had been a moonshine man, it felt like my love for whisky was fated,” she explained. “SirDavis is a way for me to pay homage to him, uniting us through a new shared legacy.”
Though whisky has its American roots in Tennessee, it has a long and complicated history with Alabama. The state outlawed alcohol in the early 1900s, nearly a decade before federal prohibition laws went into place. For a century, whisky was illegal in Alabama making it even harder for Black distillers like Beyoncé’s grandfather to make it without risking arrest.
It took 100 years, but Alabama’s first legally distilled whisky was finally released in 2015. SirDavis Whisky however is headquartered in Beyoncé’s hometown of Houston highlighting both her family’s Alabama and Texas ancestry in one bottle.
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SirDavis American Rye Whisky
Housed in a beautiful, ribbed glass bottle, SirDavis offers a nod to Texas in the form of a golden horse centered on the front. The recipe blends a “distinctive grain selection of 51 percent rye and a 49 percent malted barley” matured in sherry casks similar to the way Japanese and Scotch whiskies are made.
Although I’m far from a connoisseur, I’ve attended my share of tastings and can appreciate a nice, smooth rye whisky. Per the product description, SirDavis offers a “rich and buttery toffee flavor” which I can attest to, along with hints of honey, cinnamon and clove, a subtle but lingering taste of cherries with a dash of spice that dances on the palette.
See below for directions on how to make SirDavis cocktails.
A Step-by-Step Guide to SirDavis Cocktails
Based on the packaging alone, SirDavis was made to stand out. The 88-proof whisky from Beyoncé and Moët Hennessy, mingles well with fruity cocktails, pairs perfectly with lemon and it’s smooth enough to enjoy by itself (I would recommend sipping slowly though, SirDavis packs a punch).
Following along with the recipes on the brand’s website, I made four cocktails including the Honey Bee, Hot Toddy, Mint Julep and The Houston.
To complete the vintage vibe of the bottle, I used these ribbed cocktail glasses and glass coffee mugs from Amazon and a couple of cocktail glasses from my own collection. The cocktail ingredients are available at just about any grocery store, but I purchased everything on Amazon Fresh including vermouth, blackberries, honey, lemon juice, cocktail sticks and garnish. The Hot Toddy needs just a handful of ingredients: SirDavis Whisky, hot water, lemon juice, honey and Angostura aromatic bitters.
The Houston is made with two ounces of whisky, an ounce of sweet vermouth, a quarter ounce of honey syrup and two dashes of Angostura bitters. The Mint Julep mixes pressed blackberries, fresh mint leaves and honey syrup with lots of crushed ice.
SirDavis Whisky Cocktails
Leslie Kirchhoff
My favorite of the four? The Honey Bee takes gets a gold medal from me, but not because it’s one of the easiest drinks to make with the least ingredients. The acidity of the lemon perfectly balances the whisky without overpowering the cocktail.
Ingredients:
2 oz. SirDavis American Whisky
.75 oz. Lemon Juice
.5 oz. Honey Syrup
Garnish: Honeycomb
Honey syrup is a main ingredient in several SirDavis cocktails, and it’s easy to make: add two parts honey and one part water into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the honey is dissolved and let it cool before transferring it into an airtight container.
To make your Honey Bee, add the liquid ingredients to a tin cocktail shaker (add ice last). Shake and pour into a glass and garnish with honeycomb (or lemon wedge as I did).
Keep reading for details on retail locations that carry SirDavis Whisky.
Where to Buy SirDavis Whisky Online & In Stores
SirDavis Whisky is officially available at retail locations such as ReserveBar, Total Wine & More, Caskers, GoPuff, BevMo!, Spec’s, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits.
The brand is available in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Texas, Washington D.C. and in select retail locations in London, Paris and Tokyo. Additional markets will be added in the coming months.
Jet-setting soon? You can find SirDavis at DFS duty-free shops in select airports including John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport. Travelers can also enjoy specialty SirDavis tastings at DFS stores located inside JFK and LAX.
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SirDavis is expanding into retail ahead of its release on Sept. 4. Last week, Beyoncé unveiled her whisky brand named after her great grandfather, Davis Houge.
The award-winning whisky, a collaboration between Beyoncé and Moët Hennessy, offers notes of tangy Seville oranges with soft “sun-kissed raisins” and “sizzling spices” of clove, cinnamon and ginger alongside notes of Demerara sugar and toffee. The bottle boasts a unique design paying homage to Queen Bey’s Texas roots, while the spelling of “whisky” is a nod to the Scottish and Japanese stylization of the word.
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Beyoncé mother, Tina Knowles, celebrated the launch with an Instagram post explaining the singer’s roots in spirits. With its headquarters in Bey’s hometown of Houston, SirDavis is Moët Hennessy’s first spirits brand to be fully developed in the U.S.
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“It’s been in the making for years,” she explained. “I’m not much of a drinker but this whiskey is the smoothest most delicious whiskey I’ve ever tasted! Beyoncé comes from a line of whiskey drinkers and whiskey makers!!! Her Great Grandaddy was a moonshine man. He insisted that everyone addressed him as Sir.. yes Davis Houge was her daddy’s grandpa.”
According to the description, SirDavis offers a “rich & buttery toffee” flavor blended with spices, citrusy top notes, hints of honey and a “lingering finish reminiscent of plump sultanas and ripe cherries.”
Beyoncé teamed with master distillers to create the liquor, which has earned several accolades including a best in class honor from the 2023 Spirits International Prestige Awards. SirDavis also earned high marks from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge and 2023 New York International Spirits Competition.
“I’ve always been drawn to the power and confidence I feel when drinking quality whisky and wanted to invite more people to experience that feeling,” Beyoncé said in a statement last week. “When I discovered that my great-grandfather had been a moonshine man, it felt like my love for whisky was fated. SirDavis is a way for me to pay homage to him, uniting us through a new shared legacy. In partnering with Moët Hennessy, we have crafted a delicious American whisky that respects tradition but also empowers people to experience something new and unique in the category. You can taste it better than I could ever tell you — welcome, SirDavis.”
SirDavis is up for pre-order at ReserveBar and SirDavis.com and will be released on Sept. 4.
The liquor brand will be available in retailers across the U.S., London, Paris and Tokyo and in select airports including Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport.
Pre-order below.
ReserveBar
SirDavis American Whisky
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All day on Thursday, August 22 rumors were circulating that Beyoncé would be making some sort of appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Yeah, that didn’t happen.
In fact, Bey was never even on the schedule. That’s according to her longtime publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure. Guess no one bothered to ask her if Bey was going to be there?
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to confirm that Beyoncé could be anywhere in the world, but it wasn’t going to be at the United Center on Thursday night. “Beyoncé was never scheduled to be there,” her rep told The Hollywood Reporter. “The report of a performance is untrue.”
And that’s that on that.
Vice President Kamala Harris did walk out to “Freedom” before delivering her speech where she accepted the DNC’s nomination for President of the United States, though. We’d still bet good money that Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift, are going to make a campaign appearance on Harris and Tim Walz sooner than later.
Until then, be sure you vote in November.
Oh, and it was TMZ that said Bey was going to be there. So it’s getting really ugly for them on these Internets.
10. Who that?
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Beyoncé has moved the needle for the culture in several ways beyond music, leaving her indelible mark on fashion, footwear, hair care, and beyond. The Houston superstar’s latest venture is SirDavis, a whisky named after her great-grandfather and adds to her deep commitment to honoring her family’s influence and legacy.
Via a collaboration with Moët Hennessy, a subsidiary of LVMH, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter brings SirDavis to the forefront. According to a recent press release, the creation of SirDavis took years of development. The Cowboy Cater artist is said to be a fan of Japanese whisky and worked with Moët Hennessy intending to broaden the reach of the spirit within the American market. In a statement, the award-winning entertainer explained the inspiration behind the impending bra.d
“I’ve always been drawn to the power and confidence I feel when drinking quality whisky and wanted to invite more people to experience that feeling,” says SirDavis Founder Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. “When I discovered that my great-grandfather had been a moonshine man, it felt like my love for whisky was fated. SirDavis is a way for me to pay homage to him, uniting us through a new shared legacy. In partnering with Moët Hennessy, we have crafted a delicious American whisky that respects tradition but also empowers people to experience something new and unique in the category. You can taste it better than I could ever tell you — welcome, SirDavis.”
SirDavis is named after Davis Hogue, Beyoncé’s great-grandfather who worked as a farmer and also made moonshine during the restrictive Prohibition period. According to family lore, Hogue would make batches of whisky and stash it inside trees for his family and friends to sip. And now, Hogue’s great-granddaughter will carry on tradition along with her vision of refinement and collaboration with Moët Hennessy.
“SirDavis is not only a revelatory and exceptional American Whisky, which we are very proud of. It is also a testament of the unwavering dedication to craftsmanship, heritage and innovation shared by LVMH and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter,” said Bernard Arnault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LVMH.
Moët Hennessy tapped the services of Dr. Bill Lumsden, an avowed Master Distiller who has worked on fine Scotch whisky brands such as Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, names that should be familiar to readers of the Spirit.Ed column. Dr. Lumsden’s years of expertise in the whisky world were applied to creating SirDavis. Under his guidance, the team landed on a mash bill that puts the spice of rye at the forefront at 51 percent, the remaining 49 percent comprised of malted barley. After perfecting the balance of the distillate, the juice is then finished in sherry casks.
“With SirDavis, we looked to challenge the category norms and offer something new in the space,” said Lumsden. “The distinctive grain selection and unusual secondary maturation in sherry casks helped us achieve a signature profile completely unique to SirDavis, one of bold sophistication.”
Before going to market, SirDavis was anonymously submitted to several spirit competitions featuring some of the world’s top judges in the adult beverages space. In 2023, SirDavis won Best In Class for American Whiskey from the 2023 SIP Awards. In addition, SirDavis earned a Gold Medal designation from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition and a 93-point rating from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.
The design of the bottle was created with input from Beyoncé, and the whisky is a true homegrown product that is finished, blended, and bottled in Texas. SirDavis also owns the historic mark of being Moët Hennessy’s first spirits brand developed entirely internally by the company in the United States and has its headquarters in Houston.
While SirDavis has yet to launch nationally, interested parties can preorder SirDavis via its website. It will also become available at various retail locations across the United States, London, Paris, and Tokyo beginning in September. The airports LAX, JFK, and SFO will also sell the bottle.
To learn more, click here. View the bottle here as well.
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Photo: Julian Dakdouk/Moët Hennessy