Giddy up! The Beyhive has gone country now that Beyoncé has announced her upcoming Act II album will be pushing the yee-haw agenda.
On Super Bowl Sunday, the pop diva interrupted our regularly scheduled programming with a (reportedly) $30 million Verizon commercial/Veep cross-over that ended with Beyoncé uttering four words that have already changed the course of history: “Drop the new music!”
Shortly thereafter, she did just that, releasing both “16 Carriages,” a sweeping ballad of self-actualization, and “Texas Hold ‘Em,” a more uptempo track that has us ready to boot scootin’ boogie. The Renaissance isn’t over—it’s just moving from the ballroom to the dive bar, where the icon will be reclaiming the country music genre for its Black roots.
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Get in gays! We’re going full-on country.
And just like that, the world had forgotten about the Super Bowl, the Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift liberal conspiracies, and even the sexy Usher half-time show. All we knew was Beyoncé.
Almost instantly, social media feeds were filled with memes, reactions, and videos of people screaming and crying in their cowboy boots. And it only took less than 48 hours for folks to choreograph a viral dance trend to “Texas Hold ‘Em”—one that’s already gone viral to the tune of 8.5M views on TikTok and counting!
@matt8mccall dc: me & @Dexter Mayfield ♬ original sound – 🧍🏾♀️🧍🏾♀️
The smooth moves come from Dexter Mayfield—the dancer/model/activist known for hosting CBS’s Come Dance With Me—and his friend Matt McCall, an influencer and professional dancer. Like any good dance trend, their choreo is simple enough that anyone can catch on, but with a distinctive country twang that’ll have you stomping along.
And catch on it has, with thousands and thousands of more views across Instagram and Twitter X in the past day alone.
But—wait a minute—there’s something else going on here just beneath the surface. Literally. Plenty of viewers are noticing a third member of this country posse kicking along to the track. And if you don’t see him right away, keep your eyes on (or below) the belt.
Now I’d learn this one. pic.twitter.com/d1PXIesbrp
— uh oh ? (@adfreexperience) February 13, 2024
im watching for the wrong reasons but yeah that little dance looks good ?
— déjà vu (@noahhcx) February 14, 2024
All three of them ATE https://t.co/QioIgdXGfZ
— ? (@overlyyork) February 14, 2024
Baby in the black hat 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/TrbAkuLhTL
— journeybyjon (@journeybyjon) February 14, 2024
Are you picking up what we’re putting down? Looks like someone remembered to bring his lasso along for this hoedown.
On Instagram, everyone’s taking notice and commenting their support, from Ricky Martin (“Went viral 👏👏👏👏🔥❤”) to Karamo (“This is everything! Learning asap!”) to Queerties nominated performers like Salina Estitt*es (“now why i’m distracted by that horseshoe tho? 👀🥵”) and Bronze Avery (“this unlocked something!!!”).
Yup, if you like your men country-fried, then Beyoncé’s next era is going to be a lot to handle. And to that we say: Yee-haw!
Now, because we consider journalism to be a public service, we couldn’t just leave you without pointing you in the direction of where you can see more of our heavy-holstered cowboy, Matt McCall.
Scroll down below for more shots of this fit fancy footwork artist:
And let’s not forget to give Mayfield his shine! As he recently told Out, he’s working to help “redefine sexiness and possibilities” for queer men of all sizes—and this viral video is just the latest example of that.
“I would describe the work that I do as a joyful act of resistance through existence,” he explains. “To live at the intersections of being Black, fat, femme, and queer can definitely get extremely overwhelming at times.” And it’s the work he does and the representation he brings to the landscape that gives him meaning: “I believe my purpose in life is to lead with love, spread joy, and make sure everyone has a seat at the table.”
Saddle up for Beyoncé’s Act II, due to break the internet all over again when it drops on March 29.
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