What’s the Experience From ‘Years Ago’ Where Beyonce Didn’t Feel Welcome? We Have a Pretty Good Idea

Beyoncé gave fans some insight into the background of her new album, Act II: Cowboy Carter, on Tuesday (March 19), just 10 days ahead of its release.

"This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t," Beyoncé wrote in an Instagram post.

But what exactly was the experience Beyoncé is referring to?

Well, many fans have inferred that it could be her 2016 CMAs performance with The Chicks, where they performed her Lemonade track "Daddy Lessons."

Beyonce's Complicated Relationship With Country

Beyoncé joined forces with country music group The Chicks to perform her twangy Lemonade track "Daddy Lessons" at the 2016 awards show.

Per the Los Angeles Times, many conservative country fans heavily criticized the performance at the time, despite major country stars such as Brad Paisley offering the pop star support.

"Frequently, country crosses over. But every now and then a major pop superstar wants to be a part of this too. Welcome, Beyoncé," Paisley said.

However, the CMAs themselves were even accused of erasing evidence of the collaboration on social media.

Fans noticed there was no trace of the performance anywhere on the internet.

READ MORE: Beyoncé's Mom Says Family's Cowboy Roots Run Deep

According to Rolling Stone, the CMAs later released a statement claiming that they did not erase "any mentions of Beyoncé's performance."

Yet The Chicks also confirmed that the reactions surrounding the performance were distinctly off before and after the show.

"They treated us very weird backstage. For them to disrespect her that way was disgusting," lead singer Natalie Maines said at the time, according to People.

Even now, eight years later, Beyoncé's first official country single, "Texas Hold 'Em," has been met with backlash from some country fans.

Inside Country Music's Black Roots

Following her experience, Beyoncé wrote that she "did a deeper dive into the history of country music," which included studying its "rich musical archive" rooted in Black music.

"It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history," Bey continued in her Instagram post.

According to Time, Black musicians helped shape early country music, including the use of banjos and songs adapted from hymns written by Black ministers, for example.

"The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work," the "16 CARRIAGES" singer explained.

"I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart. That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant," she added.