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Tanner Adell savored a history-making moment in her career.
The “Buckle Bunny” artist said becoming the “first female country artist to perform at the BETs feels pretty good,” as she reminisced on the 2024 BET Awards over the weekend. Adell performed on the Nissan Mobile Studio stage on Sunday (June 30), representing the country genre with “Buckle Bunny” and her surprise single, “Cowboy Break My Heart.” Shaboozey also took the stage throughout the evening on Sunday, and Mickey Guyton attended the BET Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. She told CBS Mornings on the red carpet that she’s been a country artist “for a very long time. This was not existent, you know, 10 years ago, and to see it change, it makes me emotional. I don’t wanna cry off my makeup, but it is something I’ve fought so hard for, and to see the fruits of my labor, it’s just — it’s really awesome.”
Adell’s latest single follows “Too Easy,” appearing on the star-studded soundtrack album for the upcoming Twisters movie, and “Whiskey Blues,” which she spoke about when she caught up with iHeartCountry on the 2024 CMT Music Awards red carpet earlier this year. Adell also teamed up with Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts on “Blackbiird,” one of the tracks on Beyoncé’s hotly-anticipated, country-themed album, COWBOY CARTER. Beyoncé also featured Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Linda Martell, Shaboozey, Willie Jones, Miley Cyrus and Post Malone on the 27-track album. Beyoncé 7-year-old daughter, Rumi, appears on “Protector.”
“It is time to give credit where credit is due: Black musicians played a major role in developing the sound and style of country music,” BET shared earlier this month on Instagram, paying tribute to Linda Martell, DeFord Bailey, Charley Pride, The Pointer Sisters and others who paved the way for modern artists like Adell, Shaboozey, The War and Treaty, Roberts, Willie Jones and many more. “From our instruments to our Southern gospel hymns, the genre began with us. Over the years, our contributions have been minimized, but that’s no longer the case. We’re acknowledging our history and the legends who shaped the genre and celebrating the renaissance of Black country music artists who are taking over the charts and the internet.”