With Beyoncé being his choice for the greatest female entertainer of all time, Magic Johnson has made it clear what his favorites are in music.
The NBA veteran posted a photo he shot with Queen B a few years ago along with a poignant comment about her excellence and legacy on Friday, March 29, shortly after Cowboy Carter was released.
“Beyoncé – As everyone tuned in to listen to your newest album, “Cowboy Carter,” which just dropped today, it’s only fitting that I recognize a living legend,” he added.
“As a singer, songwriter, director, actress, record producer, and businesswoman, you are a true versatile force! It’s hard to dispute that your impact on culture is unmatched with over 160 million recordings sold, many accolades (including a record-tying 32 Grammys), prominent parts in eight motion pictures, two fashion lines, and, most recently, a new hair care line.
Finally, the former guard for the Lakers said, “You are wоmen‘s history! You are the greatest female entertainer of all time, in the same way that I believe Michael Jackson to be the best male entertainer of all time. I’m interested to see how you use your platform to elevate and magnify the Black voice while also adding more representation to the country music scene.
Beyoncé’s new album is “projecting first-week activity north of” 350,000 album-equivalent units, according to an April HITS Daily Double estimate. This means that it will easily top the Billboard 200 chart and be the likely album of the year for 2024. It is also expected to sell about 20,000 more copies than her previous album, Renaissance.
Nearly 150,000 of the Houston native’s first-week units were attributed to activity on the two pre-release singles from the album, “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em,” according to Chart Data.
When Cowboy Carter’s album was released last week, it broke several records for first-day streaming. According to Spotify, it was the most-streamed album in a single day in 2024. Additionally, the project produced the most number of first-day streams for a female artist’s country album in Amazon Music history.
“A reclamation of both the deep roots from which Bey has crafted her artistry and the many branches that have sprouted from Black music in America,” was how HipHopDX’s Tai Saint-Louis described the LP in a fantastic 4.8/5 review.
The article notes, “This project truly is an American requiem as the opening track states, from the American flag on the cover to the sounds, to the careful placement of iconic Americana like Parton, Nelson, and even a Beach Boys interpolation.”
It serves as Beyoncé’s reminder of how much has been given up for her to embrace her identity as a southern girl and fully engage in all of the distinctive artistic and cultural traditions of the United States.