Beatles legend Paul McCartney has praised Beyoncé’s cover of the song “Blackbird,” saying it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired it in the first place.
Last week, Beyoncé released “Cowboy Carter,” A Country album of 27 tracks it bends the genre. She included “Blackbiird”, originally written by McCartney in 1969 and included on the band’s double album “The Beatles”.
“I think she does a beautiful version of it and it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired me to write the song in the first place,” McCartney said in an Instagram post Thursday. “I think Beyoncé has made a fabulous version and I encourage anyone who hasn’t heard it yet to check it out. You’ll love it!”
The 81-year-old rocker went on to say that he spoke with Beyoncé, who thanked him for writing the song and letting her do it.
“I told her it was all my pleasure and I thought she did a great version of the song,” he added.
“Blackbird” was originally written by McCartney about desegregation in American schools, with a particular focus on the Little Rock Nine, the first group of black students to desegregate an Arkansas high school in 1957.
“I can’t believe there are still places today where this kind of thing happens,” McCartney wrote on social media. “Anything my song and Beyoncé’s fabulous version can do to ease racial tensions would be a good thing and would make me very proud.”
Beyoncé’s song features Black country singer-songwriters Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts.
Since its release, “Cowboy Carter” has been break streaming records. Spotify announced last week on social media that on the album’s release day – March 29 – it had become the platform’s most streamed album in a single day so far in 2024.
The album also took the title for most first-day streams of a country album by a female artist on Amazon Music.
Prior to the album’s release, Beyoncé released two singles on Super Bowl Sunday: “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages”. The old debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Charts, making Beyoncé the first black woman to top the chart.
Beyoncé, a Houston native who also executive produced the album, said in a statement that it was “the best music I’ve ever made.”
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