Gavin Adcock Slams Beyoncé’s Album Chart Success, Disputes Genre Label

Gavin Adcock sparked heated debate over the weekend after delivering a profanity-laced tirade aimed at Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter during a live performance. “You can tell her we're coming for her f-ckin' a-s," Adcock said from the stage. "That sh-t ain't country music, and it ain't never been country music, and it ain't never gonna be country music. We're 'bout to play y'all some Southern f-cking rock. Y'all hit that sh-t, boys,” he added before launching into his next song.

The moment, captured on video and uploaded to TikTok, has amassed nearly 150,000 views and generated sharp reactions across social media. While Adcock acknowledged Beyoncé's talent — citing her 2024 Super Bowl Halftime performance — he doubled down on his dedication to “traditional country music.”

The controversy comes amid the continued success of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, which debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts and won Album of the Year at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. The album is now her eighth consecutive Billboard 200 chart number one, which puts the album in a high-profile position. However, the album has already declined, as it is currently No. 167 on the same chart, which has led to debate about the connection between critical acclaim, genre crossover, and long-term sales.

Adcock's remarks reveal a bigger cultural rift in country music as traditionalists resist the notion of genre fluidity, and Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour keeps breaking box office records after setbacks like an overwhelming technical issue at one show.

Luke Bryan recently addressed the genre tensions in a radio interview, noting the complexity of defining country music in 2025 and expressing support for artists expanding its boundaries.

Adcock, who is preparing to release his album Own Worst Enemy on Aug. 15, is leaning into themes of heartbreak and personal struggle. Beyoncé has yet to respond publicly to his remarks, and her tour is scheduled to conclude with final performances in major U.S. cities later this summer.