Beyonce’s Pale Horse

Of this we can be certain. That white horse Beyonce is riding on the cover of her new album, “Cowboy Carter,” is carrying her straight to the bank.

There will be more money spent on the recordings, offshoot products and concerts related to this event than one can even imagine.

What makes this album so great? If you ask me, mostly hype.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with the music or with Beyonce’s delivery of this pleasant compilation of tunes. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with her capitalizing on the venture to sustain and broaden her popular appeal. What rankles me is the rush to glorify it as a ground shaking gesture intended to give Black culture its due for its contribution to the Country genre.

Indeed, one thing that gives Country its pizzaz, what gives liveliness to American culture in general, is the rich ethnicity Black culture imparts to it.

Blackness, the epitome of cool. Blackness, full of soul.

Black culture imparted that to country as well as to jazz, big band, rock and blues and, of course, rap and hip-hop. This is true of our dance, our art, our language, social mannerisms and humor as well. If this comes as big news to people, I’ll concede maybe they could use a jolt of reality.

Everyone should have known long ago Black culture’s influence on country music has been huge. As it is with all American music. Why does this have to be politicized? Why now? Why can’t American music simply be accepted for what it is, like us, a unique entity in itself that happens to be derived from many sources? Shouldn’t we already be at the point where, regardless of the genre, race is superfluous?

One tune on the album, Dolly Parton’s, “I Will Always Love You,” illustrates well why Beyonce has broken no new ground. Aside from Dolly’s distinctive country twang, what made this a country song anyway? It’s as far from “Okie From Muscogee” as the Beatles are from Beethoven. It defies categorization.

Does anybody remember Whitney Houston? When Whitney came out with her cover of Dolly’s song, did anyone even think about race? I surely didn’t. Many people were not even aware a White woman, not Whitney, had written it. Google Whitney on Youtube and take a moment to listen to her sublime performance of this tune. Aside from Whitney’s coffee colored complexion it is devoid of, beyond, race. In this sense Whitney was already way ahead of Beyonce. Beyonce does a nice job on the tune, but no one can improve on Whitney’s iconic performance.

No one of any color.

In this age of heightened racial and ethnic tensions, we could use a little less harping on race, less carving out niches, politicking, fighting over it and profiting off of it. We could use more genuine and uncritical appreciation for the rich experience that the blend of cultures unique to this nation, the blend so well exemplified by its music, delivers to us.

That would go a long way toward making “one nation indivisible” more than empty words.