Mickey Guyton Covers Beyoncé’s Bold ‘If I Were a Boy’
She was just nominated for ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year.
Mickey Guyton is having a good day. The emerging voice was just nominated for New Female Artist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music, and she followed up by dropping a powerful cover of Beyoncé‘s “If I Were a Boy.”
Part of Amazon Music’s special Black History Month content, the new cover puts the smooth soul of Guyton’s country vocal on full display — and presents a powerful message. As one of modern country’s few black-female artists, Guyton says she appreciates the song’s perspective. Not just on the differences between the way men and women are treated, but on the desire to take a stand.
“It was important for me to record ‘If I Were A Boy’ because I have been fighting in country music for so long to just be accepted for who I am,” shares Mickey. “This song represents the release and the birth of something new. Really this song means so much more to me, and has a completely different meaning, than when I first heard it.”
Nominated for ACM New Female Vocalist of the Year alongside Caylee Hammack, Gabby Barrett, Ingrid Andress and Tenille Arts, Guyton’s “If I Were a Boy” cover follows a year of bold, meaningful music addressing massive social issues. Her “Black Like Me” held especially powerful weight in the wake of racial injustice protests around the country, and she further addressed the challenges facing women with “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” She and Keith Urban teamed up to perform that gripping track on last year’s virtual ACM Awards telecast, and she went on to release the Bridges EP.
Meanwhile, Guyton is one of four black artists nominated at the ACMs this year — a historic number — and “Black Like Me” is also up for Best Country Solo Performance at the upcoming 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. That makes Mickey Guyton the first Black female solo artist to earn a Grammy nomination in a country category.
