Beyoncé 'Cowboy Carter' Activation at Guggenheim Not Authorized by Museum

The "Texas Hold 'Em" singer had additional activations at NYC's Whitney Museum, New Museum, and Museum of Arts and Design.

March 21, 2024

Beyoncé is using several New York City museums to promote her upcoming album, Cowboy Carter.

On Wednesday night, the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer took to her Instagram Story to post the coordinates of the Guggenheim Museum, on which she projected the phrases, “This ain’t a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album,” alongside the March 29 release date for Act II: Cowboy Carter and Beyonce.com.

She pulled the phrases for her Guggenheim activation from a post she shared on March 19, where she opened up about her feelings on the country music genre, that she hasn’t felt welcomed by other country artists, and the backlash after becoming the first Black woman to land a No. 1 song on Billboard’s Hot County Song chart.

However, it seems that the Guggenheim didn't sanction Beyoncé's projections. "The Guggenheim was not informed about and did not authorize this activation,” the museum said in a statement to Complex. “However, we invite the public—including Beyoncé and her devoted fans—to visit the museum May 16–20 when we present projections by artist Jenny Holzer on the facade of our iconic building to celebrate the opening of her major exhibition."

Still, the museum kowtowed to the Queen B’s fanbase on Thursday morning, making a reference to her song “Texas Hold ‘Em” in a caption about Franz Marc’s 1910 painting "Three Horses Drinking."

Additional activations occurred at the Whitney Museum, New Museum, and Museum of Arts and Design. For these, she projected the divisive Cowboy Carter artwork, which sees her dressed as a cowboy, riding side-saddle on a white horse, and holding the American flag.