The reigning queen of R&B and pop, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, known popularly as Beyonce, surprised her fans with her latest musical venture into country, as her track "Texas Hold ‘Em" became the first by a black woman to debut at the number one spot on the Billboard country chart.

In an exclusive interview with BBC Asian Network, Dr. Matthew Knowles, Beyoncé's father, reveals the roots of this unexpected shift.He shared that as a young child, Beyoncé spent summers in Alabama with her grandparents, who had a deep love for country music.Dr. Knowles believed these early experiences planted the seeds for her current foray into the country genre.

Managing Beyoncé until 2011, Dr. Knowles expressed his belief that Beyoncé's childhood memories might have played a significant role in this musical evolution.“When Beyoncé was a little baby, and I’m talking two-three years old, she would go down and spend the summer with my parents,” Dr Knowles says.

“And her grandfather – my father – loved country music, and he used to sing to her. At an early age, she heard this music.

“And when you’re two, three years old, subconsciously music stays in your head,” Dr. Matthew Knowles stated.He sees an opportunity for the global icon to introduce a "totally new audience" to the country music scene.

Beyoncé's recently announced album, the second part of her Renaissance project, features the track "16 Carriages," which swiftly secured the ninth spot on the Billboard country charts.The anticipation is high for the full album, set to release next month, marking Beyoncé's first complete venture into country music.

While some may find this surprising, Dr. Knowles points out that Beyoncé has dabbled in the country genre before, citing the song "Daddy Lessons" from her 2016 album "Lemonade."Despite its country sound, the Recording Academy rejected its submission for the country category at the Grammys.

Addressing criticisms of representation in the country music genre, Dr. Knowles believed Beyoncé's bold move could spark positive change and attract a diverse fan base.He encouraged the industry to view this as an opportunity to embrace new audiences rather than a challenge.“The country music industry should really look at that as a plus not a minus, that she’s bringing a completely new audience.”

Dr. Knowles, also a businessman and lecturer, expressed his optimism about the music industry's progress in diversity.To further support emerging talents, he has launched a scholarship at the London College of Contemporary Music in his name.The inaugural recipient, Polish composer and singer Anna Prasek (anMari), praised the scholarship for inspiring her to push boundaries and explore new creative avenues.

In conclusion, Dr. Knowles emphasized the importance of uniqueness in the world of music, encouraging aspiring artists to be disciplined, patient, passionate, and hardworking, echoing the advice he gave his own daughters, Beyoncé and Solange.