ABSTRACT
Beyoncé’s art conveys a strong sense of place, whether through the repetition of the word “Texas” at the beginning of “Daddy Lessons” or through the use of Houston and New Orleans as the setting for numerous music videos. This essay will explore how Lemonade and previous works connect Beyoncé to cultures that evolved in the “western South,” notably Creole and Tejano musical cultures. Her hometown of Houston is a crossroads city in the heart of the western South—a place where distinct regions and cultural heritages converge, and where the American South meets the Southwest. In the twentieth century, migrants from East Texas, southwestern Louisiana, South Texas, and Mexico made Houston a place where English-, French-, and Spanish-speaking people created hybrid cultures. Beyoncé is descended from the Beyincé family, a Creole clan from southwestern Louisiana who moved to Texas in the early twentieth century. She has notably referred to her Creole heritage in songs like “Formation.” A less-discussed aspect of Beyoncé’s sound is her incorporation of Tejano musical styles in her music. She came of age in a rapidly Latinizing city, and she has cited the influence of Tejano star Selena, who was born in nearby Lake Jackson. The use of acoustic guitars, accordions, and New Orleans brass in her music draws on the cultures of the western South to create a sonic Borderlands in modern popular music.
