Paul McCartney praises Beyoncé's "magnificent" version of "Blackbird" in new album

Beatles legend Paul McCartney's praised Beyoncé's cover of the band's song "Blackbird," saying that it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired him in the first place.

Last week, Beyoncé released "Cowboy Carter," a 27-track country album that bends the genre. In it she included "Blackbiird," which was originally written by McCartney in 1969 and included in the band's double album "The Beatles."

"I think she does a magnificent version of it and it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired me to write the song in the first place," McCartney said in an Instagram post, on Thursday. "I think Beyoncé has done a fab version and would urge anyone who has not heard it yet to check it out. You are going to love it!"

The 81-year-old rocker went on to say that he spoke with Beyoncé, who thanked him for writing the song and letting her do it.

"I told her the pleasure was all mine and I thought she had done a killer version of the song," he added.

"Blackbird" was originally written by McCartney about desegregation in American schools with particular emphasis on the Little Rock Nine, the first group of Black students to desegregate an Arkansas high school in 1957. 

"I can't believe that still in these days there are places where this kind of thing is happening right now," McCartney wrote on social media. "Anything my song and Beyonce's fabulous version can do to ease racial tension would be a great thing and makes me very proud."

Beyoncé's song features Black country singer-songwriters Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts.

Since its release, "Cowboy Carter" has been breaking streaming records. Spotify announced on social media last week that on the day the album dropped – March 29 – it became the platform's most-streamed album in a single day in 2024 so far.

The album also earned the title of most first-day streams of an country album by a female artist on Amazon Music.

Ahead of the album's release, Beyoncé dropped two singles on Super Bowl Sunday: "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages." The former debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Charts, making Beyoncé the first Black woman to top that chart.

Beyoncé, a Houston native who is also the album's executive producer, said in a statement it is "the best music I've ever made." 

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