Tom Dunne: Beyoncé's country music spat may not just be about colour

Beyoncé's new single has sparked all sorts of debate in the US. As well as the racial prejudice that's still so live in the States, the more mundane issue of format radio could also be at play 

Beyoncé sports a cowboy hat with her husband Jay-Z at the recent Grammy awards. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

I know many are painting American radio’s reaction to Beyoncé’s wonderful new single 'Texas Hold ‘Em' as “racist” – can’t be country because she’s black - but I’m not sure I’m buying it. I see less dark, much more mundane forces at play: yes, good old “Format Radio”. Beyonce does not match the format.

I first encountered the truth of Format Radio many moons ago. I was an utter outlier at a format station, an exotic toy to be accommodated very, very late at night. But they were happy to explain the reasons I didn’t fit.