Rising country star Brittney Spencer couldn’t believe she was hearing her voice on the song, “BLACKBIIRD” from Beyoncé’s album “Cowboy Carter.”
Recalling the moment she heard her inclusion on the album, Spencer said she was with friends at her apartment.
“I just kind of like just dropped to the floor and just sat there for awhile,” she said. “We played ‘BLACKBIIRD’ a few times, and I was like, ‘This is wild, I can’t believe it.’ I kept looking at my phone like, ‘is this actually the Beyonce album?'”
The significance of the song was amplified by praise from music legend Paul McCartney, who called the recording “magnificent” and appreciated its reinforcement of the civil rights message he intended when writing the original “BLACKBIIRD” for his band, The Beatles, in 1968.
“It means everything. The Beatles is my second favorite band of all time,” said Spencer, who added that The Chicks is her favorite.
The shared experience led to a unique bond among the artists featured on the track. Spencer and the other women who contributed to “BLACKBIIRD” decided to commemorate their collaboration with tattoos. Each artist chose a design that resonated personally, with Spencer opting for a design that complements her other tattoos, incorporating a songbird wearing headphones.
Spencer said the song’s meaning is resurfacing emotions for some.
“This song is really hopeful and healing for a lot of people, and I think it’s a good thing to honor our heroes and the people who are still here,” she said.
The collaboration has catapulted Spencer into the spotlight, where she performed on the CMT Awards. It’s a long way from her days as an airport barista.
“I want to go as far as I can with music,” she said. “But I think the more I go into this, I’m less concerned about what I do and I’m more concerned about who I am. And I’m an artist, which means I want to create and I appreciate that my career is providing me the opportunity to live in this space.”
