Beyoncé scored big at the Grammys, and just before she went on stage to accept her award from Taylor Swift, her husband shared some words with her — which were revealed by a lip reader.

On February 2, 2025, music icon Beyoncé made history when she won the prestigious award for Best Country Album for “COWBOY CARTER” at the 67th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Before heading to the stage to accept her award, the “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” singer’s rap mogul husband, Jay-Z, walked up to her and whispered something in her ear.

After Taylor Swift announced the category winner, cameras panned to capture Beyoncé’s shocked reaction as she heard her name.

Then, the “Empire State of Mind” rapper, who was seated behind his wife, approached her while clapping. According to Lip Reader, NJ Hickling, Jay-Z had said, “Woah woah woah. Bout time! You’re a top girl.”

Following this exchange, the power couple’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, hugged her mother. Beyoncé then made her way to the stage to give her heartfelt acceptance speech as the star-studded audience cheered loudly for her.

After graciously accepting her Grammy from the “Bad Blood” artist, Beyoncé expressed, “Wow, I really was not expecting this. Wow! I wanna thank God […] that I’m able to still do what I love after so many years […] I’d like to thank all of the incredible country artists that accepted this album — we worked so hard on it.”

She continued, “I think sometimes Genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists, and I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about and to stay persistent. Wow! I’d like to thank my beautiful family, all of the artists that were collaborators, thank you, this wouldn’t have been this album without you [sic].”

The superstar performer also gave thanks to her fans before reiterating her surprise at winning. Although Beyoncé received a warm reception from the Grammy audience at Crypto.com Arena, the “CUFF IT” musician garnered heated backlash online for her win.

Beyoncé’s victory came in a stacked field, beating nominees Kacey Musgraves with “Deeper Well,” Chris Stapleton with “Higher,” Lainey Wilson with “Whirlwind,” and Post Malone with “F-1 Trillion.” With ten nominations across multiple categories, Beyoncé was already a dominant presence at the Grammys.

In addition to Best Country Album, she competed in major categories such as Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Melodic Rap Performance, Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Duo/Group Performance, and Best Country Song.

While her Best Country Album win marked a career milestone it ignited a debate online. “That had to be rigged!” one AmoMama reader exclaimed. Another bluntly stated, “She should not have won!” A third critic felt it was a blow to the genre itself, “What an embarrassment to country music..”

The backlash continued as fans of other nominees, particularly Kacey and Lainey, voiced their disappointment. Some critics argued that simply adopting country aesthetics does not make an artist genuinely part of the genre.

Others felt that while Beyoncé is a talented singer, her style does not align with country music, expressing their preference for artists like Lainey, whom they viewed as a more authentic representative of the genre.

“She did not deserve that award,” one frustrated netizen remarked about Beyoncé, while another argued, “Kacey was absolutely robbed. ‘Deeper Well’ was phenomenal.”

This comment (about Kacey being robbed) echoed sentiments from Jay-Z’s speech at the February 2024 Grammys, where, after receiving the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, he criticized the Recording Academy for never awarding Beyoncé Album of the Year despite her record-breaking wins.

“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than anyone and never won Album of the Year. So, even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work. Think about that: the most Grammys, never won Album of the Year. That doesn’t work,” the rapper explained at the time.

The artist also acknowledged that not everyone would leave the Grammys feeling satisfied, implying that some musicians might feel overlooked or undeserving of their nominations.

He implied that some nominees might feel “robbed” or out of place in their categories but later acknowledged his bluntness, attributing it to nerves. “No, when I get nervous I tell the truth,” Jay-Z said.

Although Beyoncé received a lot of criticism for her Best Country Album win, some people celebrated her achievement. “Congratulations Beyonce 🎊 You deserve this win!” praised one AmoMama reader.

Another supporter cheered for Beyoncé, commending her well-deserved win while a different user expressed their excitement and support for her historic success in country music.

Beyoncé’s Grammy win coincided with the announcement of her highly anticipated tour. She revealed the news in an Instagram video featuring a glowing “COWBOY CARTER TOUR” sign flickering over a windy desert at night, accompanied by an electrical hum.

She followed up with a second post, showcasing a striking close-up of herself with bleached eyebrows, white-blonde braids, and a bold red lip against a dark background—matching the visuals from her “COWBOY CARTER” album. The caption reads, “COWBOY CARTER TOUR 2025,” confirming the tour’s arrival.

Regardless of the mixed reactions she received, Beyoncé’s Grammy win and tour announcement marks “COWBOY CARTER” as a significant moment in her career