It's a sad day for Beyoncé fans, as her publicist has revealed the singer won't be going on tour after her Netflix halftime show.
The singer released her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, in March, which was recently nominated for 11 Grammys, including Album of the Year. Beyoncé announced she would perform her country album live for the first time at the NFL halftime show on Christmas Day in her hometown of Houston, Texas.
Ahead of the performance, rumors started swirling that Beyoncé would soon announce an "enormous" tour that would kick off after the halftime show—but this has been flat-out denied.
On Wednesday the X account (formerly Twitter) belonging to the entertainment page @ThePopTingz wrote: "According to Hits Daily Double, Beyoncé is reportedly gearing up for a massive tour, set to kick off with her halftime performance at the NFL Christmas Game."
However, Beyoncé's publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, took to the replies to set the record straight, writing: "Untrue. Nothing to report here. Whenever there is any news, you will hear it directly from the source first."
Newsweek emailed Noel-Schure for further comment on Thursday outside of normal business hours.
Cowboy Carter was the first album by a Black woman to get the #1 spot in Billboard's country music chart and the Hot 100 chart. It is regarded as a reclaiming of country music's history and a tribute to Black Americans in country music.
On intentionally naming the album Cowboy Carter, the singer explained to GQ Magazine: "I wanted everyone to take a minute to research on the word cowboy … Up to a quarter of all cowboys were Black.
"These men faced a world that refused to see them as equal, yet they were the backbone of the cattle industry … The cowboy was named after slaves who handled the cows. The word cowboy comes from those who were called boys, never given the respect they deserved. No one would dare call a Black man handling cows 'Mister' or 'Sir.'"
The album originated in response to the rejection and hostility the 32-time Grammy winner faced in 2016 when she performed alongside the Dixie Chicks at the Country Music Awards. Critics claimed that Beyoncé was not what country "represents." However, she grew up in Texas and has been influenced by country music for years.
The singer told GQ that "Black artists, and other artists of color, have been creating and mastering multiple genres, since forever."
She added: "Some of the most talented artists never achieve the mainstream praise they deserve, especially when they defy the norm. I was so hyped to see a song like [Cowboy Carter single] "Texas Hold 'em" gain worldwide acceptance. Even more exciting was how it helped reinvigorate the Country genre across music, fashion, art, and culture."
Beyoncé is no stranger to playing big shows at NFL games. She has already performed at two Super Bowls, including the headline show in 2013, where she was joined onstage by her Destiny's Child bandmates, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. According to Netflix, that performance became the second most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history.
Then, in 2016, Beyoncé joined Coldplay and Bruno Mars when 115.5 million tuned in to watch her debut her new song, "Formation."