2. BEYONCÉ
Houston native and bestselling author Michael Arceneaux recently summed up the uniquely Texas appeal of Beyoncé: “That’s a country black girl from Houston who does very country black things from Houston, and she has managed to become the biggest pop star in the world by making the masses come to her, not the other way around.” Amen, hallelujah and indeed, y’all. And if you’re not from Houston, you probably don’t fully understand. Everything about Beyoncé oozes Houston, from the way she speaks to the way she dances. It was evident from her days in Destiny’s Child, whose slyly complex hits created a blueprint for modern black women in music. As a solo artist, Beyoncé has carefully evolved from standard hitmaker to gold standard, eschewing mere mortal needs like radio play and interviews. Her self-titled 2013 opus and 2016’s “Lemonade” made us rethink what albums should look and sound like. Her live performances are jawdropping assertions of her power. Her ability to continuously surprise us remains unparalleled. If anyone is worthy of being called a queen, or a king, it’s her. Most Texas musical moment: Her selftitled visual album is packed with odes to Houston: Miss Third Ward, vintage childhood clips, videos filmed at Funplex on Beechnut and in Third Ward and Fourth Ward.