K. Michelle Checks Interviewer About Her Country Music Roots
K. Michelle Checks Interviewer About Her Country Music Roots: ‘I Didn’t Fly Here — I Grew Here’
More Black artists are embracing country music than ever before, as many have finally felt that the time is right to pursue a genre of music where Black musicians have traditionally been overlooked.
In a recent interview, K. Michelle, known for her R&B music, corrected an interviewer about her country music roots during an appearance at the 2025 CMA Fest.
When the interviewer told K. Michelle that she “didn’t grow up with country music,” the former Love & Hip Hop star offered a reply that cleared up any misconceptions.
“I did grow up in country music. You do this all the time. I’m from Memphis, Tennessee. I got a scholarship for yodeling — that’s how I paid for college,” she fired back. “My start, to you, has been when the Judd [family] reached out to me to go pay Naomi Judd tribute.”
“It’s always been a thing for me. I was told I could not sing country music because I was Black, but it was something I had always been doing and will continue to do. I’m born and raised in Tennessee. I grew here, I didn’t fly here,” K. Michelle added.
“I am so happy to be able to sing the songs of who I am and what it is I want to. So, I’m happy that people like you are just discovering me though” she said.
When the interviewer pointed out that K. Michelle was an unknown to contemporary country music radio, she replied “Well, you don’t hear a lot of women in contemporary radio, period, right now. And you really don’t hear Black ones, but you will.”
In 2024, K. Michelle officially signed to BMG Nashville and released her first country single, “Tennessee,” which was released earlier this year. Her debut country album Puddin’s Outla Music is set to be released in 2025.
K. Michelle Checks Interviewer About Her Country Music Roots: ‘I Didn’t Fly Here — I Grew Here’ was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
