https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hy9QQk7lRAg
Mickey Guyton is honoring one of the greatest!
Releasing exclusively with Amazon Music, the country star — and new mom! — covers Beyoncé's 2008 ballad "If I Were a Boy" as part of the platform's Black History Month celebration.
"It was important for me to record 'If I Were a Boy' because I have been fighting in country music for so long to just be accepted for who I am," Guyton, 37, says in a video premiering with PEOPLE. "This song represents the release and the birth of something new."
"Really this song means so much more to me, and has a completely different meaning, than when I first heard it," she adds.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/U5VynoDQrrs
The cover art for the Amazon Original rendition also got a special design by one of her favorite Black artists: Jamilla Okubo.
"I discovered Jamilla through Instagram, and it has been really important for me to support Black art in whatever capacity that is. When this project came together, I knew Jamilla needed to create the artwork, and it's just so beautiful that we're able to do this together," she said. "When people see the cover art for 'If I Were a Boy,' I really hope that people don't see me, but that they see themselves."
Adds Guyton as she looks at the art, "Why am I about to cry right now? Thank you for making this 9-month pregnant woman cry right now."
The "Black Like Me" singer — who welcomed son Grayson earlier this month — covered the song back in 2016 to the acclaim of many of her fans.
The song's official release also comes just weeks before Guyton is set to make history at the Grammys, where she became the first Black female solo artist to earn a nomination in a country category. Her track "Black Like Me" is up for best country solo performance.
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Amazon Music listeners can also find an expansive collection of playlists for Black History Month like the "The New Black" playlist that shines a light on emerging Black talent and creativity; a new collection of "[RE]DISCOVER" playlists that feature music from influential Black artists; and "PRSM," a brand-new playlist highlighting genre-bending, expectation-defying Black artists. Listeners can also say "Alexa, play Black History Month music," for a brand new, multi-genre listening experience of era-spanning hits from Black artists.
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