None of us who grew up in post-oil-boom Houston can claim to have had an authentically cowboyish childhood. And yet—setting aside our annual rodeo, when we dress up in our Western costumes—we share a Houston ethos that’s all about freedom, corny as it may sound. Freedom to do, freedom to build, freedom to make whatever you wish of your life. And when our local self-created superstar Beyoncé makes a crossover hit like this, she reminds us that, despite all the messaging about our divisions, we’re touching one another, blending, every day. Coming to share in a heavenly kingdom.

Beyoncé, “Texas Hold 'Em,”  written by Beyoncé, Raphael Saadiq, Lowell, bülow, Nathan Ferraro, Killah B and Ink, 2024.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to 4th of July, 2025.

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