Mickey Guyton

As Beyonce tried to tell us, country music has always had Black people in it. But you still wouldn't know it by looking at today's lily-white industry, something country music star Mickey Guyton is trying to change. The Grammy-nominated singer made history in April when she co-hosted the Academy of Country Music Awards, becoming the first Black woman to do so. Guyton's debut album, "Remember Her Name," taps into themes rarely heard about in country music. On the single "All American," Guyton name-checks James Brown and dookie braids alongside James Dean and Daisy Dukes before turning the phrase on its head: "Ain't we all American?" The song "Love My Hair" was inspired by those times early in Guyton's career when she couldn't find anyone who could do Black hair and makeup and so she had to drive hours to a salon before hitting the red carpets: "The things I did to try to fit right in / I'll never justify my skin again." Keenly aware of her place in history, Guyton also knows it's important to remember the pioneers who came before her. "Well, a lot of people, especially today, are only seeing Lil Nas X or think that country music is just white guys, beers and trucks, and that is not the case," she told NBC News. "There's all types of country music. There have been a lot of Black people in country music pounding the pavement for a very long time."Now, Guyton can proudly add her name to that legacy.