K Michelle Checks Journalist Over Lack Of Knowledge On Singer's Country Roots

Hailing from Memphis, K Michelle has been attempting to showcase her country music roots for years, with little to no success or acknowledgment from the genre. An issue that continues til this day. 




At the 2025 CMA Fest, K Michelle corrected an interviewer who implied she hadn't grown up with country music. Featured in a CMA Fest: American Songwriters segment, the Memphis-born singer made it clear that her country roots run deep.




"I did grow up in country music," she said. "I'm from Memphis, Tennessee. I got a scholarship for yodeling - that's how I paid for college. I didn't fly here - I grew here."




Michelle has long battled assumptions about her place in the genre. She recalled one of her earliest recordings - a cover of The Judds' "Love Can Build a Bridge." The Judd family invited her to perform the song in honor of the late Naomi Judd, a moment that signified recognition in a space that rarely embraces Black women.




More: The History Of K. Michelle & Tamar Braxton's R&B Beef

K. Michelle Country Music

You betta let 'em know! Puddin, aka K. Michelle, corrects an interviewer after she incorrectly assumes that K. Michelle didn't grow up in country music.
: American Songwriter pic.twitter.com/trrkhFE8kO
— VIBE Magazine (@VibeMagazine) June 11, 2025

Still, Michelle acknowledged the resistance she's faced. "I was told I didn't belong in country music because I'm Black," she said. "You don't hear many women on country radio - and you really don't hear Black women. But you're about to."




She also previewed her upcoming country album, her first full-length in the genre. The project leans into bluegrass and classic influences, drawing inspiration from artists like Toby Keith, Alison Krauss, and The Judds. Michelle said her sound doesn't follow the current pop-country trend but instead embraces the music she grew up loving.




"There's a lot of pop-country out right now," she said. "But mine is the version I grew up on - it leans more toward bluegrass."




K Michelle's presence at CMA Fest is more than promotion. It's a statement of belonging. She's not breaking into country music - she's reclaiming a space that's always been part of her story.




For K Michelle, Country music was always her first option but her career took off in R&B. She told EBONY, "It was never my second option. [Country music] was always my first because that's who I am."




More: K Michelle Responds To Beyonce Fans Who Think She's Jealous Of Singer's Foray Into Country
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