Tiera Kennedy, who sings with Beyoncé on ‘Blackbiird,’ breaks down in tears hearing song for the first time

By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

(CNN) — Emerging country artist Tiera Kennedy is sharing with the world her wholesome reaction to hearing her voice on Beyoncé’s “Blackbiird,” a Beatles cover included on her new album “Cowboy Carter,” for the first time.

“Listening to Blackbiird for the first time! I’m crying all over again watching this back,” Kennedy wrote in the caption of a video posted to her TikTok page on Saturday.

In the video, Kennedy appears to immediately get emotional as she listens for her voice on the track. “I hear it!” she says while covering her face with her hands and asking her friend to turn up the volume. Through tears – and adorably delirious and gleeful laughter – Kennedy is awestruck, swaying back and forth to the beat of the song in disbelief.

“I cannot believe it! That is my voice,” she exclaimed. “Oh, that is crazy. I could just listen to it over and over again.”

Originally written by Paul McCartney in 1968 amid the civil rights movement in the United States, “Blackbird” was inspired by the Little Rock Nine, a group of Black students who were the first to desegregate schools and break the color barrier in late 1950s Arkansas.

The powerful meaning behind the original song adds to the emotional depth of Beyoncé’s 2024 cover, which is amplified by the voices of Kennedy and three other up-and-coming Black female country artists – Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer and Reyna Roberts – who are featured on the track.

“I’ve been in Nashville for almost 8 years chasing this country music dream. There have been a lot of highs and lows along the way and this – being on Beyonce’s album takes the cake,” Kennedy wrote in the caption of another video posted to her TikTok page on Saturday.

“I couldn’t be more thankful,” she continued. “Thank you Beyoncé for shining your light.”

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