Wait, Is Beyoncé Performing At The CMAs?

Wednesday night is the Country Music Association Awards, which wouldn't be an event you'd necessarily associate with Beyoncé Knowles. Yet while it sounds surprising, Beyoncé may be performing at the 2016 CMAs. By this point, it seems like more than just a rumor, since multiple sources have confirmed to People that the singer is in Nashville and a source confirmed Bey's CMAs performance to CMTCody.com. Besides, the clues were seemingly there all along — why else would Beyoncé be in Nashville? I can't believe that she would just be in Tennessee for pleasure, not business ("the best revenge is your paper"), so the performance makes perfect sense. The music gods must be smiling on all of us.

This doesn't, obviously, mark the first time a pop musician has done a crossover performance at the CMAs. In 2015, Justin Timberlake did a duet with Chris Stapleton on “Tennessee Whiskey” (Stapleton's track) and “Drink You Away” (Timberlake's track). But what will Beyoncé perform? BuzzFeed's Jarett Wieselman has speculated that her performance could consist of a duet with the Dixie Chicks on "Daddy Lessons," simply because the band included their cover of the Beyoncé song in previous gigs. That's certainly a strong possibility, especially since country singer Dierks Bentley praised Bey's song when talking told Billboard in May. He said, "There is just something intangible about ['Daddy Lessons'] that it feels like a country song."

However, I believe there are a few other songs that Beyoncé could be performing that haven't yet been mentioned.

"Formation"

There's always the possibility that Beyoncé will perform an adapted version of one of her most popular songs, done in a country style. Wouldn't that be even more headline-grabbing than performing the song that everyone expects? Given how high-profile Lemonade was this year, why wouldn't Bey perform arguably the most well-known track off of it?

"Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"

Members of the country music establishment were actually dismissive of Beyoncé's first country song, "Daddy Lessons." In a review on Country Music Television, Alison Bonaguro famously aroused the wrath of the Beyhive when she wrote, "If you ask me, this song is no more country than her 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).'" Wouldn't a country take on "Single Ladies" be the best revenge of all from Beyoncé?

"Daddy Lessons"

OK, I've got to admit: This does seem like the most likely song Beyoncé will play. After all, it's actually a country song, it's been widely discussed in the context of the genre, and the Dixie Chicks have already given it their seal of approval.

Knowing Beyoncé, does it really matter what song she performs? Probably not. Given her talent and charisma, she's bound to blow the crowd away no matter which title from her back catalogue she chooses.

Images: Giphy (3)