This ain’t Texas, and Beyoncé was visibly “in shock” as she learned that Cowboy Carter won Best Country Album at the Grammy Awards.

As Taylor Swift announced that Beyoncé won the category, the singer’s eyes flew wide open. After she froze for a few seconds, she hugged her family and made her way up to the stage to accept the award.

“Wow, I really was not expecting this,” Beyoncé said. “Wow! I want to thank God that I’m able to still do what I love after so many years.” She laughed as she repeated, “Oh my God.”

Beyoncé then went on to thank “all the incredible country artists that accepted this album,” referencing the controversial debate over whether Cowboy Carter is a country album.

“We worked so hard on it,” she added. “I think sometimes ‘genre’ is a cold word to keep us in our place as artists, and I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about and to stay persistent.”

Beyoncé repeated “wow” before thanking her “beautiful family” and “all of the artists that were collaborators.”

“This wouldn’t have been this album without you,” she said. “I’d like to thank God again and my fans — and I’m still in shock, so thank you so much for this honor.”

Beyoncé beat Chris Stapleton’s Higher, Kacey Musgraves’ Deeper Well, Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion, and Lainey Wilson’s Whirlwind for the Grammy. This is the first time Beyoncé has been nominated (and won) in the country genre, although she previously tried in 2016 when she submitted “Daddy Lessons,” from Lemonade, in a country category. However, the Recording Academy’s country music committee rejected it.

She is currently the most-decorated artist in Grammys history, and has already made history by becoming the first Black woman to be nominated in the Album of the Year category for a country album. She is also the first Black woman to top Billboard‘s country chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em.” And earlier in the night, she became the first Black woman to win a country Grammy in 50 years for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “II MOST WANTED” featuring Miley Cyrus (the Pointer Sisters previously won the Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1975).

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However, if you ask Bey herself, she calls Cowboy Carter “a ‘Beyoncé’ album,” because it was born out of an experience she had years ago when she did not “feel welcomed” in the country genre.

“And it was very clear that I wasn’t,” she wrote on Instagram 10 days before Cowboy Carter‘s release. “But because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.”

She continued, “The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. Act II is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work… I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound. This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.” 

The 67th Annual Grammy Awards were held Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and streamed live on CBS and Paramount+.