Beyoncé's Verizon Super Bowl commercial promised one thing: to "break the internet," but in a twist, she hacked it instead. Following the ad, she released two new tracks, "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages," with the former swiftly gaining traction as TikTok's viral dance anthem of the year.

This outcome was almost inevitable given Beyoncé's knack for going viral with every move she makes, be it an album release or a fashion statement. The catchy pop-country crossover vibe of "Texas Hold 'Em," accentuated by lively banjo riffs courtesy of Rhiannon Giddens, and its whiskey-infused lyrics, make it tailor-made for line dancing, a format that naturally thrives on social media platforms like TikTok. So, the flood of new dance videos on TikTok following the song's release was hardly surprising.

Yet, "Texas Hold 'Em" is not just riding the wave of Beyoncé's popularity. Its surge on TikTok comes at a time when much of the platform's music library has been muted due to a dispute between TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG). In January, UMG pulled its songs, including tracks from heavyweights like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, after failing to reach a licensing agreement with TikTok. Since Beyoncé's music is distributed by Columbia/Sony, a rival of UMG, "Texas Hold 'Em" has gained a prominent spot on TikTok's Viral 50 list.

Beyoncé's presence on TikTok has now reached new heights. With the release of her new album, "Act II," and the accompanying singles, the internet buzzed with excitement over Beyoncé's apparent foray into country music, following the success of her country-infused track "Daddy Lessons" from 2016's "Lemonade." On Tuesday, "Texas Hold 'Em" propelled Beyoncé to the top of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, making her the first Black woman to achieve this feat. The song has already amassed nearly 20 million streams.

While TikTok streams don't directly impact Billboard chart rankings, the platform's viral dances generate the kind of hype that drives song streams, album sales, and radio play. Beyoncé likely had no control over the TikTok/UMG dispute, nor could she predict its impact on her new music's reception, but its occurrence has undoubtedly contributed to the song's massive success on the platform. Without competing UMG tracks, "Texas Hold 'Em" faces little resistance as it dominates TikTok. cohort.