(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Now that Beyoncé is crossing over into country music, there's been greater interest in cowboy and western gear.
Mani Alcala of Alcala's Western Wear in West Town, Illinois, agrees business has increased thanks to Queen Bey.
“Anything that she does, she’s an icon, and people follow,” he said. “You have people from all over just wanting to really get into that country feel, that country fashion.”
He notes that although many consider Beyoncé a pop star, she actually is from Houston.
Searches for western items such as bolo ties and cowboy hats reportedly have surged on Google, courtesy of the Beyoncé bounce. That’s good news for Alcala’s, a longtime family business that is a wall-to-wall emporium of western wear.
Beyoncé made history recently by becoming the first Black woman to top Billboard's country music chart. Her single “Texas Hold 'Em" recently reached No. 1 on the country airplay after she dropped the song during the Super Bowl, along with her other single "16 Carriages.”
Both songs are expected to be featured on Beyoncé's country-themed album, which is referred to as “act ii," on March 29.
CNN reported, "On TikTok #cowboycore has 11.4 million views and counting, where users video themselves styling a wide-brimmed rancher cap or, as in one video, pairing vintage leather chaps with a belted trench coat. Searches for “cowboy” on Pinterest have almost doubled since December, as has interest in the phrase “cowboy aesthetic.”
Contributing: The Associated Press