Beyoncé’s new album, “COWBOY CARTER,” was released on Friday, March 29, to kick off the Easter weekend, which is nothing short of a happy coincidence.
Beyoncé’s country album took five years to come to fruition. The creation of this album stemmed from an instance in which Beyoncé did not feel accepted within the country music world. Many sources suspect that this occurred at her 2016 Country Music Association Awards performance alongside The Chicks. Beyoncé morphed those feelings into a timeless masterpiece, displaying her versatility and tenacity not only as an artist, but also as a person.
On “COWBOY CARTER,” Beyoncé showcased the true essence of duets, collaborating with musical artists Miley Cyrus, Dolly Parton and Post Malone.
“II MOST WANTED,” a heartwarming ode to friendship and loyalty featuring Cyrus, reminds me of the days in my childhood I spent watching “Hannah Montana” and drinking Capri-Suns. Picking one of America’s biggest childhood stars with country roots as her first duet on the album might have been one of the best strategies Beyoncé implemented throughout this album.
Following this track, “LEVII’S JEANS” stands out as the unforeseen sunny outcast on this album. With roots in Texas, Post Malone is not unfamiliar with the country genre, and this track is one of his first career encounters with country music. Honestly, I would be excited to hear more. There is such an effortless, yet passionate aura in this song, and each artist feeds off the other as the song progresses.
Beyoncé does not stop at those impressive duets. Paying homage to the trailblazers that paved the way for her presence in country, she features Country Music Hall of Famer Willie Nelson in two interludes, “SMOKE HOUR ★ WILLIE NELSON” and “SMOKE HOUR II.”
Nelson, one of the founders of the outlaw country genre, played a vital role in the progression of country music and facilitated smooth transitions at key points in the album.
Beyonce also features beloved country icon Dolly Parton on an interlude “DOLLY P” and then again on her single “TYRANT.”
She features yet another revolutionary idol, Linda Martell — the first Black woman to perform on the Grand Ole Opry stage — on an interlude named after her, “THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW.”
The artist also samples “Oh Louisiana” by Chuck Berry on an interlude of the same name. Berry’s contributions to country and rock music created spaces for more Black artists to defy the odds and continue to grow their platforms.
With themes of rebirth, Beyoncé includes several covers and samples that knocked the boots right off my feet on “COWBOY CARTER.”
“BLACKBIIRD,” a reworked version of “Blackbird” by The Beatles, is the second song on this album and first cover of this album, followed the song we were all waiting for: “JOLENE,” a cover of the legendary tale sung by Parton. Beyoncé’s majestic rendition of this song maintains its elegance and allure while adding a new assertive spin to the original narrative.
On her fun, upbeat song “YA YA,” the singer samples Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots are Made for Walking” as well as The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations.” She also samples other influential artists, such as Patsy Cline and Fleetwood Mac. In short, Beyoncé’s covers and samples balance the scales of respecting the foundations with her fresh perspective to create these singles.
As Beyoncé guides us through her impressive tracklist, she characterizes the grit and the Southern origins of this album with her graphics.
One symbolic graphic was the flashing neon signs on tracks “FLAMENCO” and “LEVII’S JEANS.” These graphics reference the older architecture of country honky-tonk bars located throughout the American South. Alongside these graphics, Beyoncé picked a plethora of graphics that symbolize the South, like empty glass bottles on a gravel road and rain dripping on an old cigarette-filled ashtray.
Beyoncé continues to prove that she is not just a singer, but also an artist dedicated to her passion.
Amid all her creative choices, my favorite will always be the lyrical techniques and harmonious aptitude of this piece. Beyoncé opens the album strongly with “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” a piece focused on withstanding adversity in a place determined to remain the same. She sings “Hello, my old friend / You change your name but not the ways you play pretend / American Requiem / Them big ideas (Yeah) are buried here (Yeah) / Amen.”
This opening piece signifies the meaning of this album and the reasons she decided to make “COWBOY CARTER.” These lyrics reference the covert, as well as overt, racism that she faced when she initially attempted to dabble in the country genre. Beyoncé called out America for founding itself on liberty and individuality while simultaneously restricting Black artists from expressing their individuality.
Two TikTok viral singles from “COWBOY CARTER” made history in February 2024, with Beyoncé being the first Black woman to top the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart. “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” held the No. 1 slot and “16 Carriages” also held the No. 9 slot. Undoubtedly, Beyoncé defied all odds and expectations with this album while respecting the origins of her newfound success in this genre.
