Beyoncé’s “COWBOY CARTER” is an absolute must-listen
March 29, 2024–the fateful day when THE Beyoncé dropped her highly anticipated new album, COWBOY CARTER. So many thoughts were running through my mind, as a proud member of the Beyhive, she can do no wrong. But, I was the tiniest bit hesitant about the concept of a country-country, yee-haw, buck-riding rodeo album. But immediately upon pressing play on the album, it’s quickly established that this album is none of that sort.
The album was first teased during a Super Bowl commercial in collaboration with Verizon. In 2016, Beyoncé famously announced her Formation World Tour in a Super Bowl commercial, so she’s no stranger to utilizing this event to bring awareness to upcoming projects (Goodman). The commercial shows Beyoncé “Breaking the Internet” through creative stunts like hosting a Lemonade Stand inspired by her “Sorry” music video, “yoncéB'' a saxophone musician, “BeyoncAI” an AI robot Beyoncé, “BarBey” a Beyoncé Barbie-Doll, running for “BOTUS” or Beyoncé of the United States, and being the first woman to “perform” music in a spaceship. All amazing potential ways to break the internet, but what truly broke the internet was her final line…“They ready. Drop the new music.” Upon the conclusion of the commercial, it only took a few minutes to release the two lead singles on streaming platforms, sending shockwaves across the music industry and happy chaos amongst Beyoncé fans (“Can’t B Broken”).
COWBOY CARTER marks a monumental moment in the music industry. Not only were the two lead singles for the album, “TEXAS HOLD ‘’EM” and “16 CARRIAGES” absolutely stunning pieces of work, but they skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, with “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” holding the top spot for 10 weeks (“Hot Country Songs”). It was recently dethroned by Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” but this was the first time in Billboard history any Black woman held the No.1 spot. Let me say that again. She made history by being the first Black woman to hold that top spot on the Billboard charts. It’s mind-boggling the cultural power this woman has and will continue to produce (Brockington).
After shattering the internet and charts, the announcement was made that COWBOY CARTER, the second act of her three-act trilogy, would be released on March 29th. Fans began to decode the placement of the first act, RENAISSANCE which was released on July 29th, 2022, a mere year and a half earlier than Act II, and their relation to one another. In a press release, Beyoncé revealed to fans that COWBOY CARTER was originally intended to be released before RENAISSANCE, saying “I was initially going to put ‘Cowboy Carter’ out first, but with the pandemic, there was too much heaviness in the world. We wanted to dance. We deserved to dance. But I had to trust God’s timing” and that’s exactly what she did by releasing an album that is pure Dance music styles (House and Disco)--to honor Black and Queer trailblazers of those genres who came before her (Horowitz). Beyoncé also mentions how “this album took over five years,” and how she was inspired to create the album by a moment where she did not feel welcomed in a space–alluding to her Country Music Awards performance of “Daddy Lessons” from her Lemonade album with country legends, The Chicks, where some folks became outraged at the choice to have a Black woman perform at the awards ceremony of a white-dominated genre (Horowitz). The performance was later taken down from their website, attempting to erase her set in response to the backlash–a racially motivated attack in silencing her performance.
This ousting of Beyoncé from the CMA website is quite ironic as country music was birthed out of Black culture. As LMarilyn Crawford from Black Enterprise describes, “Country music, often associated with rural America and the heartland, has deep roots in African American culture. Its origins can be traced back to the African American musical traditions of blues, gospel, and folk music.” Crawford also writes that “One of the most notable contributions to country music from the black community is the influence of the banjo, an instrument with West African origins,” highlighting how deeply entwined the growth of country music is from the impact of Black culture (Crawford). Even the well-known pop-culture figure, a “cowboy,” stems from a derogatory term used to describe former slaves as “boys,” who were the most skilled at handling cattle and horses, and lived in rural areas. The term “cattlemen'' also has a history deeply intertwined with the experiences of slaves and Black men in the South, which was later adapted into daily language to describe someone who works with cattle on farms (Crawford).
Beyoncé strategically named her album COWBOY CARTER in recognition of the original cowboys of America from the South and West, whom she describes as “the true definition of Western fortitude” and brings awareness to racist associations with the term “cowboy,” reclaiming it for herself as one of empowerment (Parkwood Entertainment). Another way this album is about reclamation is in her song from the album “YA YA,” where she spells out her name letter for letter, but with one minute detail that makes a huge difference. She switched the “O” with an “I” in Beyoncé, to spell “Beyincé.” This choice honors her mother, Tina Knowles, whose maiden last name was Beyoncé. But, in her family, the hospital misspelled some of her siblings’ last names on their birth certificates and wrote an “I” instead of an “O” (Jeffrey). Beyoncé found out this information and decided to honor her legacy, even posting to Instagram a photo of herself wearing a red, white, and blue banner that spelled out “act ii Beyincé” which fans thought was a misspelling to her reassurance that the letter change was intentional.
From the starting track of “AMERIICAN REQUIEM” she immediately sets the tone of the album with a purpose, with lyrics like “They used to say I spoke ‘too country.’ And the rejection came, said I wasn’t ‘country’ ‘nough,” calling out years of controversy and critics claiming Beyoncé wasn’t country enough because she had historically been making pop and R&B music throughout her career despite her being born in Houston, Texas. With these subtle jabs at the country music industry, you had to buckle up your seatbelt, cause this was about to be a ride!
Throughout the album, Beyoncé collaborates with current, up-and-coming Black country artists who are the future of the country genre. Artists like Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera
Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts on the cover of “BLACKBIIRD,” a Beatles classic recorded from the inspiration of young black women during the civil rights movement. Shaboozey, a singer and rapper forefront in bridging rap and country, in “SPAGHETTII” and “SWEET ★ HONEY★ BUCKIIN’.” She also honors Linda Martell, the first commercially successful Black woman in country music on “SPAGHETTII” and “THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW.” And what else would be a country album than with an homage to Dolly Parton, who is featured on “DOLLY P” and “TYRANT” and gets a reimagined cover of her hit song “Jolene” on the album. She also collaborates with Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, and her daughter, Rumi Carter. Beyoncé spotlights the new wave of Black country musicians, lifting their names and recognition for their newfound impact on the genre.
The album perfectly blends the worlds of pop, rock, alternative, country, and rap, uniquely defying the sociological categorization we tend to place artists in. In an Instagram post from Beyoncé, she confidently shares, “This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album” showcasing how this isn’t just one boxed genre but rather a blend of cultures and sounds to produce this work (“act ii”). She did not skip a beat. From top to bottom, the 27-track album ebbs and flows through songs and interludes effortlessly making the album feel timeless, continuing to showcase what an album should be–an entire top-to-body work of cohesive tracks.
A couple of my standouts from the album (which is impossible to pick a couple), are 1) “BODYGUARD” which is the perfect summer jam. The guitar, simple drums, and harmonies backing her warm vocals make the track feel like you are on a drive to the beach with your best friends, an epitome of what it means to feel alive. 2) “II HANDS II HEAVEN,” listening to the build-up from the start with her vocals and increased energy throughout the song is magical. The first half is dancey and groovin' and then transitions into a part that slows down into a raw and vulnerable side of her emotions. It’s one of those songs where you sit in silence and shake your head back and forth, thinking, “How does one create this masterpiece?” 3) “SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN’” is a three-for-one song with each segment having a unique sound. You first hear Shaboozey’s vocals on the SWEET portion of the track with 808s, raunchy tempo, and looping vocals in the background, making you want to nod and move your hips. It slows down for HONEY with soulful vocals, it’s the shortest portion of the song with a cutesy, lovey-dovey vibe. Then BAM, BUCKIIN’ this beat drop needs to be clinically studied. To go into this 808-packed, horse-shoe clacking, banjo-playing, air-horn crazy mesh of sounds and vocals to create such a masterpiece that throws you for a loop, but in the best way possible.
My favorite track on the album (at this moment) is hands-down “TYRANT” featuring Dolly Parton. I don’t want to spoil too much of this song, but when I tell you it is Godly, I mean it. The track is produced by David “DA” Dorman, a frequent collaborator on many famous rappers' tracks. To hear his producer tag upon the beat drop into this hard fiddle and kick drum beat is iconic. I cannot wait to return to my car in Minneapolis and bump it through my Mazda’s speakers–full volume without remorse.
Beyoncé’s eighth studio album is an absolute must-listen. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of country music, give it a chance. It truly doesn’t belong in one category. It is rap. It is country. It is R&B. It is pop. It is simply Beyoncé, a trailblazer in anything she does, you can truly feel the love and effort she put into honoring the impact of Black culture on country music. COWBOY CARTER, you are a masterpiece. Trust me, I will be at the concert (please announce it soon Beyoncé, I'm begging) sporting my best flare jeans and boot combo!
