As Beyoncé declared in a recent Instagram post, “This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, known as the iconic, 32-time Grammy-winning mega popstar, has recently shifted genres with her newest album, “Cowboy Carter,” released on March 29.
Beyoncé’s new album is not only a move into country but proves in the 27-track release that she is the genre’s newest champion.
In doing so, she also became the first Black woman to ever top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” one of the singles on the album. The song currently has 29 million streams and counting.
However, Beyoncé’s album is more than just country. During the album’s whopping one-hour and 18-minute duration, she engages with opera and classic rock as well.
On her country-esque tracks, she added unique twists to the mainstream country sound many of her fans expected. There are trap beats, some rap, and interludes.
The album also features iconic country stars Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, and even Linda Martell, a Black country star who has been absent from the scene since the 1970s. These features make “Cowboy Carter” even more iconic. How can you top a Dolly Parton cameo?
Beyoncé’s cover of Parton’s 1973 hit “Jolene” was one of the album’s highlights and, combined with Parton’s introduction in “Dolly P,” I believe this song will become a classic for years to come.
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Some other amazing songs from the album are “16 Carriages” and “Ya Ya.” These songs are great as they mix classic Beyoncé with just a dash of country.
Everything about this album was undoubtedly made by Queen Bey with care: the vocals, the order of the songs, and the lyrics themselves are some of her best work. Beyoncé’s strong voice offers a contrast to the soft strumming of the guitar, adding to the complexity of the album’s frequent genre-shifting.
Each song includes hints of classic Beyoncé, so while “Cowboy Carter” is a country album, any Beyoncé fan will find something to enjoy about this as well.