This was previously published in our April 2024 issue.
Per usual, Queen Bey is dropping hits and taking names — this time with her hot new country album “Cowboy Carter.” Surprising her audiences with the new sound, Beyoncé became the first Black female artist with a number one country song for “Texas Hold ‘Em.” The first single to be released from the album has been streamed on Spotify over 200 million times after its release during the Superbowl on Feb. 11. Beyoncé dropped the full album on March 29, and it is part two in her album series named after the first album, “Renaissance,” which came out in 2022.
We all know Beyoncé’s classic “Houston, Texas, baby,” line, and her soulful voice hailing from the Lone Star State — but what was unexpected from the Queen this year was a one-album genre change. Beyoncé’s typical pop and R&B style sound (following her departure from trio “Destiny’s Child”) has been in our ears since the 1990s, but we hadn’t heard her come back to her Texas roots until this year.
With 27 songs, “Cowboy Carter” is a powerhouse of country hits. Beyoncé featured several artists on the album as well, including Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Linda Martell, Miley Cyrus, Shaboozey, Willie Jones, and even her daughter Rumi Carter. In addition to featuring massive artists, Beyoncé also covers widely popular songs with her own unique twist, even changing up the titles to match the aesthetic of the album and its representation as act II in the “Renaissance” project. These covers include “Blackbiird,” her take on the Beatles’ classic song “Blackbird” and “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, who earned the name of Beyoncé’s track “Dolly P” on the album, which the country icon sang on.
Taking the world by storm was the first on the album to come out. Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” is a tune you’re sure to grab your cowboy boots and stomp along to. Featuring a gentle, classic acoustic guitar part and Queen B’s sultry voice, it’s no wonder why the song became so popular seemingly overnight. TikTok users are loving the intro line, “This ain’t Texas/Ain’t no hold ‘em,” the most, putting it to their own funny ideas in short videos.
“16 Carriages” is one of the most beautiful songs off the new release, with the lyrics “Sixteen carriages drivin’ away/While I watch them ride with my fears away/To the summer sunset on a holy night/On a long back road, all the tears I fight,” focusing on Beyoncé’s life as a touring artist and the hard work she pours into her music.
Songs like “Bodyguard” bring a different theme to the album, as Beyoncé sings about love — likely in reference to her husband, rapper Jay-Z, who helped co-write several of the songs on the new album.
The music itself, however, is not the only important part of the groundbreaking new release. The country genre is predominately made up of white men, but Beyoncé has stepped in with guns blazing. Though her country sound may be short-lived with only one album, her music has soared to the top of the country music charts. Fans and critics alike can only hope to see more Beyoncé in the country world in years to come.
