Written by Cecile Lessard and Javier Hills
Beyoncé’s eighth studio album is officially here, and it’s proof of her phenomenal artistry and musical skill. The genre-bending and blending make for a country album like no other.
Cowboy Carter has arrived in full glory. Beyonce has crafted a phenomenal album, collaborating with music legends and showcasing her vocal ability.
By releasing this album, Beyonce has made a statement. In a red-white-and-blue outfit, high-heeled boots, and a sash that reads “Cowboy Carter,” she’s a pageant queen claiming her nation. This album is a part of her identity as a Southern woman, and she is not going to let anyone take that away from her.
This idea is executed so well in track 1, Ameriican Requiem. When I pressed play on the album for the first time, my attention was captured immediately. The choir of Beyonce’s layered vocals calls out everyone questioning her with the lyrics “Used to say I spoke ‘too country’/And the rejection came, said I wasn’t country ’nough/Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but/If that ain’t country, tell me what is?”
Beyonce has said that this album is based on “an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcome,” and is especially evident in Ameriican Requiem. It’s been assumed that Beyonce has been talking about her performance in 2016 and the Country Music Awards with The Chicks. Together, they sang a duet to Beyonces first country record Daddy Lessons.
Let me say this: that duet was amazing, and Beyonces status as ‘country’ shouldn’t ever be questioned after she was able to put on such an amazing performance with the iconic country girl group The Chicks. Now, with Cowboy Carter, she’s only further proving her roots.
Other songs to look out for on the album are all the features! Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, and Shaboozey all collaborated with Beyonce. Track 4, Protector, even feature Beyonces daughter Rumi Carter. Rumi is now the youngest person to ever chart on the Billboard Hot 100, taking the spot from older sister Blue Ivy.
I’m a huge fan of Miley and Beyonces song II Most Wanted. Featuring two of music’s most amazing voices, this song was sure to be a hit. The soft guitar plucks echo the style of Fleetwood Mac, with production to rival any country artist of today.
The outlaw type of love II Most Wanted portrays is one to rival Bonnie and Clyde. Miley and Beyonce’s voices blend in epic harmony, outrunning time for the sake of passion, “I’ll be your shotgun rider ’til the day I die / Smoke out the window flyin’ down the 405 / And I’ll be your backseat baby / Drivin’ you crazy anytime you like.”
The Post Malone collaboration Leviis Jeans is one I was never expecting, but was pleasantly surprised. Still, even after I’ve listened about 100 times, it’s shocking to hear Beyonce and Post Malone singing this steamy duet.
“You call me pretty little thing/ And I love to turn him on/ Boy, I’ll let you be my Levi’s jeans/ So you can hug that a– all day long,” Beyoncé sings, with Post Malone jumping in with“Come here, you sexy little thing/ Snap a picture, bring it on/ Oh, girl, I wish I was your Levi’s jeans/ The way you poppin’ out my phone/ I love you down to the bone.”
I love this song, and I think the only reason there’s some discourse online over it is that people can’t get past Post Malone singing to Beyonce about how nice her jeans fit. But everyone should love this song, if not for the collab, for the meaning. Levi’s was the only company that would dress Destiny’s Child.
Historically, Black artists have faced hardships in accessing major fashion houses. Despite the group’s rising success in the 90s, securing attention from big fashion brands remained a struggle. Destiny’s Child caught the eye of Levi’s Jeans, leading to an iconic collaboration as the faces of Levi’s “Low Rise Jeans” campaign. Leviis Jeans serves as an ode to the brand that has shown her love since the beginning.
The album has come at the perfect time, as Western wear is at the top of all trends right now. At the beginning of the year, Levi’s announced cost cuts due to a drop in sales By the beginning of April, only weeks after the songs’ release, Levi’s shares were up as much as 18%, according to reports by Bloomberg. Beyonce is not only running the music industry but has now expanded her reach to fashion.
Another track with a deeper meaning is Blackbiird. Paying homage to the Beatles’ 1968 hit, Beyonce has released a spectacular rendition.
In Barry Miles’ 1997 biography of McCartney, McCartney says “a Black woman” was his source of inspiration for Blackbird. Black musicians have long used the symbol of the blackbird to describe their careers, and now Beyonce has reinforced that idea by choosing to include the voices of four other Black female country singers. Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts create a wonderful blend of powerful voices in the song.
In an Instagram post by McCartney, he called Beyonce’s cover a “magnificent version” that “reinforces the civil rights message that inspired me to write the song in the first place.”
Other songs you should be sure to listen to on the album are Alliigator Tears and Amen. These songs have changed my perception of Beyonce as a whole, and I physically need to hear them at least three times a day.
Please take note that we’ve chosen not to talk about the cover of Dolly Parton’s Jolene on Cowboy Carter because Beyonce’s version is inevitably about Jay-Z. Honestly, we just can’t see anyone really wanting to steal him from Beyonce, and therefore the song means zilch.
As the album continues, the lines of genre begin to blur. As Beyonce samples Linda Martell, “Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they…In theory, they have a simple definition that’s easy to understand, But in practice, well, some may feel confined”. This can be seen in the song Sphagettii, which is a pure hip-hop song. Produced by the legendary producer Swizz Beatz, the song features Beyonce rapping throughout, only singing the hook. The song also has a feature from singer and rapper Shaboozey.
The blend of genres can be also seen in Tyrant, featuring Dolly Parton. The song starts as a simple country song but then enters the realm of hip-hop, with producer D.A. got that dope behind the production. Throughout the whole song, we hear the violin, a clear signifier of country songs but with hi-hats that wouldn’t sound so far off on a hip-hop song.
The blend of genres can be best seen SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN’. Here is a three-part song, each occupying a different space. The first part, Sweet, is similar to the rest of the album with a more country tinge. She even interpolates the opening lines of I Fall to Pieces by Patsy Cline. In the second part, Honey switches the song to a much more R&B style, with Beyonce pitching her vocals up. However, the song abruptly changes to the most hip-hop the album has sounded, with Beyonce doing a faux-rap by the end. Clocking in at only a little under 5 minutes, the song crams a lot into a little. If this sounds like a mess it is, but somehow it all comes together by the end. Although a part of this can be accredited to the fantastic production of Pharell, the main reason is the confidence Beyonce has while changing genres.
Right before the album was released, it was stated that every song on the album was a “reimagined Western film” with each song taking inspiration from a different Western. Some of the more recent movies like Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight along with Jeymes Samuel’s The Harder They Fall. However, some of these inspirations also include Space Cowboys by Clint Eastwood and Urban Cowboy by James Pasadena. Similar to the album itself, the wide variety of inspirations only adds to the deep beauty of the album.
To try and divert the fact that they’re actually being kind of racist, a lot of critics are complaining about Beyonces genre shift with Cowboy Carter.
Throughout history, artists have been switching up their signature sound. Miley Cyrus went from country to pop. Lady Gaga is embracing some jazzy sound and ditching her hyper-pop phase. David Bowie went from rock to glam to more rock. Turn on a Queen album and hit shuffle, and you’ll hear the entire spectrum of classic rock music. Donna Summer was known for being disco royalty but later switched to a more RNB/pop style. Taylor Swift has covered the bases of pop, country, and a more indie/singer-songwriter feel.
So all the haters – please leave Queen Bey alone. If you don’t like her, fine! But you can’t say she’s not country. If you’re mad at her for switching up her style a little bit, try and re-listen with an open mind. And a sparkly cowboy hat.