Beyoncé embraces her Texan roots by wearing a cowgirl-inspired look on the cover of her latest album. Photo courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment.
GWEN PAVICH | STAFF REPORTER | gpavich@butler.edu
The worldwide pop sensation Beyoncé has once again exceeded fans’ expectations with her latest album, “Cowboy Carter“. Following the massive commercial success of her previous releases, Beyoncé took a leap into uncharted territory.
“Cowboy Carter” was released on Friday, March 29. This album is stylistically different from her previous releases. It blends several styles of music including country, folk, rock, zydeco, blues and R&B.
Anticipation of “Cowboy Carter”
As “Cowboy Carter” was nearing its release date, fans were filled with excitement, as well as speculation about how the album would actually turn out. Across social media platforms, discussions ran rampant as her fans, otherwise known as the Beyhive, dissected every teaser and snippet released by Beyoncé’s team.
Opinions among fans regarding the direction of “Cowboy Carter” varied widely. Some speculated that the album would depart from Beyoncé’s typical R&B and dance-pop style, anticipating a venture into country music given the title of the album and the singles’ release. Other fans pondered on potential themes, which ranged from empowerment and social commentary to personal narratives because of how Beyoncé tends to weave storytelling into her music.
In Beyoncé’s Instagram post announcing the cover for “Cowboy Carter”, she explained her intentions in creating this album. She discussed how the album was “born out of an experience that [she] had years ago where [she] did not feel welcomed.” This hinted towards Beyoncé’s performance at the 2016 CMAs with the Dixie Chicks, now known as the Chicks. Beyoncé was faced with racist backlash following the performance, and the CMAs ended up removing posts of the performance on their platforms as well. Beyoncé further explains in her Instagram post that this album was created to both reclaim and honor the roots of country music, as it was a genre founded by Black musicians.
“Cowboy Carter” highlights
According to Spotify, within one day this album became the platform’s most-streamed album of 2024 thus far. Amazon Music also announced that the album serves as Beyoncé’s biggest debut on the platform.
The singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” were both released during Super Bowl Sunday, on February 11, prior to the album’s full release. These singles provided fans with a sneak peek of how Beyoncé was able to blend several genres together in her songs.
“Texas Hold ‘Em'” seamlessly blends elements of country with a slight pop and alternative feel, which transports listeners to the heart of Texas. The song’s infectious rhythm, coupled with Beyoncé’s powerful vocals, makes this single a dance-floor anthem.
“16 Carriages” on the other hand provides listeners with a message of resilience and determination. This country ballad takes listeners through Beyoncé’s journey when she was a young artist, and all of the obstacles she had to overcome to become the successful artist she is today.
The album also features several covers as well. These covers include The Beatles’ “Blackbird”, Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and Chuck Berry’s “Oh Louisiana”. Beyoncé’s cover of “Blackbird“, by Paul McCartney, showcases her soulful vocals against an acoustic guitar sound. McCartney stated that the song was inspired by the Little Rock Nine, who were a group of African American students who were prominent faces of the fight to desegregate public schools in the United States. Beyoncé’s inclusion of this cover in her album is impactful because it represents the struggles and adversity that Black individuals still face years after the song was originally released.
In “Blackbiird” as well as “Spaghettii” and “Just for Fun”, Beyoncé collaborates with many Black country artists. These artists include Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, Shaboozey and Willie Jones. Popular artists such as Miley Cyrus and Post Malone were also collaborators on “Cowboy Carter”.
Audiences are able to connect with many of Beyoncé’s original songs and covers on an emotional level. Beyoncé’s masterful storytelling and captivating performances shown through all of the songs in her album show that Beyoncé is still one of the most influential artists of her generation.
The impact of “Cowboy Carter”
Upon its release, “Cowboy Carter” skyrocketed to the top of the charts, which further proves Beyoncé’s status as one of the most influential artists of her generation. With its genre-defying sound and powerful lyricism, the album has garnered widespread acclaim from fans and critics alike.
In its first week alone, “Cowboy Carter” racked up over 100 million streams on Spotify. With rumors of a world tour on the horizon, fans can rest assured that Beyoncé’s journey is far from over.
“Cowboy Carter” is available now on all major streaming platforms and in stores.
