Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, the music industry's reigning queen, has officially saddled up for a ride through the country landscape with her latest album, "Cowboy Carter." According to The Austin American Statesman, this comes as Beyoncé's second act of her "Renaissance" album series, released in the midnight hours of March 29, and has already gathered a herd of fans ready to stampede through its 27 tracks.
While Beyoncé claimed that she did not aim to create a traditional country album, the influence is undeniable with names like Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus, and Dolly Parton lining the roster. Dolly Parton herself seemingly let the cat out of the bag earlier this month, hinting to Knox News, as reported by The Austin American Statesman, "Well, I think she has! I think she's recorded 'Jolene,' and I think it's probably gonna be on her country album, which I'm very excited about that." "Cowboy Carter" also features Rhiannon Giddens picking the banjo, and Robert Randolph sliding on the steel guitar, giving it a touch of authentically country instrumentation.
Not surprisingly, the excitement surrounding the album's release has sent stars and fans alike to feverishly post Western-themed snaps all over social media. But let us not forget, it was no easy road to get to this point. In a statement obtained by CBS News, Beyoncé revealed the deeper, rootsy inspiration behind the album, "With artificial intelligence and digital filters and programming, I wanted to go back to real instruments, and I used very old ones," she said. "All the sounds were so organic and human, everyday things like the wind, snaps and even the sound of birds and chickens, the sounds of nature."
The album's promising debut has already galloped to the No. 2 spot on Apple Music, a testament to Beyoncé's versatile artistry. "I think people are going to be surprised because I don't think this music is what everyone expects," Beyoncé foretold in a statement obtained by CBS News. "But it's the best music I've ever made." Her lead single "Texas Hold 'Em" not only struck gold by charting atop Billboard's Hot 100 for country music but also made Beyoncé the first Black woman to top the country music charts. A feat to be acknowledged, given the music industry's complex relationship with race and genre.
Lacing up her boots for a challenge, this isn't Beyoncé's first rodeo with criticisms of crossing into the country domain. The memory of her 2016 performance at the Country Music Awards with The Chicks (formerly Dixie Chicks) could easily have been a bitter experience that spurred her to take on this project with an unparalleled drive."I think she's recorded 'Jolene,' and I think it's probably gonna be on her country album, which I'm very excited about that," Dolly Parton told Knox News, in a discussion that was referenced by The Austin American Statesman, foreshadowing a collaboration that brings together timeless country flair with modern-day pop sensibility.
The album has seen its share of controversy too. "Texas Hold 'Em" stirred a raucous last month when an Oklahoma country music station initially refused to air it. After an overwhelming response from fans, the station buckled and eventually added the song to its roster, with general manager Roger Harris conceding to CBS News, "we listened to the song and agreed that it sounded 'country.'" This episode perhaps underlines the album's power to defy expectations and bridge cultural divides, and, in the true style of Beyoncé, to keep the world watching, listening, and most importantly, talking.
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