Houston’s beloved Beyoncé released “COWBOY CARTER” last week and there is so much to uncover in the 27-song country-focused album.
The album starts off slow with songs like “AMERIICAN REQUIEM” and “BLACKBIIRD” paying homage to the country genre with sharp guitar strums and fun little drum kicks combined with Beyoncé raspy drawl. “BLACKBIIRD,” a song originally written by Paul McCartney, got recognition from the former Beatle on social media.
The album then transitions into a more upbeat tracklist after “MY ROSE” with the title track “TEXAS HOLD EM’” stealing the thunder.
The Houston native’s rendition of “JOLENE” originally performed by Dolly Parton was a nice surprise and seems like the perfect song to cover considering the vibe of the album. Her song featuring Dolly Parton, however, seems to take on a more R&B, upbeat and pop feel. It feels more like Beyoncé’s roots amidst all the country-esque songs.
The other notable artists like Miley Cyrus and Post Malone seem like unlikely additions, but “II MOST WANTED” and “LEVII’S JEANS” resonated more with the younger generation who grew up watching Hannah Montana and playing “Sunflower” on repeat.
“YA YA” is by far the most unforgettable song on the album, poking at America’s issues in its lyrics yet embodying flirty and sensual undertones. She talks about all the red spilled in America’s red, white and blue, working overtime to make ends meet and makes several political references to American history.
With the amount of songs on the album, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the new content. The album could have benefited from a shorter tracklist but if there’s one thing about Beyoncé it’s that she will get things done her way.
Some might argue that her album isn’t “real country” but with the way music has evolved throughout the decades, it embodies it perfectly. It still carries the instrumental sounds of country but Beyoncé did an excellent job of embedding her sound into the album.
For example “RIVERDANCE” is one of the songs on the album that has the beat of country music but her voice brings a modern, sophisticated tone to the song. Beyoncé is all about creating music you can dance to and this song has the perfect rhythm to do so.
Overall, “COWBOY CARTER” has taken the internet by storm with Beyoncé’s rendition of what country music means to her. After facing backlash from the country music scene, this album showed that she does have a place in the country music charts. If they still think there is no place for Beyoncé in country spaces, she sure as hell created her own.
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