When Beyoncé released her seventh album, Renaissancein 2022, billed as Act I a three-part project. After a few listens to the rich, star-studded dance pop epic, the conversation naturally turned to a question: What will Act II and Act III sounds like; Anyone betting on a country record was likely pleased when, during the Super Bowl in February, Beyoncé dropped “Texas Hold 'Em” and “16 Carriages,” two songs that transported her straight from Studio 54 to the Bluebird Cafe . Now, Beyoncé is out Cowboy Carter, a record that uses country as a springboard to explore vintage Nashville sounds, classic rock, contemporary rap and R&B, all while interrogating cultural ideas of “Americanness.” It's not an unprecedented move: The centerpiece of 2016 Lemonade was the haunting bluegrass jam 'Daddy Lessons' and, years earlier, had a hit with the timeless country-R&B crossover”Irreplaceable.”
Cowboy Carter is a massive 80-minute odyssey that uses the conceit of a fictional country radio station called KNTRY to dive into a handful of different styles and work with notables like Willie Nelson, who hosts a show called Smoke time, and Black Country icon Linda Martell. It's a lot to take in, and it's often a blast. Here are seven things that stand out on first listen.
A light shines in the Black Country
Beyoncé has said that his creation Cowboy Carter was inspired by “an experience I had years ago where I didn't feel welcome,” with most assuming she was referring to her 2016 CMA performance of “Daddy Lessons” with the Chicks. The Nashville establishment has long been hostile to outsiders and black country stars, despite the long, rich history of black country music. On Cowboy CarterBeyoncé attempts to trace Black Country's lineage from legends like Linda Martell—the first Black woman to play the Grand Ole Opry, featured on “Spaghettii” and “The Linda Martell Show”—through young Black Country artists like Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts and Tiera Kennedy, appearing on a cover of The Beatles' “Blackbird,” and Virginia country-rap artist Shaboozey, appearing on “Spaghettii” and “Sweet ★ Honey ★ Buckiin “.
Beyoncefying the Classics
The direct ones flip Cowboy Carter are reinterpretations of two of pop's most enduring classics: The Beatles' 'Blackbird' and Dolly Parton's 'Jolene'. The first, a straight cover, is an opportunity to showcase the divine voices of Adell, Spencer, Roberts and Kennedy. The latter is a little more distinctive: Beyoncé adds new lyrics to the original, turning it into the kind of fiery rebuke that would fit Lemonade. As if to fend off skepticism from country purists, Beyoncé's “Jolene” is introduced by Parton herself, who nods to “Sorry” during a spoken break: “You know that good hair craze that you've been singing about ; She reminded me of someone I knew when, aside from having auburn hair, she was blessing her heart. It's just different colored hair, but it hurts just the same.”
Elsewhere, on the raucous “Ya Ya,” Beyoncé samples Nancy Sinatra's “These Boots Were Made for Walkin'” and interjects the Beach Boys' “Good Vibrations.”
from our partners at https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/takeaways-from-beyonce-new-album-cowboy-carter
