It's officially time to get up! A little more than a month after making a big shift in country music with the releases of “Texas Hold'Em” and “16 Carriages,” Beyoncé has finally unveiled the official album art for her upcoming LP. Cowboy Carter.
A clear continuation of Renaissance aesthetics, the album cover for Cowboy Carter finds Queen Bey striking a regal pose while perched atop a stunning white horse. She wears red, white and blue beanies, a simple white cowboy hat and flowing platinum blonde locks as she raises the American flag. Like Renaissance album art, the background is completely black — except for the slightly lit dirt road at the bottom of the frame.
Queen Bey shared the Cowboy Carter The album cover on her official Instagram page on Tuesday (March 19). In her lengthy caption, she detailed the inspiration behind her new record, which has been “five years” in the making. Cowboy Carter is the official follow-up to 2022's Billboard 200-topping Renaissance — a sprawling dance record that won four Grammys, hosted a pair of Billboard Hot 10 top 10 hits in “Break My Soul” (No. 1) and “Cuff It” (No. 6) and spawned a record-breaking world tour and accompanying box office top concert documentary.
“This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience I had years ago where I didn't feel welcome…and it was very clear that I wasn't,” she wrote, possibly referring to her experience performing the country anthem “Daddy Lessons” at the 2016 CMA Awards with The Chicks. “But because of this experience, I took a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich music archive. It's great to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives to educating our musical history.”
To top off 2024, Beyoncé released a pair of country singles during the Super Bowl. Along with “16 Carriages,” a gorgeous ballad that rocked the American girl's head, Queen Bey released “Texas Hold'Em,” an irresistible country-pop tune that made her both the first black woman to top Hot Country as well as the first black woman at the top. Hot 100 with a country song. Despite the commercial success of “Texas,” Beyoncé did face some criticism from genre players—one country radio station even initially refused to play it, but even they couldn't resist “Texas.”
“The criticism I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to push past the limitations that were placed on me,” he continued. “[Act II] it is a result of challenging myself and my time to bend and combine genres together to create this work. I have a few surprises on the album and I've worked with some brilliant artists that I respect deeply. I hope you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion I put into every detail and every sound.”
In her message, Beyoncé highlighted both Cowboy Carter is “a continuation of Renaissance” and recognized it Advertising sign chart history he made with “Texas Hold'Em.” “I feel honored to be the first black woman with a number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart,” she said. “This would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. I hope that years from now, mentioning an artist's race as it relates to the release of music will be irrelevant.”
While Queen Bey has kept the Cowboy Carter graphics with a lock — just like he did with Renaissance — the album cover reveal is a step in that direction. In fact, Beyoncé's post coincides with the 10-day countdown to its release Cowboy Carter — which is currently scheduled to drop on March 29.
“This is not a country album. This is a 'Beyoncé' album,” she stated at the end of her message. “This is Act II COWBOY CARTER, and I'm proud to share it with you!”
Look at Beyoncé Cowboy Carter album art below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/country/beyonce-cowboy-carter-album-cover-art-1235636280/
