On March 24, Beyonce released her long-awaited album, “Cowboy Carter,” which consists of 27 tracks. This album is a sequel to her award-winning album, “Renaissance.” The album has been receiving mixed thoughts from both fans and critics. The album is different from her others because it features a unique blend of country and hip-hop music, which has some fans unsure about the direction of Beyonce’s music. But many have applauded the album for its bold experimentation and boundary-pushing sound. This album is one of her bests because it celebrates the beauty of country music while breaking down barriers and expanding its horizons.
In the album, she infuses both rap and hip-hop with country to show how broad the genre can be. Furthermore, she expands it by including snippets of narrating from classic country stars like Willy Nelson, Dolly Parton, along with newer black country singers including Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, Tiera Kennedy, Willie Jones and Shaboozey.
The opening track of the album is called “American Requiem”. In this song, Beyoncé’s background ad libs are louder and are used to establish the message of freedom for herself: “Can we stand for something/ Now is the time to face the wind.” The track also serves as a narration of her unpleasant experience at the 2016 Country Music Awards. In 2016, Beyoncé performed her song “Daddy Lessons” at the Country Music Awards with The Chicks, a country music band. Although her performance received many applause and contributed to some of the most-watched minutes of a CMA awards in the show’s history, it also saw harsh backlash from some country music fans who claimed to not understand why she was invited to perform at the awards show. She states, “They used to say I spoke too country/And the rejection came said ‘I wasn’t country nough’.”
The second track of the album is called “Blackbird,” which is a cover of the Beatles song. Instead of changing the lyrics, Beyonce collaborated with black country singers Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts to emphasize the message of the original song, which highlights the strength and determination of black women: “Blackbird singing in the dead of night/Take these broken wings and learn to fly.”
Beyoncé did change the lyrics to add her own touch to Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” in her tenth track. She introduced new lyrics to the classic country song with a reference to “Becky with the good hair” mentioned in her 2016 album “Lemonade.” In that album, she implied that her husband, Jay-Z, was unfaithful to her. Beyoncé’s Jolene has lost the defenselessness that characterized Parton’s lyrics. Instead of asking Jolene not to take her man, she is cautioning her.
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I’m warnin’ you, don’t come for my man (Jolene)
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Don’t take the chance because you think you can
Beyoncé’s album “Cowboy Carter” is a game-changer for country music. It promotes inclusivity and diversity by showing how country can be broad and not only meant for a certain group of people. The album is an emotional journey that takes listeners through heartwarming ballads and upbeat dance tracks.
