“I like all genres of music, except for country.” I, like many others, have made this comment a handful of times when referring to my music taste. I don’t know what it is about country music that throws me off of it so much. Perhaps, it’s the southern drawl, or the overwhelming feeling of racism that exudes from its performers, but either way, I’m just not a fan. That was until my savior ,Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (yes, we’re on a full name basis), decided to release “Cowboy Carter,” her first country album.
Beyoncé released “Cowboy Carter” on March 29, 2024, and its been on repeat ever since. The album has a tracklist of 27 songs and a runtime of 1 hour and 19 minutes. I can’t lie, this album is pretty long and the first listen felt like forever, but trust me when I say it’s worth it.
“Cowboy Carter” is Beyoncé’s magnum opus. The album not only reaches into the traditional country music space with songs like “Jolene,” the Dolly Parton classic that Beyoncé flips on its head, and “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which has been trending on TikTok since its release, but also merges country with other genres like R&B, hip-hop, rap, and pop. The genre bending is best seen in “Ya Ya.”
There’s so much happening in “Ya Ya” that it’s hard to put into words. Somehow Beyoncé was able to include a sample of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made For Walking’” while also interpolating the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations.” All while invoking the spirit of the late and great Tina Turner with her insane vocal acrobatics throughout the track.
Even with the multiple genre shifts on the album, everything makes sense, which is likely why the star said, “This ain’t a country album. This is a Beyoncé album.” in an Instagram post to her followers. Only Beyoncé could make an album like this.
The structure of “Cowboy Carter” is like no other, Beyoncé purposefully crafted the album to mirror a radio station, songs seamlessly transition into each other and there are a few interludes (“Smoke Hour/Willie Nelson,” “Smoke Hour II,” and “The Linda Martell Show”) where the “host” fills time before introducing the next song. Because of this, “Cowboy Carter” is an album that simply can’t be shuffled.
There are four runs on “Cowboy Carter” thatrepresent different eras of Beyoncé and country music. The first run is tracks 1-5, which are the most personal songs on the album. Then, tracks 6-13 are the country run. Here you’ll find the traditional country songs with some R&B and classical influence. Tracks 14-18 is where you’ll find a collection of collaborations, like “II Most Wanted” which features Miley Cyrus, and “Just For Fun” featuring Willie Jones. The final run takes place from tracks 19-26. These final tracks are where we get to hear Beyoncé’s country music, it’s fun, sexy, and unapologetically Black. Then “Cowboy Carter” closes with “Amen,” a reprise of the opener “Ameriican Requiem.”
While I can’t possibly talk about all my favorite songs on the album, I can give you my favorite tack on each run, starting with “Ameriican Requiem.”
“Ameriican Requiem” is a country-opera song where Beyoncé responds to all the naysayers who tried to push her out of country music and it may be her best vocal performance. On the first listen it may sound a bit slow, but the further you get into the song the more it starts to hit you. This is due to the crescendo of the instrumental partnered with vocals that could only be produced by the queen herself. The harmonies throughout the song can only be described as god-sent.
My favorite tracks on runs two and three are “Daughter” and “II Most Wanted” respectively. “Daughter” follows Beyoncé as she deals with infidelity in her relationship which makes her realize just how similar she is to her father. The song includes the Italian opera “Caro Mio Ben” which Beyoncé belts in the middle of the song with no struggle. “II Most Wanted” is a duet with Miley Cyrus and all I have to say is that I love both of these women and their music so it was a given that I would love this song.
The best track from run four is the aforementioned “Ya Ya.” I could write on and on about it but you’re really just going to have to listen to it to truly understand its perfection.
“Cowboy Carter” is my album of the year and it’s only April. Whether or not you consider yourself a fan of country music, there’s quite literally a song for everyone on this album, so I suggest you take a listen.