The album was announced on February 11, 2024 on the singer's social media, following a teaser in a Verizon commercial aired during Super Bowl LVIII. Beyoncé simultaneously released the album's dual lead singles, "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages."
Background and development
Beyoncé was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where the city's cowboy heritage and country and zydeco music played a role in her upbringing.[4][5] She listened to country music from an early age, particularly from her paternal grandfather, and attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo every year with her family wearing western clothing.[6] She later performed at the Rodeo four times between 2001 and 2007, and has continued to celebrate her country and Southern roots throughout her career.[7][8][9][10][11]
Beyoncé first released a country song with the track "Daddy Lessons" on Lemonade (2016).[12] Beyoncé, together with the Chicks (who had previously covered the song), performed the track at the 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 2, 2016. The performance was largely praised by critics and gave the CMAs their highest viewership figures in history; however, it was also met with backlash, with some country music fans criticizing Beyoncé's attendance and claiming she did not belong in the genre. The Country Music Association deleted all promotional posts about Beyoncé's performance, which was seen as succumbing to the pressure in an attempt to prevent backlash against the organization.[13][14] In December 2016, Lemonade received nine Grammy nominations, but "Daddy Lessons" was reportedly rejected by the Recording Academy's country music committee for not being "country enough", according to the Huffington Post.[15]
This experience led to the creation of Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé explained how it was made clear to her that she was not welcome in the country music space, but instead of letting the criticism force her out of the genre, it made her push past the limitations put on her. She delved into the history of country music and Western culture and researched its African-American roots. She studied "our rich musical archive" and learned from educators who had long advocated for a re-education on the black roots of country music. She also read about how, historically, 50% of cowboys were black, noting: "After understanding where the word ‘cowboy’ came from, I realized how much of the Black, brown and Native cowboy stories are missing in American history."[16] This was the inspiration for her 2021 "Ivy Park Rodeo" clothing collection.[17] Following this research, Beyoncé decided that she wanted to reclaim Americana and country music from a Black perspective, according to stage designer Es Devlin.[18][19] Collaborator Rhiannon Giddens noted Beyoncé did not intend to create a typical crossover country album, but instead wanted to explore her family's roots through music.[20]
Cowboy Carter was over five years in the making, with Beyoncé beginning to write the album in 2019 and continuing its recording throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which she described as her most creative period.[21] The album forms the second installment ("Act II") of a trilogy project that Beyoncé recorded throughout this period.[22] The first act, Renaissance (2022), is primarily a house and disco record highlighting and celebrating the Black progenitors of dance music, leading some to believe that each album of the trilogy would aim to explore the Black roots of a different musical genre.[23]
I grew up going to the Houston rodeo every year. It was this amazing diverse and multicultural experience where there was something for every member of the family, including great performances, Houston-style fried Snickers, and fried turkey legs. One of my inspirations came from the overlooked history of the American Black cowboy. Many of them were originally called cowhands, who experienced great discrimination and were often forced to work with the worst, most temperamental horses. They took their talents and formed the Soul Circuit. Through time, these Black rodeos showcased incredible performers and helped us reclaim our place in western history and culture.
Between 2020 and 2024, Dolly Parton said on multiple occasions that she would like Beyoncé to cover her song "Jolene". She first said that "nobody's ever had a really big hit record on ['Jolene']," in a December 5, 2020 interview with The Big Issue. She said that even though "the song has been recorded worldwide over 400 times in lots of different languages, by lots of different bands, [she'd] always hoped somebody might do [it] someday, someone like Beyoncé."[24] On March 10, 2022, when asked by Trevor Noah on The Daily Show about her 2020 statement, she said "I would just love to hear 'Jolene' done in just a big way, kind of like how Whitney did my 'I Will Always Love You', just someone that can take my little songs and make them like powerhouses. That would be a marvellous day in my life if she ever does do 'Jolene'."[25] After publicly showing her support for Beyoncé's 2024 venture into country in February,[26] on March 8, 2024, in an interview with Knox News for the 2024 season opening of Dollywood, Parton said "I think she's recorded 'Jolene' and I think it's probably gonna be on her country album, which I'm very excited about..."[27][28]
Promotion and release
The then-untitled album was first announced on February 11, 2024, during Super Bowl LVIII, when Verizon Communications aired a Super Bowl commercial, titled "Can't B Broken", in which Beyoncé tried to "break the Internet" through increasingly outlandish means, such as releasing a jazzsaxophone record, performing on top of the Las Vegas Sphere, building an AI version of herself, launching a "Barbey" doll collection, announcing her candidacy for a fictional political position, and flying into space for a performance. After all of the ideas proved unsuccessful, Beyoncé concluded the commercial by remarking: "Okay, they ready. Drop the new music".[29]
Following the broadcast, Beyoncé released a teaser video for Act II on Instagram.[30] Directed by British artist and filmmaker Nadia Lee Cohen, the video pays homage to Paris, Texas (1984), references border blasters and features Chuck Berry's 1955 track "Maybellene".[31][32] The same day, the singer's official website was updated to announce her eighth studio album, with the placeholder name Act II, scheduled for release on March 29.[33] Subsequently, the album's two lead singles, "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages", were simultaneously made available for digital download and streaming.[34][35] On March 12, Beyoncé announced the album would be titled Cowboy Carter[36] via a teaser poster of a western saddle with a sash.[37] With this she listed album merchandise of limited-edition CDs with a bonus track, T-shirts, and vinyl variants in red, white, blue and standard black.[38]
On March 19, 2024, Beyoncé revealed the album cover via Instagram, and said there would be "surprises" and collaborations on the album.[2] On March 20, she revealed a limited edition exclusive cover, wearing a sash that reads "act ii BEYINCÉ", referencing a generational family surname.[39] Taglines and stills for the album were projected onto various museums in New York City.[40] One of these was an unauthorized projection onto the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, who genially responded by posting Franz Marc’s 1910 painting Three Horses Drinking with the Texas Hold 'Em-inspired caption “This ain’t Texas.”[41] Beyoncé also posted co-ordinates to the museum on her Instagram story.[42] On March 27, she revealed the album's tracklist in a themed poster.[43]
This album has been over five years in the making. [...] It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history. The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work. [...] I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound. I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE…I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop. This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album.
The cover artwork was said to be inspired by rodeo queens, such as those in the Houston Rodeo that Beyoncé attended annually
The Cowboy Carter album cover was shot by Texan photographer Blair Caldwell. Much like the cover for Renaissance—which saw Beyoncé sitting atop a stationary disco ball horse—the Cowboy Carter artwork sees Beyoncé atop a gray Lipizzan at full gallop. She rides the horse sidesaddle (in the style of royalty), dressed in a red, white and blue one-piece, a cowboy hat, and a sash reading "Cowboy Carter". She holds the horse's reins in one hand and a large American flag in the other.[44] The imagery is reminiscent of rodeo queens, who similarly carry the flag while riding their horse after winning the title.[45]
The album cover was a topic of discussion and dissection by critics. Francesca T Royster, professor at DePaul University and author of Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions, wrote: "The aesthetic choice is bold and seems to be signaling the ways that Beyoncé is putting herself into conversations about nationalism, a theme very much central to discourses about country music, patriotism and authenticity, from the times of its origins."[46] Critics suggested a variety of inspirations and allusions for the cover, including presidential portraits, Jacques-Louis David's Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1801–05), Marina Abramović's The Hero (2001),[44]Kehinde Wiley's Equestrian Portrait of King Philip II (Michael Jackson) (2009), the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo,[46] and Eadweard Muybridge's The Horse in Motion (1878).[45]
Impact
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Beyoncé preserves the best of country past and evolves us into a country future that we have never seen... It's such a full-circle moment for me that I almost want to cry. I wanted to see a Black woman get to the top of the charts, and now I can retire.
—Alice Randall, the first Black woman to write a number-one song on the country charts[47]
Black artists in country music
With Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé was seen[by whom?] as reclaiming country music and bringing it back to its Black roots.[48] It also sparked conversations[among whom?] on the inclusion of Black artists within the country genre.[49] The BBC's Daisy Woodward wrote that Beyoncé's embrace of country music "galvanises" the reclamation of western culture by those who have felt excluded by it and subverts the traditional image of cowboys.[50] American author and country songwriter Alice Randall, in an interview for The Washington Post, affirmed that Beyoncé "is spotlighting and building on a profound tradition" which started with Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music by Ray Charles, stressing that "[Beyoncé] is going to take it even further if the things she’s already done in country is any indication," even if Charles wasn't prized by the music genre at the time.[51]NBC News's Emi Tuyetnhi Tran wrote that the album has the potential to redefine what it means to be a country artist "in the cultural consciousness."[52]
The album spotlighted Black musicians in the country music space and boosted their listenership.[53][54] Black female country musicians saw a significant increase in streams due to the album, such as Reyna Roberts (250%), Rissi Palmer (110%), Tanner Adell (188%) and K. Michelle (185%). Linda Martell, the first commercially successful Black female country artist and the first to play the Grand Ole Opry, saw a 275% increase in streams.[54] Other musicians who saw an increase in demand include Adia Victoria, Amri Unplugged, Brittney Spencer, Mickey Guyton, Rhiannon Giddens, and Sacha. Black-led country organizations such as the Black Opry also received a significant increase in followers.[53]NPR's Amanda Marie Martínez also said that the album has highlighted and boosted the profile of Black country artists. The song, Martínez writes, has revealed the "strong demand" for country music made by Black artists and a "growing community" of Black country fans.[55] In an article for The Nashville Tennessean, Andrea Williams explained how Beyoncé has opened the door for others in country music and proved that Black songwriters, producers, and musicians belong in the genre. Williams wrote that Black people are generally "shut out of country music's creation" and that they "have been waiting for the opportunity to take part in the genre their forefathers helped build, to not be told they’re too urban for Nashville studios." With Cowboy Carter, Williams writes, Beyoncé celebrates Black country musicians, proving they are "country enough" and allowing them to receive their due credit and remuneration.[56]
Popularity and accessibility of country music
Cowboy Carter marked a cultural shift for country music and boosted its accessibility to a wider audience, according to CBS News.[57][58]SiriusXM host Mike Muse told Good Morning America that the album is sparking a "global conversation" and "social discourse" on country music and increasing public interest in the genre.[59] Beyoncé's country music will "open the floodgates" for other country musicians, according to BBC News.[60] Country artist Kezia Gill said that Beyoncé's presence will make the genre "accessible to everyone" and "bring in a whole generation" of new listeners. Roisin O'Connor, music editor at The Independent, said that the album is "a tipping point" for country music, spreading the genre to new audiences.[60]Texas Monthly's Dan Solomon wrote that the album has had a "dramatic" cultural impact, with Beyoncé "remaking country radio in her image."[61]
Country radio
Country radio managers shared their excitement about the album bringing new listeners. Mike Levine of Go Country 105 said that "anything to make country more approachable is amazing, so it's fantastic," while 93Q Country program manager Travis Moon said it is "exciting not just for country radio, but for the artist and the legacy that she's done in her entire career." Moon noted that instead of just fitting a certain "vibe", "Texas Hold 'Em" has a "fresh" and "exciting" new sound, saying, "Just the way the song is constructed, the vocals are amazing, the instrumentation's fantastic. It fits the vibe of what we're doing on this radio station."[62]
Programmers at Cumulus Media's country stations had a call where they spoke "enthusiastically" about the album, with chief content officer Brian Philips describing it as "a gift". Philips told Variety that it "adds a completely unforeseen, unimagined new angle to country radio... We have 55 major country stations and it's very hard to get them to agree on anything. But everybody at country wants to play it." iHeartMedia chief programming officer and president Tom Poleman spoke of his excitement to play the album on iHeartRadio stations, describing Beyoncé as an "innovator" who "continues to push the creative boundaries in music." SiriusXM senior director of country programming Johnny Chiang also shared his excitement to add the album's tracks to Pandora country stations, telling Variety, ""Texas Hold 'Em" is a good song, and a legit modern country song. And she's iconic, so it's a no brainer....nothing but good for our format."[63]
Response from country artists
Country icon Dolly Parton recognized the impact that Beyoncé's embrace of country music has had, praising Beyoncé as "fantastic and beautiful", and posted a message on social media stating: "I’m a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she’s done a country album... Can’t wait to hear [it]!"[64][65] Country singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson shared her excitement about Beyoncé's crossover into country, telling Billboard: "I love it. The more the merrier. Country music is about storytelling and Beyoncé knows how to tell a story, so I think it's awesome and it's awesome for the country music genre. Everybody wants to feel at home and country music makes you feel at home."[66]Hootie & the Blowfish's Darius Rucker expressed himself as a fan of Beyoncé's embrace of country and praised her new music.[67] Country singer-songwriter Maren Morris described it as "such a statement," praising Beyoncé's "reclaiming of country music back to Black people."[68] Country singer Mickey Guyton described the album as "very exciting", noting that "Beyoncé is country music" and that is has the potential to boost the careers of people of color in country music.[69] Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile said that the album would "save" country music.[70]
Fashion
Beyoncé's embrace of country music and culture ignited fashion trends and boosted sales of Western wear.[71][72] Western retailer Boot Barn's Isha Nicole said that it has "catapulted Western influence into the limelight, inviting the masses to participate in the romanticism of the American spirit".[71] Google searches for "bolo tie", "cowboy hat", and "cowboy boots" increased by 566%, 213%, and 163% following the announcement of the album.[73][74] The cowboy hat trend fueled by the album was followed by public figures such as Kim Kardashian, Pharrell Williams, Diplo, and Bella Hadid.[72] Tyler Thoreson, Vice President of Marketing at Stetson, told Glossy: "We’re honored to have Beyoncé as the latest in a long line of trailblazers to make our hats a key part of their look. We’ve seen incredible interest in our brand and our products across the social media landscape since the Grammys. And we’ve seen a spike in interest in the Shasta, the style she’s been wearing most the past couple week… Beyoncé has taken things to a whole new level."[75]
^ abGreenidge, Kaitlyn (August 10, 2021). "Beyoncé's Evolution". Harper's Bazaar. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
