Beyoncé, always a fan of surprise album releases and underhanded statements, has some important things to say about her upcoming album “Cowboy Carter.” And she's being clear about her message: “This is not a Country album. “This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”
Posting a 10-day countdown to her Instagram page and website on Tuesday, the “Texas Hold 'Em” and “16 Carriages” singer shared what appeared to be the album cover (her as a cowgirl inspired by a pageant queen riding a white horse while holding an American flag) and a detailed look at her latest project.
The 42-year-old superstar delighted his 319 million followers with a rare personal caption that explains his decision to move into the country genre, following his 2022 foray into disco and club music with the first act of “Renaissance.”
“This album has been in the making for more than five years. It was born from an experience I had years ago where I did not feel welcome…and I was very clear that I was not. But through that experience, I delved into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archive,” said the “Break My Soul” and “Cuff It” singer.
“It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world and at the same time amplify the voices of some of the people who have dedicated much of their lives to educating about our musical history.
“The criticism I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to overcome the limitations placed on me,” she added, “The second act is the result of challenging myself and taking my time to bend and combine genres to create.” . this body of work.”
The Destiny's Child alum also said she was honored to be the first Black woman with the No. 1 song on the Hot Country chart, a milestone she achieved in February when “Texas Hold 'Em” made Billboard chart history.
“That would not have happened without the great support of each and every one of you. My hope is that within a few years, the mention of an artist's race, as it relates to the release of musical genres, will be irrelevant,” he said.
He added that he has “some surprises on the album,” which is due out on March 29, and that he has collaborated with “brilliant artists” whom he deeply respects, although he has not yet named them. (Country legend Dolly Parton, who recently praised the Beyoncés amid their country chart achievements, recently revealed that she believes Bey recorded a cover of her 1973 hit “Jolene” and that it “will probably be on her album.” Country music”).
“I hope you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion I put into every detail and every sound,” Bey added. “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 is not a country album. This is a 'Beyoncé' album. This is the second act of COWBOY CARTER and I'm proud to share it with all of you! she concluded.
Bey is by no means the only Black artist making waves in country music. Hootie & the Blowfish alum Darius Rucker, Mickey Guyton, Kane Brown, Breland, Willie Jones, Jimmie Allen, Reyna Roberts, Blanco Brown, Tanner Adell and Brittney Spencer are just a few of the contemporary artists who have left their mark on the predominantly white population. genre that has long had a history plagued by racism.
bey, who rose to fame in the R&B, soul and pop genres, seemed to deal with that firsthand in 2016 when his song “Lemonade,” “Daddy Lessons,” which highlighted his Southern roots with lyrics about his father, references to the Bible and the Bible. Second Amendment: Was rejected by the Recording Academy's country music committee for a Grammy Award nomination.
When she said she felt “unwelcome,” Beyoncé could have been alluding to that incident, but also perhaps to the backlash she received when she attended and performed at the 2016 Country Music Association Awards that year. The pre-show announcement of his performance was met with calls for a boycott on social media, with many citing his tribute to the Black Panther Party during his performance of “Formation” at the Super Bowl halftime show earlier as an issue. of that year. The Houston native finally proved that “Daddy Lessons” was unashamedly a country song by performing alongside the Chicks at the awards show, and later released a cover of the song with the country trio.
Despite being the winningest artist in Grammy history, the musician's rocky history with the Recording Academy was highlighted during the Feb. 4 awards show when her husband, honoree Jay-Z, questioned the academy decision making on stage during his Dr. Dre. Global Impact Award acceptance speech.
“I don't want to embarrass this young woman, but she has more Grammys than anyone and she's never won album of the year,” Jay-Z said, referring to his wife, who was in the audience wearing a white cowboy hat that was ultimately a teaser. of his next genre leap.
“So even by your own metrics that doesn't work. Think about that,” she said. “The one with the most Grammys, he never won album of the year. That does not work. Some of you will go home tonight and feel like you've been robbed, some of you may be robbed, some of you don't belong in any category.”
A week later, the Cécred founder jumped into the country music space via a Verizon ad during Super Bowl LVIII and quickly climbed the country charts with the first two singles from “Cowboy Carter.”
