March 29, 2024 was a huge day for the “Beyhive,” also known as the nickname for fans of popular artist Beyoncé. On this day, the thirty-two-time Grammy award winner released her eighth studio album, titled COWBOY CARTER.
The record found Beyoncé shifting her sound in a different direction, more inspired by country music.
The album’s tracks had many features, notably from artists like Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, and Dolly Parton. COWBOY CARTER received immediate critical acclaim, including a perfect score from both NME and Rolling Stone.
The second track on COWBOY CARTER is titled “BLACKBIIRD,” and is a cover of the Beatles tune, originally released in 1968. “BLACKBIIRD” is the only cover included on the record.
The cover not only uses original tracks from the 1968 rendition, but also features four Black country singers, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts.
These artists provide both lead vocals and harmonies on the track, breathing more life into the already impactful tune.
In addition to Paul McCartney’s original acoustic guitar track, Beyoncé’s rendition of the song contains orchestration and bass that the original “Blackbird” didn’t possess.
The original origins of the Beatles song exist within the political climate of the 1960s in the United States.
In a 2018 interview that McCartney did with GQ, in which he breaks down some of his most well known songs, he speaks on “Blackbird”. “I’d heard about the Civil Rights troubles that were happening in the 60s,” McCartney tells GQ. “in England, a bird is a girl, so I was thinking of a Black girl going through this; now is your time to arise; set yourself free; take these broken wings.”
On April 4, McCartney took to Instagram to post in appreciation of Beyoncé’s rendition of “Blackbird.”
“I think she does a magnificent version of it and it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired me to write the song in the first place,” McCartney writes on Instagram.
In his post, McCartney writes on how he received the information on Beyoncé’s cover.
“I spoke to her on FaceTime and she thanked me for writing it and letting her do it.” After stating how much he enjoys the COWBOY CARTER cover of the song, he continues, “Anything my song and Beyoncé’s fabulous version can do to ease racial tension would be a great thing and makes me very proud.”
