“This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé album.,” is what Beyoncé posted on Instagram before the release of her much-anticipated 8th studio album “Cowboy Carter”, a country inspired 27-track record. The record, which includes two hit singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and 16 Carriages”, is the second installment of a trilogy of albums, following her 7th studio album “Renaissance”. Renaissance celebrated the influence of Black queer culture and house music, while Cowboy Carter celebrates the Black influence in southern American culture and history. Inspired by Beyoncé’s performance of her song “Daddy’s Lessons” at the 2016 Country Music Awards, in which she states, “I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t,” Beyoncé allowed herself to investigate the history behind American Country music, ultimately coming up with Cowboy Carter.
Like many albums Beyoncé has released previously, love, heartbreak, and self-identity are common themes on this record. In “16 Carriages”, one of the lead singles on the album, Beyoncé opens up about her personal life and how working as a child affected her as an adult. She mentions her launch to fame at 15 in the girl group Destiny’s Child, and then alludes to struggles in her present life, creating a heartbreaking and beautiful glimpse into one of America’s most hardworking performers. The 4th track on the album “Protector”, delves even further into Beyoncé’s life, as she reveals her life as a mother, showing her conflicting feelings between wanting to protect her children, but knowing she must allow them to go out on their own.
Beyoncé’s journey of self-love and relationships continues in a more fiery and spiteful tone with “Jolene”, a cover of the famous Dolly Parton track, in which Parton features. “Dolly P” introduces Beyoncé’s cover of her song, with a new twist to it, as Beyoncé changes the lyrics to the original hit, issuing a warning to Jolene to stay away from her man. This track adds a fierce tone to the album, showing people that Beyoncé is not messing around about her love life and self-identity. This fiery streak is continued in the next two tracks on the album “Daughter”, which dives into Beyoncé’s struggles of identity and self-doubt, and “Spaghettii” which explains the struggles Black artists have faced in the country music industry and how Beyoncé expects to change them. Both songs play into the nature of anger and destruction, with Beyoncé being fed up with issues of identity as a black country woman. “Alligator Tears” is a sweet and simple love song, referring to the phrase “crocodile tears” meaning tears that are shed by a hypocrite or someone who doesn’t feel bad about the choices they’ve made. Beyoncé explains loving someone so much, it doesn’t matter what they do, with many fans believing she is referring to Jay-Z’s past infidelity. The topic of infidelity is continued towards the end of the record in “Tyrant” with Beyoncé demanding answers from the “Hangman”, most likely a symbol of infidelity referencing Jay Z’s infidelity.
With love and heartbreak as a common theme in “Cowboy Carter”, Beyoncé incorporates that in her research of the history of country music, including the influence of Black artists in American country music. “Ameriican Requiem” showcases Beyoncé’s experience at the Country Music Awards, with the lyrics “Used to say I spoke, ‘too country’/ and the rejection came, said ‘I wasn’t country ‘nough’/ Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but if that ain’t country, tell me what is?”. She addresses the racism she experienced after dipping into the country scene in 2016, segwaying into the next track on the album “Blackbiird”. The cover of the famous Beatles’ tune features up incoming Black country singers, Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell, and Tiera Kennedy, creating a modern twist on the over 50-years old song. The original Blackbird was inspired by the experiences of Black girls attending an all-white school, hammering home the cultural significance of Country music in this album, and on the track itself. The number-one hit from the album “Texas Hold ‘Em”, while a classic fun country track, addresses the issue of racism black country artists have faced, as Beyoncé is the first Black woman with a number-one country song, once again showcasing the importance of black people in American Country culture.
“Ya Ya”, an upbeat anthem, references the Chitlin Circuit, a collection of performance venues that sustained many Black musicians and dancers during the era of racial segregation in the US. Beyoncé references this historical fact, by also touching on the struggles of living in America as a black person, with lyrics like “Whole lotta red in that white and blue / History can’t be erased”. This journey is concluded in the closing track “Amen”, solidifying the history that inspired the album and the importance of the Black country artists that came before her.
The collaborations on “Cowboy Carter” continue the legacy and message Beyoncé is trying to put out. Famous country artists Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson make appearances on the album, encouraging listeners to acknowledge the Black history behind country music and welcome Beyoncé and fellow Black artists into the country scene. Adding incoming Black country singers Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell, and Tiera Kennedy with incoming artist Shaboozey, who mixes country with hip hop, rock, and Americana, allows for listeners to encourage new artists, and solidifies the history behind Country music. Linda Martell, the first commercially successful black female artist in country music, is also featured on this album, with Beyoncé playing tribute to the success of black country artists before her. Martell eventually left country music after disputes with her manager Shelby Singleton Jr, allowing Beyoncé to give her a resurgence. Famous pop artists Post Malone and Miley Cyrus are also included on “Cowboy Carter”, adding to another important part of the record, genre bending.
While some may believe that “Cowboy Carter” is a country album, many listeners would agree that it is more of a country themed album, due to the different genres and styles that are incorporated. “Bodyguard,” a swinging, classic rock anthem, strays away from the classic country sound. However, in typical Beyoncé fashion, the track still includes lyrics that represent a country theme, and an instrumental that reminds listeners of the country. “Daughter” gives listeners a taste of opera, with a segment of the Italian opera song Caro Mio Ben, which segways into ‘Spaghettii” a rap song, featuring Shaboozey. Listeners also get many R&B tracks, including “Tyrant”, “Desert Eagle” and “II Hands II Heaven”, which while taking part in a genre different to country, include country terms, such as “do-si-do” and “giddy-up”, to remind you of its origins in country. “Ya, Ya” is an upbeat rock song that incorporates samples from “These Boots Were Made for Walkn’” by Lee Hazelwood and “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys.
“Cowboy Carter” delves into the route of country music, inspiring myself and other listeners to learn and embrace the origins of American country music. By bringing up the issues with Black people in country music, such as the racism she faced at the 2016 Country Music Awards, Beyoncé claps back at haters through 27 tracks of pure culture and beauty, creating a splendid Act II to her trilogy of albums.
