When Beyonce released Lemonade in 2016, it was immediately recognized as her magnum opus, arguably the most important/significant album in a CV full of significant music. At first, I wasn’t sure what I really thought about “Daddy Lessons” when I heard the album/studio version. Then Beyonce re-recorded it with the then-Dixie Chicks (now The Chicks) and in November 2016, they performed the song at the CMAs. It quickly became one of the most talked-about live performances of the year, and most significant CMA performance of all time. While many of the country music people in the room were visibly into it, there was absolutely some hostility in the room and there was a huge amount of salty white country people trashing the song and the performance online. The CMAs briefly deleted the performance from their archives, then brought it back after everyone called them racist trash.
I bring all of that up because all of that was the precursor to Beyonce’s new country album, Cowboy Carter. On Tuesday, Beyonce revealed the album cover and she made an oblique reference to what happened in 2016:
act ii COWBOY CARTER 3.29
Today marks the 10-day countdown until the release of act ii. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES. I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart. That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant.
This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. 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 have a few surprises on the album, and have collaborated with some brilliant artists who I deeply respect. 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. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!
“This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album.” Period. She’s really saying “y’all wanted to say a Black artist isn’t welcome at the CMAs, that’s cute, I’m about to Beyoncify your whole g–ddamn genre.” Seriously though, this is Peak Virgo grudge-holding. You want to tell BEYONCE, the Most Virgo Ever, that she’s unwelcome somewhere? Well, she’s going to spend six-plus years showing you why you’re you should kept your f–king mouth shut.
Beyonce also posted a TikTok compilation of all of the fun videos people made dancing to “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
not beyoncé posting a tiktok celebrating all the success of TEXAS HOLD 'EM, ICONIC😭🥹pic.twitter.com/f4BaSadeMi
— 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆🫧💚 (@beyoncegarden) March 19, 2024
And here’s a clip of Natalie Maines explaining what went down with Beyonce and the CMAs:
The Dixie chicks spoke about performing with Beyonce and seeing how she experienced so much racism during and after the show. I believe Cowboy Carter was born from this moment pic.twitter.com/oT6yEE82nH
— Bobby (@BobbyKingDeal) March 19, 2024
Photos and album cover courtesy of Beyonce’s Instagram.
Proud Virgo. Can confirm.
I am really excited for this album. I love Texas Hold ‘Em and 16 Carriages. And I just love this way of holding a grudge – she’s not going to sulk, she’s not going to badmouth the country music industry, oh no, she’s just going to make an album that will dominate the genre for the rest of the year (because I am sure that it will.)
Imagine being the Beyonce and people saying to you, you can’t do something because you are not white while there are country (mediocre) singers with fake ass accents being welcomed and celebrated. It really hurt my heart to see how they treated her. Like she said, this is a Beyonce album and she is/will be bigger than all of those as*holes.
It took me back too how the CMAs and country music in general wholly embraced Pennsylvania born and raised Taylor Swift with a rich stock broker daddy.
Black Americans are entrenched in and are some of the founders of Country music
That is how you know that the white skin is all what they care about. You can fake an accent with a mediocre voice & talent and be a country music darling. When it comes to a once-in-a-generation talent black woman, they have pages of checklist to show if you are really **country**. Then, they (the Guardian) send a journalist to interview white people in South if they think Beyonce can be country. That’s how you know people will always applaud the white mediocrity (“because it is sooo relatable”) while they expect Beyonce 100% perfect to be good enough for them.
No shade on the music or her person, or race or anything, but they definitely could have used better Photoshop skills on that album cover. KP called and wants their graphic design intern back, ok sweetie darling?
@Horsechick, lol it is an art piece, not a news photo. There is nothing wrong with the pic. Unreality is the point, it is supposed to look like a painting as the continuity of the first act Renaissance.
I hate country music but I’m all for the “explanation” and I can only applause Beyoncé for that.
Same. Not into country but absolutely here for Beyonce calling them out and coming for them in their own space.
Beyoncé is a Virgo and she also has a Scorpio moon. This is par for the course.
+1 Once in a while I like a country song but it’s few and far between. Texas Hold Em slaps, I applaud Beyonce.
I’m thrilled to see this and hope it gives a bump to artists and groups like Chapel Hart, who are out there in the trenches trying to build careers.
https://youtu.be/XLmoCC24wH0?si=Ple5N9wZAOliDtGW
Thanks for sharing this video! I love it.
Just hopping in to say that Amythyst Kiah is a little more country-rock but everyone should be giving her a look as well. Apparently she’s been touring with Jason Isbell and her voice is amazing, both in the singing and the songwriting.
Please continue adding black country musicians here… We need to hear all their voices (and I hope Beyonce’s work will draw some more attention to them too.)
Thank you for the recommendations!
Please post links to these artists!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqtPxwOW3HU
That’s “Black Myself” by Amythyst Kiah. Jason Isbell is pretty firmly entrenched in country music and is a white guy–but he really speaks out frequently about/against the insular nature of the Country Music Machine…
Countdown to Cowboy Carter. Cannot wait. Cannot believe they actually deleted that video performance. I knew about it when it happened but I had forgotten over time. It becoming the origin story for this album is some serious Beyoncé synergy.
So hoping for a Dolly x Beyonce collab.
I read somewhere that she was given permission to use Jolene. Not sure it will be a duet tho.
It is the MOST Virgo thing to get revenge via “studying the archives”. I love it!
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I’m sorry I’ve listened to Texas Hold ‘Em” many times and I think it is awful. To me, it sounds like she is mocking Country music.
This is old school country, pre-9/11 patriotic bullshit, before Jason Aldean mumbled words and called it country rap. Her respect for the roots of country shines through.
Yet you keep listening to it.
When I think something is “awful” I usually put it down and go do something else.
It’s okay if someone isn’t into the song. But I definitely don’t think it’s mocking country. I don’t get that vibe at all. I get the opposite.
It certainly doesn’t sound like the dreck they currently play on country radio, whiny dudes singing about girls and beer and pickup trucks.
Had a not from the US friend say it didn’t sound like country because it was good. Grew up in a southern state. My take on country is that the stuff on the radio is terrible, but it’s great live. Country musicians have chops.
If anything she is mocking those who think that country has a definitive sound and look. I love how she is making country her own and just calling it music.
I’m not a huge country fan, but I’m into the Texas Hold ‘Em bop and am excited to hear the rest of the album.
But Beyonce better bring some visuals this time!
I think Texas hold ‘em is great as a bop, but it’s really terrible as a country song. It’s like AI wrote it using “country” tropes and they threw a (fantastic) banjo part over top. 16 carriages would have been a better entry to prove she can make music in the genre. I’ll be interested to see what the rest of the album sounds like because if it’s all like Texas hold
Em…she’s not really proving the haters wrong.
What I’m really afraid of is that by releasing a grudge album like this, she’s actually going to hurt black artists who have really dedicated themselves to the genre. Because let’s face it, music execs in Nashville aren’t going to say, beyonces country album was great, let’s go find some other amazing black artists! They’re going to pat themselves on the back for diversity by playing her a few times and then say they’ve filled their quota of playing black artists and then go find the next Morgan wallen or Jason Alden’ to crank out more watered down dog whistle crap.
KELLY if that does happen, that’s not Beyonce “hurting” the other Black country artists, it’s systemic racism hurting them for which Beyonce is not responsible.
“It’s like AI wrote it using ‘country’ tropes and they threw a (fantastic) banjo part over top”
You could be describing any modern Top Ten song here, except there’s no fantastic banjo, just fantastic jingo(ism). So it sounds like Beyoncé’s album is already an improvement.
@Kelly
Ya no, Reyna roberts, Tanner Adell, and more Black country artists have only risen on the charts and gained new followers/ fans because of Beyonce going country.
Which negates everything you’ve mentioned in your comment.
Not to mention, it is bring more attention to the origins of country music.
I agree with you. She very aptly said it is Beyonce music, not country music.
Considering that ‘Alien’ was the obvious choice as Renaissance entry but she chose ‘You can’t break my soul’, maybe other Country Carter songs are better. This one is backyard porch guitar lover amateur level of sonwriting, on a very epidermic outlook on tropes commonly associated to country music. While I actually enjoyed the video compilation as a whoever-loves-music lesson, I’m not sure the song would stand out as good or catchy amongst current tunes.
There will be support for the album bc it comes with an anecdote on her having been silently snubbed at CMAs bc of her race. Of course is awful, despicable and sadly real that some might think a Black person is not even entitled to enjoy or make country music. But it doesn’t automatically mean that Texas hold’ em is a good country song, just that Beyonce has the right and means for making any music she wants.
I love country music and Texas Hold’em is not mocking it at all.
I like this better than her normal stuff, which I don’t like at all. I just don’t like Beyonce’s voice, the strange flute-like tone of it, it makes me feel like when a fork suddenly tastes metallic.
But I’m glad if these new songs irritate the country bros.
Country music has become more and more generic, formulaic and sexist since Toby Keith @#$%ed over the Dixie Chicks with his faux patriotic sycophantic bull💩. Thank you, Beyoncé, for wading into this and breaking the stranglehold of white male mediocre to give POC and other female artists an opportunity. Parts of the country, especially in the South, are becoming scary backwoods and isolationist and need exposure to the real world and less Jason Aldean-style stupidity that encourage ignorance.
I’m hoping Beyoncé’s album does for modern country what Ray Charles 1960’s album did. Ray totally changed the game/face of country music. Hope Beyoncé does the same.
Is the horse named Chardonneigh? Just the giggle I needed today.
..YES.. LOL the first horse on Act i Renaissance was caelled Raneigh and now Cowboy Carter horse Act ii is called Chardoneigh… I effin LOVE IT!
Interesting that the country community accepted that fraud and culture vulture Kid Rock but shuned Beyonce who’s actually from Texas and grew up listening to country music.
🎯🎯🎯
Also the fraud that is Elle King. Her twangy hick rant at the Grand Ole Opry was unreal considering her “real” voice is straight up valley girl.
She is Rob Schneider’s daughter. I’m sure that helped.
just the mental image of dedicated Bee Hive members calling country radio stations demanding this warms my heart.
These pop stars never try out jazz, opera or funk. It’s always country. Maybe that’s the easiest selling form of music?
So you’ve never listen to any of Beyonce’s work then.
@TIFFANY…LMAO howling
☠☠☠
I’ve heard whatever has played on the radio. Point me to her jazz album then. Give me a name.
Just loud and wrong. Outside of Beyonce, check out Lady Gaga’s albums with the late and great Tony Bennet.
When the artist is talented, they know they can do what they want and enjoy.
I love Beyonce. I have yet to not like one of her albums. I may not love every song, but I usually enjoy most. I’ve been listening since the DC days… way back. I’m aging myself. 😂
Black people have created every aspect of American popular culture.
As a white Canadian, the only thing I can think of that was original to white people is racism. The rest we stole and claimed credit for.
Everyone is talking about Texas Hold Em’ but the real gem is 16 Carriages. That song is PERFECTION. And has such deep rich meaning behind it.
Agree 100%
%100
16 Carriages stays on repeat. I don’t like Texas Hold ‘Em but only because that particular style of country has never appealed to me. Both songs are very much so country songs in their core but with Beyonce vocals.
Beyonce was born and raised in HOUSTON, TEXAS. If anything, this gives her additional carte blanche to throw down some country LPs.
I will stan ANYTHING this woman creates, and this new record should stand as a powerful reminder that black culture is at the root of everything – especially musically.
Tessie McMillan Cottam did a really great podcast episode with the guy who used to host It’s Been a Minute on NPR — Sam something? Anyway, they did a deep dive on Black contributions to country music and the horrible white-i-fication of the genre. I’m not a big Beyonce music fan, but I LOVE that she’s using her clout to take this on.
I can’t wait for Cowboy Carter!!!
I wasn’t a big fan of the song at first but through the power of Tik Tok and people using it for dance bits – the song has really grown on me and it’s a bop!
And I love Natalie Maines. She is a huge Howard Stern fan, and she knows to come on the show with facts.
For anyone wondering who the cutout guy behind her is. It’s Ronnie the Limo Driver. Who is Howard’s limo driver / security (now retired to Las Vegas). There were some cutouts of him and it was a big get to have as a fan of the show. I think she even took him on tour with her and would have him on stage. So it’s double funny she has him with her for the virtual interview.
Anyhoo, I like the song and looking forward to the album.
Am looking forward to the album – its a good track. And black people have a long history in country (doesn’t its roots come from blues and folk?) – my Dad is a BIG fan of Charley Pride. His prized CDs are a box set of Charley’s albums that I bought him one Christmas. Plays them every day.
I love country music and I love Beyoncé and the Chicks. But CMA and a lot of country music fans are racist and vile. I won’t listen to country radio stations because of the way the dj’s pander and use dog whistles.
I have been loving all the Texas Hold ‘Em dancing IG reels and TikToks. It’s fantastic to see people happy and vibing with a song they like. When I venture into the comments though, there are so many people who are ANGRILY screaming ‘THIS IS NOT COUNTRY’. I’ve noticed, however, that these jerks are only leaving these comments on videos made by white dancers. They’re too afraid to bring their terrible opinion into reels by POC performers.
What delights me about this though is that by engaging with this content, the algorithm will show them even more of these videos. I love the thought of these bitter, gatekeeping racists being driven to madness by Beyoncé dance reels dominating their social media. Cry more tears, snowflakes. 😉
As a fellow Virgo, I’m here for Bey’s epic Virgo country music season
I love that she specified that it’s a Beyalbum, not a Country album. Putting the racists on notice— you think I should bend to fit in? No, you will end up having to bend towards me and towards greater inclusivity.
I cannot WAIT for the album — prepping my playlist. If you guys haven’t yet heard them, I implore you to listen to “Feels Good” by O.N.E The Duo, and be ready to love it. 🙂
Thanks for posting this. You called it! I’m in love with the Feels Good video!
I love country music along with all the other music, I am a liberal-hippie-punkrock white lady who grew up in a small rural town chock-full of these racist whites-only country-music idiots (many still live there btw, and are maga now…), and I cannot explain how full this is making my heart already.
Beyonce can and will do whatever she wants in both life and in ART, and I am SO here for the country community to bend to a superstar like her. Seeing her fans embracing country just floors me with joy, and I can’t stop smiling. Can’t wait for the album!
Go Bey Go!!
Beyonce’s music is not my cup of tea to be honest. But I love that she has done this. I also am not a country music fan, most of it hurts my ears. BUT….
I have put Texas Hold ‘Em on Spotify on repeat and just turned the volume off for hours at a time, like when I’m at work or such to do my part to give it the streams.