Track List
Ameriican Requiem
Blackbiird (ft. Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts)
16 Carriages
Protector (ft. Rumi Carter)
My Rose
Smoke Hour★Willie Nelson (ft. Willie Nelson)
Texas Hold ‘Em
Bodyguard
Dolly P
Jolene
Daughter
Spaghettii (ft. Linda Martel, Shaboozey)
Alliigator Tears
Smoke Hour II (ft. Willie Nelson)
Just For Fun (ft. Willie Jones)
II Most Wanted (ft. Miley Cyrus)
Levii’s Jeans (ft. Post Malone)
Flamenco
The Linda Martell Show (ft. Linda Martell)
Ya Ya
Oh Louisiana
Desert Eagle
Riiverdance
II Hands II Heaven
Tyrant
Sweet★Honey★Buckiin’ (ft. Shaboozey)
Amen
From a majority of the Beyhive to country fans and even casual listeners, everyone expected Act II: Cowboy Carter to be a country album full of folk instruments, lyrics celebrating roots, community and everything America, and basically a bunch of hoedown beats. But that is far from what Beyonce has in mind as she puts out 27 tracks each different and showing range in the country music genre itself.
And if there has ever been any doubt about Beyonce’s stardom, she shuts it down by pulling all the stops for Cowboy Carter. Considered to be her 8th studio album and the second act of her trilogy, Cowboy Carter released on 29th March, 2024 and dabbles in several subgenres such as folk, country rock, blues and gospel music.
The album begins with ‘Ameriican Requiem’, a sombre and gospel-like tune that gets the listeners ready for what to expect. And with the chorus, “It’s a lot of talkin’ goin’ on/While I sing my song,” it seems to be a diss at the CMAs and country music professionals who refused to accept her as a proud Texan.
And from then on, each track is artfully selected and layered so that we get a seamless transition. The shift from ‘Blackbiird’ to ‘16 Carriages’ especially deserves a shoutout. The ballad is a journey about her struggle to make a name for herself along with the support of her family, “Had to leave my home at an early age/I saw Mama prayin’, I saw Daddy grind.” It happens to be one of the pre-releases of the album, first revealed during the 2024 Super Bowl. It also brings about the album’s first crescendo moment before finding its groove.
We then get a cheeky little homage to one of the pioneers of country music, Miss Dolly P with two tracks – Dolly P and Jolene, the latter of which happens to be a cover of Parton’s famous 1973 track. But Bey’s version isn’t a straightforward cover; she turns it into her story, giving her upbeat style while singing about telling poor Jolene to sleep with one eye open.
Another surprising yet welcome collaboration is ‘II Most Wanted’ with Miley Cyrus. With this track featuring two legends (yes, Miley is a Disney legend, argue with the wall), we get an equally exhilarating duet where the arrangement takes a backseat with simple instrumentals which allows their voices to shine. And with their range being two opposite extremes, their harmonies are pretty refreshing to the ear as they add a break to the rut that the album was in danger of falling into.
Beyonce seems to be aware of that as we get ‘Ya Ya’ a couple of tracks later, our personal favourite. It reminds us that Black artists also made up the country genre and brought in their own styles which changed the genre for good. From funky beats and soul melodies, ‘Ya Ya’ would make The Supremes proud as it is about Black people reclaiming their space in American society as they too have toiled for their country.
‘Amen’ is an anthemic track that brings the album to a finish on a high note. With a monophonic and echoing arrangement, we have Beyonce tapping into her inner choir girl. Her piercing voice is perfect for ‘Amen’s ecclesiastic melody and gives us a full circle moment as she refers to ‘Ameriican Requiem’, “Say a prayer for what has been/We’ll be the ones to purify our Fathers’ sins/American Requiem/Them old ideas (Yeah) are buried here.“
By being over an hour, there are moments when the album seems to meander. There are too many interludes as Cowboy Carter struggles to create a storyline with these diverse songs. At times, it does feel like Beyonce is trying to prove that she is worthy of being labelled as a country singer which she has been denied by the industry.
But maybe it would have been better off splitting into two different albums as the first half of Cowboy Carter is a laidback glimpse of what makes the genre while the second half is more experimental, lively and free-spirited. But this just says more about the structure rather than the musicality of each song.
But if there is one thing all listeners can agree on is that Beyonce excels at every genre she dabbles in. Whether it is pop, hip hop, R&B or country, she knows her strengths and she applies them to her music. And Cowboy Carter has everything to be qualified as a country record from the oaky harmonies and banjos which complement the theme of love, family, identity and culture. But what makes this album her best comeback is that she reminds the world that first and foremost she is a singer who can sing.
Listen to Cowboy Carter by Beyonce on Spotify.
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Verdict - 8/10
8/10