On Friday, March 29, Beyoncé released her “Cowboy Carter” album, and I was both excited and concerned. As someone who has grown up just outside the heart of country music, I wanted Beyoncé’s country album to be good but feared she did not know what she was getting into. When will I learn to never question Mama Yoncé’s work!?
Although it can be said that Beyoncé released a country album, I do agree with many that this album does not ring with the same sounds that make something truly country music. She masquerades behind lyrics and themes which are loosely associated with country music, but, because she has an refined and angelic voice, and lacks a rougher, southern drawl, it can be difficult for me to accept this as a country album. However, can I really be the one to judge what is and is not country music?
In my humble opinion, I think Beyoncé‘s album would’ve been more successful if she had not written it under the guise of being a “country music album,” and let her album just reflect the impressive versatility that it holds. Queen Bey should not let genre confine her voice and should just let it shine! No one can match the vocal range and skill that she has in her music, and (although I don’t personally feel like it’s a perfect picture of country) this album perfectly highlights her voice; unlike other albums, which hide her singing behind lots of techno beats and bass boost tones.
Now that the contentions I have with the album are through, I should mention a lot of the things that I ABSOLUTELY ADORE!! At the beginning of her album, she tries to emulate early country music styles, such as Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. Willie Nelson is featured in the album, acting as a radio show host for the song “Smoke Hour.” Additionally, Dolly Parton makes an appearance before Beyoncé performs her rendition of “Jolene.”
With the lyrical storytelling and guitar picking patterns, Beyoncé changes styles towards the middle of the album featuring Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Shaboozey and Linda Martell, bringing in a more current style of country music. Then, before the album is over, Beyoncé has a mashup song of multiple genres called “Ya-ya” (my personal favorite). Overall, “Cowboy Carter” is a fantastic album which appeals to many in her audience space, but I do argue that it did not bring more people to her fan base by labeling it as a country album; instead, it may have acted more as a repellent to diehard country fans.
To conclude, I think there are three things that surprised me the most. First, the Jolene cover from Dolly Parton came out of nowhere, and I was skeptical. And yet, Beyoncé SLAYED! It was absolutely immaculate and a great tribute to Dolly Parton. I did not expect anyone to be able to do a cover of that song justice, but again, Beyoncé is an iconic queen.
Second, I wonder if the song “Daughter,” is referencing Taylor Swift in its lyrics. There is a line in the song that says, “look what you made me do,” discussing a messy scene of her, “taking action to avenge someone,” and being her father’s daughter in the sense of having the guts to do it. It just makes me curious if this is a reference to Beyoncé switching genres in the opposite direction Taylor Swift did and having the guts to do so ...
Third, I was surprised at how well the album sounds all together, as if it wasn’t cut in bits and pieces. It seems like the album is supposed to be listened to straight through and not as different songs to be put into your different spotify playlists; it’s the whole album or nothing at all.
All and all, the album completely redeems the overplayed “Texas Hold’Em” even if it’s not a “country album.”