Kelci Boyd
Staff Writer
The new album “Cowboy Carter” by Beyoncé was released on March 29, 2024. Her debut country album, “COWBOY CARTER,” is a lengthy one, featuring 27 tracks altogether.
The powerful and ambitious country album that follows “Renaissance” is crafted in the unique style of Beyoncé. In a way that only a pop singer with her level of talent and impact could, she takes pride in claiming her position in the genre.
The musician did have help on the chart-topping album. According to Billboard.com, the album’s guest artists include: Tanner Adell, Beyoncé’s daughter Rumi Carter, Miley Cyrus, Willie Jones, Tiera Kennedy, Linda Martell, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Post Malone, Reyna Roberts, Shaboozey and Brittney Spencer. Among the many additional players on the album: 070 Shake, Jon Batiste, Ryan Beatty, Gary Clark Jr., The-Dream, Rhiannon Giddens, Paul McCartney, Pharrell, Robert Randolph, Nile Rodgers, Raphael Saadiq, Sara Watkins and Stevie Wonder.
She places country music in the context of the black American musical canon, a storytelling genre that evolved alongside gospel and blues, and does it with elegance and swagger.
Many people are unaware of the extent to which African-Americans, both historically and currently, are deeply ingrained in cowboy culture. From the early 1800s until the 1950s, horsemanship played a significant role in many African-American communities, with one in four cowboys being Black.
According to Prnewswire, Beyoncé stated in an interview, “The joy of creating music is that there are no rules,” said Beyoncé. “The more I see the world evolving the more I feel a deeper connection to purity. With artificial intelligence and digital filters and programming, I wanted to go back to real instruments, and I used very old ones.”
She added,“I didn’t want some layers of instruments like strings, especially guitars, and organs perfectly in tune. I kept some songs raw and leaned into folk. All the sounds were so organic and human, everyday things like the wind, snaps and even the sound of birds and chickens, the sounds of nature.”
In fact, the album is a work of art. Every song is a unique retelling of a Western movie. She frequently had the movies playing on a screen as she recorded, drawing inspiration from movies like “Five Fingers For Marseilles,” “Urban Cowboy,” “The Hateful Eight,” “Space Cowboys,” “The Harder They Fall,” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
Students at Jackson State University expressed their opinion on Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” album.
Raegyn Phillips, a senior biology/pre-dentistry from Carthage, Miss. said, “I love that album. It’s fun! Beyoncé continues to break barriers and be an innovator. “II HANDS II HEAVEN’ is my favorite song.”
Alauna Brooks, a sophomore sociology major from Kansas City, Mo. feels Beyoncé made her own version of country music.
“Although it is a country album, Beyoncé added in her own elements which made it still sound like you’re listening to a Beyoncé album. Songs like ‘II Hands ii Heaven’, ‘Tyrant’, and ‘Sweet Honey Buckin’ makes you forget you’re listening to a country album.”
Beyoncé’s music has a profound emotional impact on many listeners, surpassing genre boundaries and making a lasting impression on popular culture. Her artistry develops with every new album, exhibiting her unmatched brilliance and solidifying her place in music history.
Many await her next musical endeavor with great anticipation. Fans want to feel the enchantment that only Beyoncé can provide.
Beyoncé’s recognizable and commanding voice is at the core of an intense and daring plot that enthralls the listener, all encircled by a beautiful soundtrack. Her singing throws a brilliant light on a story that is full of telling the truth, exposing obscure pasts, and celebrating all the joy you find when you deliberately go back to your roots.
According to Billboard.com, Beyoncé is the first black woman to lead country album charts. She is also the first woman to claim the top three positions simultaneously on Hot Country Songs on Billboard.
