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Cowboy Carter
Cover of the digital and streaming edition
Studio album by
Beyoncé
ReleasedMarch 29, 2024
Recorded2019–2024
Label
Producer
Beyoncé chronology
Renaissance
(2022) 		Cowboy Carter
(2024)
Singles from Cowboy Carter
  1. "Texas Hold 'Em"
    Released: February 11, 2024
  2. "16 Carriages"
    Released: February 11, 2024

Cowboy Carter (also referred to as Act II: Cowboy Carter or simply Act II[1]) is the upcoming eighth studio album by American singer Beyoncé, scheduled to be released on March 29, 2024, via Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. A record influenced by country music, it is the second installment of Beyoncé's trilogy project conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, following Renaissance (2022).

The album was announced on February 11, 2024, following a teaser in a Verizon commercial aired during Super Bowl LVIII that starred Beyoncé and actor Tony Hale. Beyoncé also announced the album's release date via social media and simultaneously released the album's dual lead singles, "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages".

Background

Beyoncé first released country music with the track "Daddy Lessons" on Lemonade (2016).[2] A remix featuring the Chicks was released as a promotional single on November 2, 2016,[3] and they performed the song together at the 50th annual Country Music Association Awards. Some country music fans criticized Beyoncé's attendance due to, as Alex Abad-Santos of Vox wrote, "Beyoncé's liberal-leaning politics [...] some of it was rooted in her perceived lack of country cred, and some of it was downright racist."[4] The Country Music Association (CMA) deleted promotional posts about Beyoncé's performance, which caused online backlash as many concluded this was done to mitigate criticism. The CMA denied such motivation, stating that Beyoncé's team had requested the removal of a promotional clip before the performance and that they provided their own documentation of the performance.[5] In December 2016, Lemonade received nine Grammy nominations, but "Daddy Lessons" was allegedly rejected by the Recording Academy's country music committee.[6]

Beyoncé was interested in country; I think she had a really bad experience at a country music award show, and she wanted to research its African-American roots. She discovered that 50 per cent of cowboys were Black, in the 19th and early 20th century, and country music, of course, has been largely appropriated. She wanted to reappropriate Americana and country music from a Black perspective, hence the cowboys and why they are wearing red. They are her eliding those two ideas of redlining in those towns and the cowboys. She made a series of extraordinary films during lockdown [not] out yet.

— Es Devlin speaking to British Vogue in November 2023.[7]

In August of 2021, Beyoncé told Harper's Bazaar that her "Ivy Park Rodeo" collection was inspired by growing up in Texas and American history, specifically the "overlooked history of the American Black cowboy".[8] In an exclusive with The Houston Chronicle, she said "after understanding where the word ‘cowboy’ came from, I realized how much of the Black, brown and Native cowboy stories are missing in American history."[9]

I grew up going to the Houston rodeo every year. It was this amazing diverse and multicultural experience where there was something for every member of the family, including great performances, Houston-style fried Snickers, and fried turkey legs. One of my inspirations came from the overlooked history of the American Black cowboy. Many of them were originally called cowhands, who experienced great discrimination and were often forced to work with the worst, most temperamental horses. They took their talents and formed the Soul Circuit. Through time, these Black rodeos showcased incredible performers and helped us reclaim our place in western history and culture.

— Beyoncé to Harper's Bazaar in 2021.[8]

Between 2020 and 2024, Dolly Parton said on multiple occasions that she would like Beyoncé to cover her song "Jolene". She first said that "nobody's ever had a really big hit record on ['Jolene']," in a December 5, 2020 interview with The Big Issue. She said that even though "the song has been recorded worldwide over 400 times in lots of different languages, by lots of different bands, [she'd] always hoped somebody might do [it] someday, someone like Beyoncé."[10] On March 10, 2022, when asked by Trevor Noah on The Daily Show about her 2020 statement, she said "I would just love to hear 'Jolene' done in just a big way, kind of like how Whitney did my 'I Will Always Love You', just someone that can take my little songs and make them like powerhouses. That would be a marvellous day in my life if she ever does do 'Jolene'."[11] After publicly showing her support for Beyoncé's 2024 venture into country in February,[12] on March 8, 2024, in an interview with Knox News for the 2024 season opening of Dollywood, Parton said "I think she's recorded 'Jolene' and I think it's probably gonna be on her country album, which I'm very excited about..."[13][14]

Promotion and release

Cowboy Carter is the second installment of a trilogy Beyoncé recorded throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which she described as her most creative period.[15] The first act, Renaissance (2022), is primarily a house and disco record highlighting and celebrating the Black progenitors of dance music, leading some to believe that each album of the trilogy would aim to reclaim a genre that was first pioneered by Black artists.[16] The then-untitled album was first announced on February 11, 2024, during Super Bowl LVIII, when Verizon Communications aired a Super Bowl commercial, titled "Can't B Broken", in which Beyoncé tried to "break the Internet" through increasingly outlandish means, such as releasing a jazz saxophone record, performing on top of the Las Vegas Sphere, building an AI version of herself, launching a "Barbey" doll collection, announcing her candidacy for a fictional political position, and flying into space for a performance. After all of the ideas proved unsuccessful, Beyoncé concluded the commercial by remarking: "Okay, they ready. Drop the new music".[17]

Following the broadcast, Beyoncé released a teaser video for Act II on Instagram.[18] Directed by British artist and filmmaker Nadia Lee Cohen, the video pays homage to Paris, Texas (1984), references border blasters and features Chuck Berry's 1955 track "Maybellene".[19][20] The same day, the singer's official website was updated to announce her eighth studio album, with the placeholder name Act II, scheduled for release on March 29.[21] Subsequently, the album's two lead singles, "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages", were simultaneously made available for digital download and streaming.[22][23] On March 12, Beyoncé announced the album would be titled Cowboy Carter[24] via a teaser poster of a western saddle with a sash.[25] With this she listed album merchandise of limited-edition CDs with a bonus track, T-shirts, and vinyl variants in red, white, blue and standard black.[26]

On March 19, 2024, Beyoncé revealed the album cover via Instagram, and said there would be "surprises" and collaborations on the album.[27]

This album has been over five years in the making. [...] 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 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.

— Beyoncé via Instagram in March 2024.[27]

References

  1. ^ Beyoncé [@beyonce] (March 19, 2024). "act ii COWBOY CARTER 3.29". Retrieved March 19, 2024 – via Instagram.
  2. ^ Kingsberry, Janay (February 12, 2024). "Beyoncé's new country songs salute the genre's Black cultural roots". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  3. ^ "Daddy Lessons featuring the Dixie Chicks". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  4. ^ Abad-Santos, Alex (November 4, 2016). "Beyoncé, the CMAs, and the fight over country music's politics, explained". Vox. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  5. ^ Coscarelli, Joe (November 3, 2016). "Beyoncé's CMA Awards Performance Becomes the Target of Backlash". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  6. ^ "Beyonce's 'Daddy Lessons' Rejected by Grammy Country Committee". Billboard. December 7, 2016. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Mukhtar, Amel (November 4, 2023). "How Es Devlin Set The Stage For Beyoncé's Renaissance, The Compton Super Bowl, And Her Galactic New Book". British Vogue. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Greenidge, Kaitlyn (August 10, 2021). "Beyoncé's Evolution". Harper's Bazaar. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  9. ^ "Exclusive: Beyoncé announces clothing line inspired by Black cowboys, Houston Rodeo memories". Houston Chronicle. August 6, 2021. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  10. ^ Garcia, Elisa (March 13, 2022). "Dolly Parton Really Wants Beyoncé to Cover "Jolene," and Her Reason Makes So Much Sense". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  11. ^ Mateos, Ingrid (March 21, 2022). "Dolly Parton Reveals She Really Wants Beyoncé to Cover 'Jolene'". Show News Today. Archived from the original on March 27, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  12. ^ Mendez, Malia (February 23, 2024). "Dolly Parton praises Beyoncé's country debut: 'Can't wait to hear the full album'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  13. ^ Kaufman, Gil (March 11, 2024). "Dolly Parton Thinks Beyoncé Covered One of Her Country Classics For 'Act II' Album: 'I Love Her!'". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  14. ^ Turner, Devarrick (March 11, 2024). "Will Dolly Parton be on Beyoncé's new country album? Here's what Dolly had to say". Knox News. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  15. ^ "Beyonce announces country-themed album and drops two singles". Yahoo! News. February 12, 2024. Archived from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  16. ^ Thorpe, Clare (February 12, 2024). "Super Bowl 2024 announcement: Why Beyoncé is reclaiming country music". BBC. Archived from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  17. ^ Gonzales, Erica (February 11, 2024). "Beyoncé Is Bound to Break the Internet Again With Her Super Bowl Commercial". Elle. Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  18. ^ "Renaissance Act II: Beyoncé announces new album in Super Bowl advert". BBC News. February 12, 2024. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  19. ^ Squires, Bethy (February 12, 2024). "Everything We Know About Beyoncé's Renaissance Act II, Y'all". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  20. ^ Renshaw, David (February 12, 2024). "Beyoncé announces new album, shares two country songs". The Fader. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  21. ^ Sisario, Ben (February 11, 2024). "Beyoncé Announces New Album in Super Bowl Commercial". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  22. ^ Chelosky, Daniella (February 11, 2024). "Beyoncé Surprise Drops New Songs "Texas Hold 'Em" & "16 Carriages" Following Super Bowl Commercial". Stereogum. Archived from the original on February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  23. ^ Denis, Kyle (February 11, 2024). "Beyoncé Drops 2 New Songs, Unveils Act II Release Date: Here's When It Arrives". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  24. ^ Garcia, Thania (March 12, 2024). "Beyoncé Reveals New Album Title: 'Act II: Cowboy Carter'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  25. ^ "Cowboy Carter Limited Edition Cover Vinyl (Blue)". UK: Beyoncé. March 12, 2024. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  26. ^ Mary, Thompson (March 12, 2024). "Beyonce reveals 'Cowboy Carter' is the title of her upcoming album". ABC News. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  27. ^ a b Strauss, Matthew (March 19, 2024). "Beyoncé Reveals Cowboy Carter Artwork, Shares Statement on New Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cowboy_Carter&oldid=1214735365