Beyonce brings out her southern charm
Beyonce is not going country; she is delivering the second act of Renaissance with a twist of her Southern culture.
Initially releasing the two-track teasers, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” for her eighth album sparked the rumors of this new album to be headed down the country roads. Both tracks represented different ends of the country music spectrum, providing fans with an idea of what the upcoming album would entail.
After making multiple appearances dressed in a cowboy hat, red, white and blue chaps and riding a horse in various shots, Texas native Beyonce released “Cowboy Carter” on all streaming platforms on March 29.
The 27-track album is a well-done fusion of blues, country, R&B, folk and more. The highly anticipated album features artists such as Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Shaboozey, Willie Jones and, notably, country legends like Linda Martell, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton.
Originally having recorded 100 songs on the album, the track list was cut short to showcase the solid work that encapsulated Black and Southern culture as well as themes of family, faith and freedom.
It was immediately noticed that in the song “Daughter,” featuring her daughter Rumi Carter, Beyonce sings an impressive portion of the 18th-century Italian opera “Caro Mio Ben.” These lyrics are translated to, “My dear beloved/ At least believe me/ Without you my heart languishes.”
The second track on “Cowboy Carter” is titled “Blackbird.” Sound familiar? Well that is because it is a Beyonce cover to The Beatles’ 1968 song. The inspiration behind Paul McCartney and John Lennon writing the song was the American Civil Rights Movements and female emancipation, themes that resonate with Beyonce.
Finally, one of the most distinguishable tracks, with just the title alone, is “Jolene.” The track introducing “Jolene” is none other than Dolly Parton herself in a playful audio message. Beyonce’s rendition of the 1973 hit includes an aggressive yet comedically threatening twist.
“This ain’t a Country album. This a Beyonce album,” she wrote on Instagram.
And just like the other Beyonce albums, “Cowboy Carter” is yet another hit.
The album shattered seven of the major records in a single day.