Cowboy Carter: Beyoncé’s stinging riposte
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Cowboy Carter: Beyoncé’s stinging riposte

Live Mint  

Over the past decade or so, no major artist has done as much to expand our notion of what a pop album could do than Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Cowboy Carter, her eighth album and the second in the trilogy, continues in the same vein, but applies Beyoncé’s critical, historically revisionist to country and Americana, both scenes with rich black histories that nonetheless remain strictly white-coded. Five years in the making, Cowboy Carter is Beyoncé’s stinging riposte, a richly annotated critique of the country music establishment. For her cover of The Beatles’ Blackbird—inspired by the struggles of black students during school desegregation—she drafts four young black country singers to accompany her, their presence a shot across the CMA’s bow. Outlaw country legend Willie Nelson gives radio-DJ style spoken word intros to two songs—the boogie and hoedown referencing stomp Texas Hold Em, and Just For Fun, a gospel-indebted track about time healing wounds that also features young black country musician Willie Jones.

Music Black Country Country Music Album Beyoncé Carter Cma Pop Cowboy Carter Cowboy  country  riposte  cowboy  album  music  beyoncés  carter  stinging  black  history  beyoncé  pop

History of this topic

The Best Albums Of 2024: Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter,' Charli XCX's 'Brat' And More
4 weeks ago

The Best Albums Of 2024: Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter,' Charli XCX's 'Brat' And More

Huff Post  

Illustration: HuffPost; Photos: Columbia Records, Parkwood, Hot Girl Productions, Warner Music Group, PG Lang, Interscope Records, Getty In a lot of ways, 2024 became the year that music changed everything. Bryan Steffy via Getty Images Christina Aguilera, “The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera” OK, sure, this 25th anniversary compilation isn’t actually a full album nor is it new music. MICHAEL …

BoykinZ, the rising country music sister act, are all about connecting
1 month, 3 weeks ago

BoykinZ, the rising country music sister act, are all about connecting

LA Times  

One of my favorite songs of all time is “If You’re Reading This” by country superstar Tim McGraw. Following the song’s debut, McGraw said : “This little 5-year-old blond girl came up and kind of tugged on my shirt and said, you know, ‘You just sang a song about my dad, didn’t you?’ I just hope no matter what side …

Luke Bryan sees no message in Beyoncé’s CMA Awards snub: ‘A lot of great music’s overlooked’
3 months ago

Luke Bryan sees no message in Beyoncé’s CMA Awards snub: ‘A lot of great music’s overlooked’

LA Times  

Luke Bryan is venturing a guess at why Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” was snubbed by the Country Music Assn. The “American Idol” host went on to defend the CMA voting body, saying, “They vote what they think should make it” and inevitably “a lot of great music’s overlooked.” Dolly Parton, who is featured on “Cowboy Carter” in a track titled “Dolly …

Beyonce's 'Cowboy Carter' snubbed by Country Music awards
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Beyonce's 'Cowboy Carter' snubbed by Country Music awards

Raw Story  

Beyonce did not receive a Country Music Association awards nomination when the nods for the 58th edition were announced Monday, even though her "Cowboy Carter" album proved a cultural phenomenon upon release this year. Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" is a full-throated ode to her southern U.S. roots, a rollicking revue that also deals a vital history lesson on the Black lineage …

Beyoncé’s CMA snub comes as no surprise, but it's still upsetting
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Beyoncé’s CMA snub comes as no surprise, but it's still upsetting

Salon  

When Beyoncé's country album dropped earlier this year, she said, "This ain’t a country album. The pop diva made the distinction clear — that even if "Cowboy Carter" could be confided to a genre, it would still be a Beyoncé album. While "Cowboy Carter" smashed records and even catapulted Black country collaborators like Shaboozey, who has been nominated for best …

Beyoncé says something motivates her far more than mere ‘charts and sales’
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Beyoncé says something motivates her far more than mere ‘charts and sales’

The Independent  

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. After the success of her country album Cowboy Carter, …

Tina Knowles, 70, bursts with pride as she brags about daughter Beyonce's 'amazing' twins Rumi and Sir... ahead of their seventh birthday
8 months ago

Tina Knowles, 70, bursts with pride as she brags about daughter Beyonce's 'amazing' twins Rumi and Sir... ahead of their seventh birthday

Daily Mail  

Beyonce's mom Tina Knowles is one proud grandmother. The designer, 70, has opened up about her twin grandchildren Rumi and Sir, who will turn seven June 13 Knowles said Rumi, almost seven, is following in her mom's and big sister Blue Ivy's footsteps. 'Rumi is amazing—an amazing artist, painter and creator,' she gushed Rumi recently made music history, appearing on …

Country Artist Tiera Kennedy Talks Forging Her Own Path After Boost From Beyoncé
8 months ago

Country Artist Tiera Kennedy Talks Forging Her Own Path After Boost From Beyoncé

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Tiera Kennedy will always look back on the first half of 2024 as the start of an artistic renaissance ― thanks, in part, to a surprise boost from Beyoncé. It wasn’t long, however, before that professional low point gave way to an artistic breakthrough, when she was tapped by Beyoncé to appear on “Cowboy Carter,” the 32-time …

Beyoncé is bringing her fans of color to country music. Will they be welcomed in?
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Beyoncé is bringing her fans of color to country music. Will they be welcomed in?

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Dusty, worn boots. I don’t know that it’s a country music happening because that would mean the industry would have to do something…I think it’s one of those cultural moments for Black people, specifically Black women,” said country artist Rissi Palmer, host of the Apple Music radio show Color Me Country which has created a centralized community …

Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' is a portrait of the artist getting joyously weird
8 months, 4 weeks ago

Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' is a portrait of the artist getting joyously weird

NPR  

Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' is a portrait of the artist getting joyously weird Enlarge this image toggle caption Mason Poole/Courtesy of the artist Mason Poole/Courtesy of the artist This essay first appeared in the NPR Music newsletter. Rich with strings and gorgeous melodies and rife with punnily poetical lines like, "Nowadays a Yankee dread not take his time to wend to …

Beyoncé becomes first Black woman to hit No. 1 on Billboard country albums chart
8 months, 4 weeks ago

Beyoncé becomes first Black woman to hit No. 1 on Billboard country albums chart

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Beyoncé has made history once again. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart, making her the first Black woman to top the chart since its 1964 inception. According to Luminate, the industry data and analytics company, “Cowboy Carter” totaled 407,000 equivalent album units, a combination of pure album sales and on-demand streams, earned in the U.S. in …

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter highlights the long history of Texas' Black cowboy culture
9 months ago

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter highlights the long history of Texas' Black cowboy culture

BBC  

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter highlights the long history of Texas' Black cowboy culture Getty Images Beyoncé's album Cowboy Carter delves into the Black country music genre, revisiting her own country roots in Houston, Texas Anyone confused about Beyoncé's newest foray into the country genre has only to visit her home state of Texas to learn about Black Cowboy culture. Though Beyonce …

Beyoncé 'Cowboy Carter' Review: People Are Missing The Point
9 months ago

Beyoncé 'Cowboy Carter' Review: People Are Missing The Point

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING It’s hard to fully review an album only released days ago during a major holiday weekend, but I can confidently acknowledge being blown away by “Cowboy Carter,” which has been on repeat, of course. True to her word, “this isn’t a country album, it is a Beyoncé album.” Despite my praise for “Cowboy Carter,” some of Beyoncé‘s …

Why Cowboy Carter is Beyoncé’s most divisive album yet
9 months ago

Why Cowboy Carter is Beyoncé’s most divisive album yet

Slate  

On this week’s show, the panel is first joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to dissect Beyoncé’s latest album, Cowboy Carter. Released on March 29th, Cowboy Carter is a 27-track behemoth with a country soul, packed with archival footage and songs that span multiple genres. To call it a country album would be too simplistic, so we’ll stick with …

Beyonce sends message to the music industry about 'enjoying art with no preconceived notions' - and gives family a shout-out at iHeartRadio Awards
9 months ago

Beyonce sends message to the music industry about 'enjoying art with no preconceived notions' - and gives family a shout-out at iHeartRadio Awards

Daily Mail  

Beyonce has urged the music industry to be 'more open to joy and liberation that comes from enjoying art with no preconceived notions' - as she gave her family a sweet shoutout at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Beyonce's remarks comes after she dropped her first-ever country album, Cowboy Carter, which was met with success. Beyonce has urged the music industry …

The power of Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ isn’t its country twang. It’s her imagination, unlocked
9 months, 1 week ago

The power of Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ isn’t its country twang. It’s her imagination, unlocked

LA Times  

A costume, an accent, a narrative mode, a homecoming: For Beyoncé, country music is all that on “Cowboy Carter,” the pop superstar’s boot-scooting blowout of a new studio album. Determined as always to introduce her work on her own terms, Beyoncé wrote on Instagram before the LP’s release on Friday that “Cowboy Carter” was “born out of an experience that …

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ has Texas hold on ’em Spotify and Amazon streaming records
9 months, 1 week ago

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ has Texas hold on ’em Spotify and Amazon streaming records

LA Times  

There’s a lot of talkin’ goin’ on about “Cowboy Carter,” including news that Beyoncé’s twangy release broke multiple streaming records just days after its release. The 32-time Grammy winner’s “Cowboy Carter” dropped late Thursday evening, but has already set numerous milestones for both Spotify and Amazon Music, the platforms shared over the weekend. “Cowboy Carter” may spotlight Beyoncé’s years-long relationship …

The lost history of Linda Martell, a pioneering country artist who helped shape “Cowboy Carter”
9 months, 1 week ago

The lost history of Linda Martell, a pioneering country artist who helped shape “Cowboy Carter”

Salon  

Country music's history is just as vast and varied as its genre's tastemakers and icons. The country music pioneer is featured on the album in two songs: "Spaghettii" and "The Linda Martell Show." Most importantly, Martell is a Black country musician who is receiving her flowers decades after she was entirely blackballed by Nashville's overwhelmingly white and racist country music …

Beyonce just dropped the most exciting country album of the year. What a pity Nashville didn’t want it
9 months, 1 week ago

Beyonce just dropped the most exciting country album of the year. What a pity Nashville didn’t want it

The Independent  

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But just 10 days before Cowboy Carter’s release, Beyoncé …

Beyoncé Cowboy Carter album review: If you were expecting country, think again.
9 months, 1 week ago

Beyoncé Cowboy Carter album review: If you were expecting country, think again.

Slate  

Can’t say she didn’t warn us: As per her Instagram message last week, Cowboy Carter, the Act II sequel to 2022’s Renaissance, is a Beyoncé album, not a country album. “Texas Hold ’Em,” the advance single that last month made Beyoncé the first Black woman to rise to the top of a Billboard country chart, is musically still by far …

Music Review: Beyoncé's epic 'Act ll: Cowboy Carter' defies categorization, redefines American style
9 months, 1 week ago

Music Review: Beyoncé's epic 'Act ll: Cowboy Carter' defies categorization, redefines American style

Hindustan Times  

LOS ANGELES — “Nothin’ really ends / For things to stay the same they have to change again,” Beyoncé sings on “Act ll: Cowboy Carter,” the opening lines of the opening track, “Ameriican Requim.” HT Image “Them big ideas, yeah, are buried here / Amen.” In some ways, it is a mission statement for the epic 78-minute, 27-track release — …

Music Review: Beyoncé's epic ‘Act ll: Cowboy Carter’ defies categorization, redefines American style
9 months, 1 week ago

Music Review: Beyoncé's epic ‘Act ll: Cowboy Carter’ defies categorization, redefines American style

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — “Nothin’ really ends / For things to stay the same they have to change again,” Beyoncé sings on “Act ll: Cowboy Carter,” the opening lines of the opening track, “Ameriican Requiem.” “Them big ideas, yeah, are buried here / Amen.” In some ways, it is a mission statement for the epic 78-minute, 27-track release — or at …

Music Review: Beyoncé's epic 'Act ll: Cowboy Carter' defies categorization, redefines American style
9 months, 1 week ago

Music Review: Beyoncé's epic 'Act ll: Cowboy Carter' defies categorization, redefines American style

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Beyoncé review, Cowboy Carter: Her hands are on the reins of every country music trope
9 months, 1 week ago

Beyoncé review, Cowboy Carter: Her hands are on the reins of every country music trope

The Independent  

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Already, the irresistible chaps-slapper of “Texas Hold ’Em” has …

Beyonce in her own words: Singer says Cowboy Carter is 'best album' she has made adding there are 'no rules' when creating music as she enters country genre
9 months, 1 week ago

Beyonce in her own words: Singer says Cowboy Carter is 'best album' she has made adding there are 'no rules' when creating music as she enters country genre

Daily Mail  

Beyonce shared her thoughts on her new album Cowboy Carter on Friday morning. The Texas-born star said her first country album is the best she has ever made 'The joy of creating music is that there are no rules,' said Beyonce. 'The more I see the world evolving the more I felt a deeper connection to purity' The mother of …

Beyoncé releases Cowboy Carter: Tracklist, guest features and everything we know
9 months, 1 week ago

Beyoncé releases Cowboy Carter: Tracklist, guest features and everything we know

The Independent  

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Despite this achievement, the country music industry – notoriously …

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Isn’t The First Or Last Black Country Album
9 months, 1 week ago

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Isn’t The First Or Last Black Country Album

Huff Post  

Created in April 2021, Black Opry has become “a home for Black artists and Black fans of country, blues, folk and Americana," and brings Black talent to stages all over the country. Jason Davis via Getty Images The Black Opry understands that rather than negotiating for a seat at the table within institutions designed to keep country music white, it’s …

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ reinforces her dedication to Black reclamation — and country music
9 months, 1 week ago

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ reinforces her dedication to Black reclamation — and country music

Firstpost  

If there is a lightning rod country music moment in Beyoncé’s career to date, it’s her performance of “Daddy Lessons” at the 2016 Country Music Awards with The Chicks, six days before Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election First, Beyoncé arrived at the 2024 Grammy Awards in full cowboy regalia — making a statement without saying a word. Beyoncé …

‘Cowboy Carter’: Country crossover artists laud second act of Beyoncé’s album trilogy
9 months, 1 week ago

‘Cowboy Carter’: Country crossover artists laud second act of Beyoncé’s album trilogy

LA Times  

Beyoncé has been crowned rodeo queen. Beyoncé also featured several Black country artists on her emotional cover of the Beatles’ “Blackbird.” Brittney Spencer, Tanner Adell and Tiera Kennedy were among them. You are country.” Although Beyoncé’s list of collaborators on “Cowboy Carter” is long, former country turned pop superstar Taylor Swift is not on it. Beyoncé’s father Matthew Knowles, who …

The biggest takeaways from Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’
9 months, 1 week ago

The biggest takeaways from Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’

LA Times  

Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” is making waves in the country music scene and beyond. The powerful meaning behind the song, coupled with the spotlight on rising Black women in country, make the cover a poignant addition to “Cowboy Carter.” ‘Jolene’ is reinvented with Dolly Parton’s blessing In the most-anticipated and teased collaboration on the album, Beyoncé breathes new life into Parton’s …

In "Cowboy Carter," Beyoncé converts us to the religion of country music
9 months, 1 week ago

In "Cowboy Carter," Beyoncé converts us to the religion of country music

Salon  

"My un-American life," Beyoncé had crooned in the opener in Act I of her "Renaissance" project. Breaking down "Cowboy Carter" In her long-awaited journey into the genre, Beyoncé acts as a country music purist as she sits behind a curtain, weaving in and out the narrative of her life. An example of this is the pop star's soft cover of …

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ reinforces her dedication to Black reclamation — and country music
9 months, 1 week ago

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ reinforces her dedication to Black reclamation — and country music

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — First, Beyoncé arrived at the 2024 Grammy Awards in full cowboy regalia — making a statement without saying a word. BEYONCÉ, TEXAS AND ‘DADDY LESSONS’ Beyoncé hails from Houston, a city with a rich musical interplay of “blues and country and hip-hop,” says Francesca T. Royster, a DePaul University professor and author of “Black Country Music: Listening …

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’: Rounding up the latest on the new album
9 months, 1 week ago

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’: Rounding up the latest on the new album

LA Times  

The second act of Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” is upon us with the Friday release of “Cowboy Carter.” From a splashy announcement during a Super Bowl LVIII commercial to the album’s first two singles making history atop the country charts, the superstar yet again disrupted long-established traditions in the music industry. The winningest artist in Grammy Awards’ history has two-stepped away from …

Beyonce unveils Cowboy Carter tracklist confirming a cover of Dolly Parton's Jolene as well as a Willie Nelson collaboration
9 months, 1 week ago

Beyonce unveils Cowboy Carter tracklist confirming a cover of Dolly Parton's Jolene as well as a Willie Nelson collaboration

Daily Mail  

Beyoncé is ready to kick off her real-life hoedown as Cowboy Carter inches closer to release. Among the songs is the notable inclusion of a cover of Dolly Parton's 1973 single 'Jolene', which the country icon previously teased. On Wednesday, Beyoncé graced fans with the tracklist for her upcoming debut country album Cowboy Carter, which drops on March 29 Among …

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ comes ‘round, ‘round, ‘round this week. Here’s what we know
9 months, 1 week ago

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ comes ‘round, ‘round, ‘round this week. Here’s what we know

LA Times  

Beyoncé in the cover image for her forthcoming album, “Cowboy Carter,” which drops this week. Country music star Carlile said, “Omg she’s swimming out to save country.” Is ‘Cowboy Carter’ a country album? and it was very clear that I wasn’t.” The “Break My Soul” singer did not share more details about her experience but said it prompted her to …

Azealia Banks SLAMS Beyonce in wild rant: Rapper accuses singer of 'being in white woman cosplay' on Cowboy Carter album cover and that she's reinforcing a 'false rhetoric that there is no racism in c
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Azealia Banks SLAMS Beyonce in wild rant: Rapper accuses singer of 'being in white woman cosplay' on Cowboy Carter album cover and that she's reinforcing a 'false rhetoric that there is no racism in c

Daily Mail  

Azealia Banks has accused Beyonce of being in 'white woman cosplay' for her Cowboy Carter album cover as she slammed the 'boring and pretty' superstar in a wild social media rant this week. Azealia Banks has accused Beyonce of being in 'white woman cosplay' for her Cowboy Carter album cover as she slammed the 'boring and pretty' superstar in a …

Beyoncé Says A Bad Experience Inspired New Album — And We Can Guess What It Is
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Beyoncé Says A Bad Experience Inspired New Album — And We Can Guess What It Is

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING With 10 days left until the release of “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé hinted at which major moment in her career inspired her to create the highly anticipated country album. But despite having won 32 Grammys over the course of her career so far, the singer said this country album “was born out of an experience that I had …

Beyonce breaks silence over backlash for going country: Singer unveils Cowboy Carter album cover where she's proudly holding an American flag and says, 'Music can unite so many people around the world
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Beyonce breaks silence over backlash for going country: Singer unveils Cowboy Carter album cover where she's proudly holding an American flag and says, 'Music can unite so many people around the world

Daily Mail  

Beyoncé has unveiled the cover for her hotly anticipated country album Cowboy Carter - while addressing the backlash she received for entering the genre. Beyonce breaks silence over backlash for going country as singer unveils Cowboy Carter album cover where she's proudly holding an American flag She has on a massive silver wig that flutters in the breeze, as well …

This Is What It Took For An Oklahoma Radio Station To Play Beyoncé’s Country Songs
10 months, 3 weeks ago

This Is What It Took For An Oklahoma Radio Station To Play Beyoncé’s Country Songs

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING In true Avengers fashion, the BeyHive assembled to hold an Oklahoma country radio station accountable for initially refusing to play the singer’s new country hits. Sharing a screenshot of the email exchange with the radio station on X, the fan wrote, “I requested ‘Texas Hold ’Em’ at my local country radio station and after requesting, I received …

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