Cowboy Carter (also referred to as Act II: Cowboy Carter) is the eighth studio album by American singer and songwriter
Beyoncé, released on March 29, 2024, via
Parkwood Entertainment and
Columbia Records. A
concept album, Cowboy Carter is the second of a planned trilogy of albums, following Renaissance (2022). Beyoncé conceived Cowboy Carter as a journey through a reinvention of
Americana, spotlighting the overlooked contributions of Black pioneers to
American musical and
cultural history.
Cowboy Carter was met with universal acclaim upon release; critics felt that the album's genre experimentation, expansive scope, and eclectic references aided an ambitious reimagining of Americana and country through the lens of their Black roots. The album ignited discussions on Black musicians' place within country music, boosted the listenership of Black country artists and
country radio in general, and increased the popularity of
Western wear and
culture.
Cowboy Carter debuted at number one in several countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, and broke several chart and streaming records. In the United States, Cowboy Carter became Beyoncé's eighth consecutive number-one album on the
Billboard 200 and the first album by a black woman to top the
Top Country Albums chart. Two co-lead singles — "
Texas Hold 'Em" and "
16 Carriages" — supported the album, with the former becoming Beyoncé's ninth number one single in the United States and the first country song by a Black woman to top the
Billboard Hot 100 and
Hot Country Songs charts. The
Miley Cyrus-duet, "
II Most Wanted", was released as the third single.
Background and development
Beyoncé was born and raised in
Houston, where the city's
cowboy heritage and
country and
zydeco music played a role in her upbringing.[9][10] She listened to country music from an early age, particularly from her paternal grandfather, and her family attended the
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo every year in
western clothing.[11] She performed at the Rodeo four times between 2001 and 2007, and has continued to celebrate her country and
Southern roots throughout her career.[12][13][14][15][16]
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.
In 2007, Beyoncé performed a
bluegrass-inspired version of her song "
Irreplaceable" with country duo
Sugarland at the
American Music Awards.[18] She first released an original country song in 2016: the track "
Daddy Lessons" on her sixth studio album Lemonade.[19] Beyoncé, together with
the Chicks (who had previously covered the song), performed the track at the
50th Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 2, 2016. The performance was largely praised by critics and gave the
Country Music Association Awards their highest viewership in history; however, it was also met with backlash, with some country music fans criticizing Beyoncé's attendance and claiming she did not belong in the genre. The
Country Music Association deleted all promotional posts about Beyoncé's performance, which was seen by some observers as succumbing to the pressure from conservative and racist viewers.[20][21] In December 2016,
The Recording Academy's country music committee rejected "Daddy Lessons" for consideration for a
Grammy Award, with publications reporting that the song was not seen as being "country enough".[22][23]
This experience led to the creation of Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé explained how it was made clear to her that she was not welcome in the country music space, which encouraged her to explore the musical history of the genre rather than letting the critics force her out of it. She delved into the history of country music and
Western culture and researched its African-American roots. She studied "our rich musical archive" and learned from educators who had long advocated for a re-education on the black roots of country music. She also read that, historically, half of cowboys were black, which made her realize how much of the Black, brown and Native cowboy stories are missing in American history.[24] This was the inspiration for her 2021 "
Ivy Park Rodeo" clothing collection.[17] Following this research, Beyoncé conceived Cowboy Carter as a journey through a reinvention of Americana, in which she redefines its boundaries and spotlights overlooked contributions of African-Americans to diverse musical genres, Southern and Western culture, and American history.[25] Collaborator
Rhiannon Giddens said Beyoncé did not intend to create a typical
crossover country album, but instead wanted to explore her family's roots through music.[26]
Cowboy Carter was over five years in the making. Beyoncé began to write the album in 2019, then recorded during the
COVID-19 pandemic, which she described as her most creative period.[27] The album forms "Act II" of a trilogy project that Beyoncé recorded during this period.[28] 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 explore the Black roots of a different musical genre.[29]Cowboy Carter was originally intended to be released before Renaissance, but Beyoncé changed the order in response to the pandemic.[30]
Between 2020 and 2024,
Dolly Parton often said 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."[31] 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 marvelous day in my life if she ever does do 'Jolene'."[32] After publicly showing her support for Beyoncé's 2024 venture into country in February,[33] 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..."[34][35]
The joy of creating music is that there are no rules. The more I see the world evolving the more I felt 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. 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.
Beyoncé originally intended to release Cowboy Carter as the first installment of a trilogy of albums, but explained that "with the pandemic, there was too much heaviness in the world", and so released Renaissance first, because "[people] deserved to dance."[46] 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
jazzsaxophone record, performing on top of the
Las Vegas Sphere, building an
artificial intelligence (AI) version of herself, launching a "BarBey" (portmanteau of
Barbie and Beyoncé) 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".[47]
Following the broadcast, Beyoncé released a teaser video for Act II on
Instagram.[48] 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".[49][50] 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.[51] Subsequently, the album's two
lead singles, "
Texas Hold 'Em" and "
16 Carriages", were simultaneously made available for digital download and streaming.[52][53] On March 12, Beyoncé announced the album would be titled Cowboy Carter[54] via a teaser poster of a
western saddle with a
sash.[55] 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.[56]
On March 19, 2024, Beyoncé revealed the album cover via Instagram, and said there would be "surprises" and collaborations on the album.[2] On March 20, she revealed a limited edition exclusive cover, wearing a sash that reads "act ii BEYINCÉ", referencing her mother
Tina's generational family surname.[57][58] Taglines and
film stills for the album were projected onto various museums in
New York City.[59] One of these was an unauthorized projection onto the
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, who genially responded by posting
Franz Marc's 1910 painting Three Horses Drinking with the
Texas Hold 'Em-inspired caption "This ain't Texas".[60] Beyoncé also posted
co-ordinates to the museum on her
Instagram story.[61]
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.
On March 27, Beyoncé posted a graphic to Instagram of the album's tracklist inspired by vintage posters from the
Chitlin' Circuit era. It revealed collaborations with Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, as well as a cover of the former's "
Jolene", and "The Linda Martell Show". The latter song references Linda Martell, the first Black woman to achieve commercial success in the country genre.[62]
The
CD release comes in four variants, each with a different rear cover depicting Beyoncé. It was released in Japan on March 29[63] and will be released on April 12 in Europe.[64] After the album's release, fans reported that their pre-ordered physical vinyl and CD copies were missing numerous tracks, with some asking for refunds.[65][66][67]
Cover artwork and title
The Cowboy Carter album cover was shot by Blair Caldwell, a Los Angeles-based photographer who is from Texas. Much like the cover for Renaissance—which saw Beyoncé sitting atop a stationary
disco ball horse—the Cowboy Carter artwork sees Beyoncé atop a
gray horse at a
gallop. She rides the horse while sitting sideways (historically,
sidesaddle riding was associated with high-status women), dressed in red, white and blue clothing, wearing a cowboy hat and a sash reading "Cowboy Carter". She holds the horse's reins in one hand and a large American flag in the other.[68] The imagery is reminiscent of
rodeo queens,[69] who often are asked to carry the American flag in a rodeo
grand entry.[70][71]
The album cover was a topic of discussion and dissection by critics. Francesca T Royster, professor at
DePaul University and author of Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions, wrote: "The aesthetic choice is bold and seems to be signaling the ways that Beyoncé is putting herself into conversations about nationalism, a theme very much central to discourses about country music, patriotism and authenticity, from the times of its origins."[72] Critics suggested a variety of inspirations and allusions for the cover, including
presidential portraits,
Jacques-Louis David's Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1801–1805),
Marina Abramović's The Hero (2001),[68]Kehinde Wiley's Equestrian Portrait of King Philip II (Michael Jackson) (2009), the
Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo,[72] and
Eadweard Muybridge's The Horse in Motion (1878).[69]
The album is titled after a character "Cowboy Carter", who is inspired by the original Black cowboys of the American West. Beyoncé explained: "The word cowboy itself was used in a derogatory way to describe the former slaves as "boys," who were the most skilled and had the hardest jobs of handling horses and cattle, alike. In destroying the negative connotation, what remains is the strength and resiliency of these men who were the true definition of Western fortitude."[25]
Cowboy Carter was met with universal critical acclaim upon release, with some describing it as a "masterpiece".[83][65][84][85][86][87][88] Critics praised Beyoncé's blending of diverse musical genres and vocal performance, and described the album as both a grand political statement and a personal ode to Beyoncé's roots.[89][90][91][92] On the review aggregator website
Metacritic, the album received a
weighted average score of 91 from 100 based on 21 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim", and this is the highest-scored album of 2024 so far.[74]
Critics lauded Cowboy Carter as an exploration and reinvention of
Americana, as well as a celebration of Black southern culture and its contribution to the country music genre. The Atlantic's Spencer Kornhaber and the Evening Standard's Gemma Samways noted that the album experiments with the touchstones and musical traditions of country and Americana in order to explore its Black cultural roots.[93][8] Maria Sherman of the
Associated Press wrote that the "eclectic" and "epic" album "redefines American style" and requires close examination of its references, themes and messages for full enjoyment.[94]HipHopDX's Tai Saint-Louis described the album as a reclamation of both the "deep roots from which Beyoncé has crafted her artistry" and "the many branches that have sprouted from Black music in America".[78]Variety's chief music critic Chris Willman characterized the album as a "piece of
agitprop and socially significant performance art" that both reflects and impacts the history of Black music and country.[95]
Critics commended the album for what they described as its ambitious experimentation with
music genres, with Beyoncé reimagining country music in her image.[96][97][98][99][100]Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph felt the album pushed the boundaries of genres and mixed diverse musical styles as a polemic against the conservatism of the country genre.[76]Clash and Billboard characterized the album as an
ethnomusicological study that venerates the breadth of musical subcultures of the American South,[101][102] while The New York Times critic
Ben Sisario described the album as a "broad essay" both on
popular music and on genre as a concept.[103]The Independent's Helen Brown and The Sydney Morning Herald's Robert Moran opined that Beyoncé's genre experimentation is in the service of celebrating the overlooked pioneers of country music while spotlighting up-and-coming Black musicians.[99][79]
Many critics praised the album's "ambitious" scope and "cinematic" grandiosity, likening it to a
Western epic.[8][104][105][106][107][108][109] The Financial Times's Ludovic Hunter-Tilney compared the album to a
blockbusterhistorical epic, with its "impressive, very American aura of importance" and "the sense that history is not only being told but also made".[107]NPR's Sidney Madden equated each of the tracks to a "full-length film full of scenic grandeur, character and conflicts" that can be dissected and discussed.[106] Sisario opined that the album in its entirety works as film, writing that Cowboy Carter is the central character in a narrative about tackling American cultural history.[110] Writing for the roots music journal No Depression, John Amen commented, "While 2022’s Renaissance spotlighted [Beyoncé] as a global MC throwing the party of the decade, Cowboy Carter, framed as Renaissance's Act II, paints her as a torchbearer and synthesist, an auteur equally adept at playing the archivist and the cultural midwife."[111] Some critics felt that the album would fare better if it were split by musical style.[105] Petridis wrote that while the album may have worked better as a double-disc, "its wild lurches into
eclecticism are the point" and demonstrates Beyoncé's "impressive" ability to "bend musical styles to her will".[40]
Commercial performance
Cowboy Carter landed Beyoncé her biggest streaming week ever and broke streaming records on several platforms.[112][113] On
Spotify, the album became one of the most-streamed albums in a single day in 2024, the biggest debut of the year for a country album, and the biggest debut ever for any album by a black woman, with over 76 million streams globally in its first day.[114] Each track debuted with an average of 2.8 million streams on the platform.[115]Cowboy Carter also marks the most first-day streams for a country album by a female artist in the history of
Amazon Music.[116]
United States
Cowboy Carter also broke several chart records.[117] In the United States, Cowboy Carter debuted at number one on the
Billboard 200, with 407,000
album-equivalent units. In doing so, Beyoncé became the first woman and second artist overall to debut her first eight albums at number one. Cowboy Carter debuted at number one on the
Americana/Folk Albums,
Top Album Sales, and
Top Country Albums charts, making Beyoncé the first Black woman to have a number-one country album.[113] The album remained atop the Billboard 200 for two weeks, her first multi-week number one since 2013's Beyoncé.[118] All 23 eligible songs on Cowboy Carter debuted on the
Billboard Hot 100, giving African-American country artists Martell, Adell, Kennedy, Roberts, Spencer, Jones and Shaboozey their first chart entries and bringing Beyoncé's career total Hot 100 entries to 106, the
third highest for a female artist.[119] Beyoncé also topped eighteen
Billboard charts the week of Cowboy Carter's release, including the
Artist 100, Hot 100 Songwriters and Hot 100 Producers; she also became the first artist to simultaneously hold the number one positions on both the Top Country Albums and the
Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums charts, with
Renaissance atop the latter.[120]
Internationally
By its fourth day of release, Cowboy Carter was outselling the rest of the week's top five bestselling albums combined in the UK.[121] The album debuted at number one on the
UK Albums Chart selling 40,000 copies in its first week.[122] This became Beyoncé's fifth album to do so as a solo act, and her sixth including
Destiny's Child's discography. The album also debuted at number one on the
Official Vinyl Albums Chart. With "
Texas Hold 'Em" returning to number one on the
UK Singles Chart concurrently with the album's release, Beyoncé topped both charts simultaneously for the first time since Dangerously in Love and "
Crazy in Love" did so in 2003.[123] Beyoncé also became the first black artist to top the UK Charts with a country album and the first artist to simultaneously top the Album Chart and Singles Charts with a country album and a country single.[124]
In Canada, the album debuted at number one on the
Canadian Albums Chart, becoming Beyoncé's fifth album to achieve this as well as her tenth top-ten project in the country. 20 out of 23 eligible songs on Cowboy Carter debuted on the
Canadian Hot 100, giving African-American country artists Martell, Adell, Kennedy, Roberts, Spencer, Jones and Shaboozey their first chart entries and bringing Beyoncé's career total Canadian Hot 100 entries to 84.[125]
In Australia, the album debuted at number one on the
ARIA Albums Chart, becoming the singer's fourth consecutive project to achieve this since
Beyoncé (2013). It also became the first country genre album by a female artist to top the chart since 2017, when the top position was occupied by
Shania Twain's
Now.[126] The album remained atop the ARIA Chart for two consecutive weeks.[127]
In Germany, the album debuted atop the
German Albums Chart, becoming Beyoncé's first number one album as a solo artist since Dangerously in Love topped the chart in 2003.[128]
Impact
Cowboy Carter had a significant impact on music, fashion, business and culture, with Stevie Wonder and Variety's Chris Willman suggesting it may be the most-discussed album of the 21st century.[129][130][131][132][133]Cowboy Carter was widely discussed in the media following its release, with all major news networks broadcasting features exploring the impact of the album.[134][135][136][137][138]CNN released a documentary on
Max titled Call Me Country: Beyoncé & Nashville's Renaissance, which explores the album's impact on the country music landscape and the inclusion of black artists within the genre.[139] An episode of Nightline focused on the album and its impact on the country music space.[140]
Cowboy Carter increased public interest in country music and made it more accessible to new audiences, with publications describing the album as "a cultural shift", "a watershed moment" and "a tipping point" in the genre's history.[141][142][143][144][133] The album was said to redefine what it means to be a country artist, with BBC News commenting that it will "open the floodgates" for other country musicians.[144][145]Cowboy Carter sparked discourse on the boundaries of the country music genre and its roots within Black music, igniting discussions on the inclusion of Black artists within the genre.[146][147][130][148][149][141][142][143] Publications reported that the album aided a reclamation of country identity and
western culture by black people.[149][150]
Linda Martell, who was the first commercially successful Black female country artist, saw a 127,430 percent increase in streams of her music after featuring on the album.[151] Other Black female country musicians also saw a significant increase in streams due to the album, such as
Reyna Roberts (250%),
Rissi Palmer (110%),
Tanner Adell (188%) and
K. Michelle (185%),[152] while
Adia Victoria,
Amira Unplugged,
Brittney Spencer,
Mickey Guyton, Rhiannon Giddens, and
Sacha Visagie also saw increases in their music sales. Black-led country organizations such as the
Black Opry also received a significant increase in followers.[153] According to NPR's Amanda Marie Martínez writes, the album revealed the "strong demand" for country music made by Black artists and a "growing community" of Black country fans.[145] In The Tennessean, Andrea Williams opined that Beyoncé opened the door for others in country music, proving Black songwriters, producers, and musicians belong in the genre.[154]
Cowboy Carter received extensive praise from musicians.[155]Stevie Wonder declared Cowboy Carter a "masterpiece" that is "changing music and culture".[156]Paul McCartney,
Nancy Sinatra and Martell all praised the album and shared their pride of receiving the "honor" of contributing to the album.[157][155][158]Jon Batiste characterized the album as "a work of such unimaginable impact and artistic firepower by a once in a generation artist" and thanked Beyoncé for allowing him to be a part of it. Batiste described the album as the moment "where we dismantle the genre machine", adding: "When many leading artists see a similar vision at the same time, that's when you know a major shift is happening. A new era, long time coming. Let's liberate ourselves from genre and break the barriers that marginalize who we are and the art that we create."[159] Country musicians such as
Dolly Parton,[160][161]Reba McEntire,[162]Brandi Carlile,[163]Melissa Etheridge,[164]Luke Bryan,[165]Jelly Roll,[166]Darius Rucker,[167]Lainey Wilson,[168]Maren Morris,[169]Mickey Guyton,[170] and
Sugarland[171] all praised the album and Beyoncé's venture into country music. Country singer-songwriter
Carlene Carter, daughter of
June Carter Cash, released a statement praising Cowboy Carter and describing Beyoncé as part of the
Carter Family, writing: "In my book, she's one of us Carter women and we have always pushed the boundaries by trying whatever music we felt in our hearts and taking spirit-driven risks... I am here to let Beyoncé and all those nay-sayers know that I admire and love her and all she does."[172]Smokey Robinson praised Beyoncé for writing country music and described her as "one of the most talented people to come along in a long, long, long, long time".[173] Multiple celebrities, such as
Kerry Washington,
Kevin Bacon and
Salma Hayek, expressed their anticipation and excitement for the album through social media.[174][175][176]
Cowboy Carter also received praise from political figures. Former First Lady
Michelle Obama posted on social media about Cowboy Carter, writing that the album has "changed the game" by "helping redefine a music genre and transform our culture".[177] Vice President
Kamala Harris also praised the album on social media, writing: "Thank you for reminding us to never feel confined to other people's perspective of what our lane is. You have redefined a genre and reclaimed country music's Black roots. Your music continues to inspire us all."[178]Martin Luther King III expressed his gratitude for Cowboy Carter and described it as "joyous, positive and reaffirming", while his wife Arndrea Waters King called Beyoncé "courageous" for stepping into the country scene and sparking conversation on the origins of country music in the black community.[179] Other politicians who praised the album include Michigan Governor
Gretchen Whitmer, Wisconsin Governor
Tony Evers and Texas Congressman
Colin Allred.[180]
Beyoncé's embrace of country music and culture further ignited fashion trends and boosted sales of
Western wear.[181][182][183][184][185] Google searches for "
bolo tie", "
cowboy hat", and "
cowboy boots" surged following the announcement of the album.[186][187] Units sold of boots jumped by 45 percent in the US due to the album.[188] In the UK, a national survey found that 60% of respondents have started listening to country music following the release of Cowboy Carter, while 25% of respondents have taken up
line dancing and 40% have started wearing Western clothing.[189]
In reference to the 17th track of the album, "Levii's Jeans", the American clothing company
Levi Strauss & Co. (Levi's) added a second letter i to its name and logo on Instagram.[190][191] The company reported a 20% boost on their
stock price and saw an additional 1.5 billion impressions following the release of the album.[192][193] Levi's also noted a 20% rise in footfall at US stores after the release of the album, while British retailer
John Lewis & Partners reported that searches for "women's Levi's jeans" were up 263% since the record was announced.[194] Levi Strauss CFO Harmit Singh described Beyoncé as "the center of culture, the cultural czar", adding: "We are humbled and honored that she chose us to talk about our brand."[193]
Following the release of Cowboy Carter, ridesharing company
Uber offered 16% off to riders who use the code "16CARRIAGES", a reference to a song on the album.[195] In response,
Lyft offered its riders 50% off with the code "SPAGHETTI24", another reference to a song on the album.[196] Lyft also changed images of cars on its map to white horses as a reference to the Cowboy Carter album cover.[197][174]
contains excerpts from "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)", written by
Shawn Carter, Michael Price, and Dan Walsh and performed by
Jay-Z, as well as Jay-Z's performance of the song on MTV Unplugged.
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