Beyoncé unveiled the cover art for her highly anticipated album, 'Cowboy Carter,' and clarified in a lengthy message that this 'ain't a country album.'
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood
Beyoncé‘s upcoming country album is not a country album, the 32-time Grammy Award winner clarified in a new Instagram post. The name of her album, Cowboy Carter surprised fans, who dubbed the album Renaissance Act II after Queen Bey teased her new music in a Verizon commercial during Super Bowl LVIII on February 11. After the commercial aired, Bey announced the album's release date on her Instagram — and then she dropped two new songs that are both featured on Renaissance Act II!
“This album has been over five years in the making,” she revealed in her Instagram caption on March 19. “It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed … and it was very clear that I wasn't. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archive. 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.”
Beyoncé also explained that the “criticisms” she has faced over the years “forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” adding that “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 have a few surprises on the album, and have collaborated with some brilliant artists who I deeply respect,” she continued before explaining, “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. This is Act II COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y'all!”
With the new record coming soon, fans have been speculating about a lot of details for the album. Below is everything you need to know about Beyoncé's upcoming album, Cowboy Carter.
When Does Beyonce's Country Album Come Out?
Cowboy Carter will be released on Friday, March 29. Bey confirmed the release date in an Instagram video promoting the new album on Super Bowl Sunday.
What Songs Are On Beyonce's Country Album?
Beyoncé hasn't unveiled the full track list for the album, but she did release the two lead singles: “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.” Both songs are country-themed, seemingly as an homage to Beyoncé's Texas roots. On February 20, Billboard dropped the news that “Texas Hold ‘Em” landing on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 2, and “16 Carriages” made the list at number 38. The former landed at number one on the Hot Country List, and the latter at number 9.
She makes history as the first Black woman to top the country charts.
Beyonce at the 2024 Grammy Awards (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
What Has Beyonce Said About Her Country Album?
Beyoncé first teased Cowboy Carter in the Verizon commercial that aired during the 2024 Super Bowl. The ad features Bey enacting several publicity stunts to crash Verizon's 5G feature. She eventually resorts to “drop[ping] the new music.”
After the commercial aired, Beyoncé released the first teaser video for the album on Instagram. It features the “Halo” singer driving a taxi cab through Texas. A group of people look up to see a billboard of Beyoncé waving in a country hat, as her vocals in a country twang play in the background. After she drives away, the screen cuts to black to reveal the album's release date (March 29).
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Beyoncé also dropped two cover art images for the album. The first shows Beyoncé wearing a black blazer with a metallic cup bra and matching underwear, as well as a black cowboy hat and massive silver earrings. The second cover art image is in-black-and-white, featuring Beyoncé in a black cowboy hat and a black Western-style shirt.
Beyoncé previously spoke about her three-part Renaissance project in Harper's Bazaar's September 2021 cover story. “I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible,” she said. “I've been in the studio for a year and a half. Sometimes it takes a year for me to personally search through thousands of sounds to find just the right kick or snare. One chorus can have up to 200 stacked harmonies. Still, there's nothing like the amount of love, passion, and healing that I feel in the recording studio. After 31 years, it feels just as exciting as it did when I was nine years old. Yes, the music is coming!”
In a February 16, 2024, Instagram post, Bey's mom Tina Knowles also had something to say about the album. “We have always celebrated Cowboy Culture growing up in Texas,” she wrote. “We also always understood that it was not just about it belonging to White culture only. In Texas there is a huge black cowboy culture. Why do you think that my kids have integrated it into their fashion and art since the beginning.”
She added, “When people ask why is Beyonce wearing cowboy hats? It's really funny, I actually laugh because it's been there since she was a kid, we went to rodeos every year and my whole family dressed in western fashion. Solange did a whole brilliant Album and Project based on Black Cowboy Culture. It definitely was a part of our culture growing up.”
In a March 19 Instagram caption, Bey clarified that Cowboy Carter “ain't a country album,” but rather a “Beyoncé album” and features a few “surprises” for her fans.
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Does Beyonce Have Any Collaborators on Her New Album?
While details about any possible features on the full track list are still set to come, a new popular fan theory surfaced once it was revealed that Queen B was making a country album. Some fans believed that Taylor Swift might be making an appearance, given her country roots. Unfortunately for both fanbases, a source close to the situation revealed that the Midnights singer isn't making an appearance in a report from Entertainment Weekly. Still, there's plenty of room for other features, and the Beyhive will just have to wait and see!
