The New Genre is B-E-Y-O-N-C-É
Cowboy Carter queued up and on repeat.
This album makes it unapologetically clear that Beyoncé is not going to allow herself to be placed in any kind of box. She will make the music that she wants and if you tell her she can’t or think she does not belong, just watch!
Cowboy Carter is history storytelling over beats, banjos, and pedal steel guitars with melodic vocals and bold bars. Queen B gives flowers to Black Country singer of the past, Linda Martell, while bringing other artists into her hive with their own honey and talent, like Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts covering the Beatles’ Blackbird.
Fun fact: the Beatles version of the song actually falls into the Folk genre. Which further reiterates Beyonce’s and Linda Martell’s point that “genres are a funny little concept.”
Creativity should not be contained or controlled. It is fluid and will move how it deems necessary; trickling in like rain or crashing hard against the shore of the person’s life who needs it. Beyoncé also brings in some OG’s: Dolly Parton who gives a nod to Bey’s now infamous track, Sorry, before Beyoncé covers Ms. Parton’s Jolene and Willie Nelson does a great job as a radio DJ/narrator, if you will, of “KNTRY Radio Texas.”
The emotions and vulnerability presented on this project continues to be inspiring especially on tracks like 16 CARRIAGES, DAUGHTER, PROTECTOR, and the opening song AMERIICAN REQUIEM. Then there are the fun and sexy bops SPAGHETTII, DESERT EAGLE, RIIVERDANCE, and TYRANT.
Cowboy Carter is a good time start to finish!
Brittany is a book lover with a continuously expanding To Be Read (TBR) List and her unofficial love language is good food! She lives in an Atlanta suburb with her husband and two daughters.