At a massive and epic scale, the genre bending Cowboy Carter delivers, entertains, wows, and surprises. Beyoncé has defiantly made one of the best, most exciting, and expressive albums not just of the year but in her entire career.
Let's just say Texas-based singer, dancer, and all around icon Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is currently in a renaissance of sorts. Her last album, 2022's Renaissance, is a massive, eclectic smash that celebrates house music in a way that's endearing, while also pushing it to new, exciting lengths all while the music being undoubtedly Beyoncé. Unbeknownst to me until a little while later, it's actually revealed to be the first act of a three-act trilogy with the other two ranging different genres and themes. Now two years later, we have its second act: Cowboy Carter. Appropriately titled as such, Cowboy Carter is a venture into not just country music but its history, cultural significance, and further progression into how the genre's envelope can be pushed. Like Renaissance, Cowboy Carter smartly treats the genre as endearing by celebrating country music as a whole and interpreting it into something new, fresh, and exciting that only an artist like Beyoncé can ambitiously set out to do. I would even argue that Cowboy Carter is even more daring and wild than its predecessor, which is saying something considering how bold that record is.
Spanning over twenty five songs (including the numerous interludes) and almost an hour and a half in total runtime, Cowboy Carter is a huge, ambitious Summer blockbuster to say the very least. At a massive and epic scale, Cowboy Carter delivers, entertains, wows, and surprises all while encouraging multiple listens for an even more rewarding experience. It's even more genre bending than Renaissance or even the huge crossover Lemonade. Folk, traditional pop, balladry, country, hip hop, psychedelia, blues, rock, and more are spread out through this record, covering more than enough of its bases, including some hidden ones. To say that this album is simply a country pop record would be an understatement and an undersell. What also makes this blockbuster entertaining are the guest appearances throughout this record both new and old: Paul McCartney, up and comer (and number one hit maker) Shaboozey, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Post Malone, Miley Cyrus, and Linda Martell, who became the first commercially successful black woman in country music.
To think that with all the interludes, ranging genres, and huge runtime, Cowboy Carter could've easily had some filler or underwhelming moments, but you'd be wrong. It's engaging from front to back, while Beyoncé's strengths as a vocalist and performer are used throughout. "Ameriican Requiem" kicks the album off in a cinematic and harmonious fashion with one of Beyoncé's best vocal performances along with some strangely beautiful psychedelic guitars. And that's no typo, for some reason the track listing features repeated i's... not sure why but it's Beyoncé, so why not? Her rendition of The Beatles' classic "Blackbird" (titled "Blackbiird") is pretty fantastic and unexpectedly uses the band's original recording as its instrumental, while her cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" is also sharply an ode to the original artist's song. I love hearing Beyoncé's vocals prominently over Paul McCartney's original sparse backing instrumental and the numerous harmonies are a great addition. Lead single "16 Carriages" is also fantastic and is one of the album's strongest and most moving highlights. "Bodyguard" is arguably my favorite song on the album where she successfully approaches adult contemporary piano-driven pop into a very charismatic way. Some of the quieter, acoustic folk moments like "Daughter" and "Protector" may not be my favorite moments on the album but they are performed and executed really well nonetheless.
"Alliigator Tears" has some of the best vocals on the record with a very traditional folk charm that's reminiscent of older classics. "Levii's Jeans" is a sharp, bouncy ballad between Texas natives Beyoncé and Post Malone that surprisingly works and gels well with each other. One that probably shouldn't be a surprise would be "II Wanted," which has Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus gloriously singing and harmonizing with each other in an endlessly charming way. Some other songs really go all out on throwing the listener in for a loop. "Spaghettii" is a wild hip hop / country crossover that's bombastic and pure fun, while bringing back elements from her more fiery hip hop songs. "Ya Ya" is absolutely wild and bananas and comes out of nowhere (like a lot of this album) with a more forward rock instrumental that's explosive and surprisingly experimental for a Beyoncé album. Riffing off of The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" was not on my bingo card. "Riiverdance," one of my favorites, is also wild with its super hypnotic psychedelic guitar strumming over a house instrumental. It's absolutely fantastic and I could listen to these guitars on loop for hours. "II Hands II Heaven" is another sharp house-backed song that's more emotionally moving. "Sweet Honey Buckin'" seamlessly blends hip hop with country just like her previously Shaboozey featuring song "Spaghettii" along with "Tryant" featuring the one and only Dolly Parton.
The interludes that are scattered throughout Cowboy Carter surprisingly add a lot to the listening experience, making it even more immersive. Many of these interludes act like radio transmissions with special guests introducing these fictional radio shows such as Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Linda Martell. This is a great surprise since there are typically so many interludes on other records that just end up being skippable filler that add nothing to the overall album. Spanning all of these songs I've mentioned, I could say so much more about Cowboy Carter because there is so much to unpack. Many details and themes are placed throughout that's smart, thoughtful, and thoroughly executed. Every time you listen from start to finish, it's seamless which is so shocking considering its massive runtime and vast genres she's playing with. The album's thematic ode to country music and its history, especially its origins within the black community, is important to express for an artist as large and influential as Beyoncé. Unfortunately much of its impact may not hit the larger demographic of country music listeners, who are mostly white and may not care for country music's black ingrained history and cultural influence or even the idea of what country music is and what it should represent as a whole. Cowboy Carter confidently, boldly, and proudly pushes this envelope in a way that's seemingly never been done before. Beyoncé has defiantly made one of the best, most exciting, and expressive albums not just of the year but in her entire career.
My Rating: 9 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Bodyguard," "Riiverdance," "Blackbiird," "Ya Ya," "16 Carriages," "II Wanted," "Spaghettii," "Levii's Jeans," "II Hands II Heaven"
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