“This ain’t a country album, this is a Beyoncé album,” indeed.
Queen Bey has released her highly anticipated eighth studio album, “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” and the 27-track body of music is already redefining country.
Part of the anticipation was social media guessing who would be featured on the album. We now know the second “Renaissance” installment includes features from Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, and a “Jolene” remake with an intro by Dolly Parton herself.
Let’s break down the highlights:
She rewrote a Dolly Parton-approved “Jolene”
Beyoncé isn’t going to let Jolene take her man in the reimagined Dolly Parton classic.
Parton herself narrated the intro for the remake, saying, “You know that hussy with the good hair you sing about?” she asks. “Reminded me of someone I knew back when, except she has flaming locks of auburn hair. Bless her heart! Just a hair of a different color, but it hurts just the same.”
That’s in reference to “Becky with the good hair from Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” song “Sorry.”
After the interlude, Beyonce goes on to give “Jolene” a piece of her mind, modernizing the original song by tweaking the lyrics, starting with “I’m warning you: don’t come for my man.”
“You’re beautiful beyond compare, takes more than beauty and seductive stares to come between a family and a happy man,” Beyoncé sings.
“Jolene, I’m a woman too/The games you play are nothing new/ So you don’t want no heat with me, Jolene.”
“Been deep in love for 20 years/I raised that man, I raised his kids/ I know my man better than he knows himself,” she continues. “I can easily understand why you’re attracted to my man, but you don’t want the smoke/So shoot your shot with someone else/You heard me!”
Heaven help Jolene, because Beyonce is definitely not playing games with her in this rewrite.
It’s an ode to Black female country artists
They say you can take the girl out of the country, but can’t take the country out of the girl.
Beyoncé highlights this boldly, making it clear throughout the album that Black women have historically and continually been trailblazers in country music.
Some of the Black female country artists featured on the album include Linda Martell, Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts and Brittney Spencer.
Despite criticism, Beyonce addressed the matter in a Mar. 19 IG post saying, “I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart.”
She continued, “The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me.”
There’s a duet with Miley Cyrus
Beyoncé teamed up with Miley Cyrus on a song titled “II Most Wanted” and fans already can’t get enough of the track.
Cyrus expressed her admiration for Queen Bey on social media, while also raving about the duet.
“I’ve loved Beyonce since long before I had the opportunity to meet & work with her,” she wrote. “My admiration runs so much deeper now that I’ve created along side of her. Thank you Beyonce. You’re everything & more. Love you. To everyone who spent time making this song so special thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
The duo strike a balance between back-porch country and the sounds of Fleetwood Mac.
“I’ll be your shotgun rider til the day I die,” Beyoncé and Cyrus sing on the chorus. “We’re getting high til we don’t realize time is passing by/Yeah, I’ll be your backseat baby, I’m driving you crazy/Anytime you like.”
It’s much more than a country album
The Queen has spoken and she let fans know that “This isn’t a country album, this is a Beyoncé album.”
This declaration is made boldly clear at the beginning of track 12,“Spaghettii,” when legend Linda Martell is heard saying, “Genres are a funny little concept aren’t they? Yes they are.”
She continues, “In theory, they have a simple definition that’s easy to understand. But in practice, well, some may feel confined.”
“Cowboy Carter” sends a clear message that Beyonce will not be not confined to any one genre of music.
