Her eight studio album, while profoundly rooted in the country style, fuses into pop music in a genius way.
“The joy of creating music is that there are no rules,” says Beyoncé. “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.”
Following the release of the album’s lead singles “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” and “16 CARRIAGES” earlier this year, the singer managed to step into a completely new genre.
However to say that COWBOY CARTER is purely country album would be an understatement. Every song mixes different genres that are uniquely Beyoncé-sounding, and ultimately unexpected for such a release – in the most positive way.
From opera parts in the song DAUGHTER to a sweet pop blend in our album-favorite BODYGUARD, the record is somewhat of a continuation of 2022’s RENAISSANCE that was a deep dive into dance music.
Beyoncé also worked with many collaborators on COWBOY CARTER, both in front of the studio microphone and behind the audio mixer. Featured artists include Miley Cyrus on II MOST WANTED, Beyoncé’s youngest daughter Rumi Carter on PROTECTOR, or a feature from Dolly Parton on JOLENE (which is a cover of Dolly’s famous song, with lyrics rewritten by Beyoncé). The album’s unique sound came from collaborators and producers including The-Dream, Pharrell, NO I.D., Raphael Saadiq, Ryan Tedder, Ryan Beatty, Swizz Beatz, Khirye Tyler, Derek Dixie, Ink, Nova Wav, Mamii, Cam, Tyler Johnson, Dave Hamelin, and Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter.
“This album took over five years,” she said about the latest album. “I think people are going to be surprised because I don’t think this music is what everyone expects, but it’s the best music I’ve ever made.”
Our inspiratioon take: Beyoncé shows her true artistry in delivering a fully conceptualized album. COWBOY CARTER takes the best of all genres, uniting it under the country umbrella in a genuinely new and sincere way. We love it.
Listen to the album on your preferred streaming platform.
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Source: Parkwood Entertainment, 29 Mar, 2024 Press Release. All photos © PARKWOOD ENTERTAINMENT LLC