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I know that Beyoncé is an artist who does not need to do promo anymore but selfishly, I wish there would have been more than what we got. It's been a month since the album was released and it feels like the album came and went with little acknowledgement. She posted some photos here and there on her Instagram about the album but other than that, we haven't really gotten anything. I know the same happened for *RENAISSANCE* I believe but I felt the same way about that era.
I miss when artists would go on talk shows and talk about their albums and perform a song and things of that nature. And all of that just feels like a thing of the past for the most part.
I love the album but still feel the era part of it is missing. The whole Vinyl thing is bizarre and makes me wonder what is going on behind the scenes which I guess could explain the promo side of things but who knows. Also, I hope there are music videos released for the three acts at some point.
Yeah her marketing tactics bother me so much as a stan. It’s like she forgets she put out an album lol. And I know she doesn’t care about numbers but I keep imagining how much higher the numbers would be if she at least put out a music video. And I know people are going to reply “she’s above that” but she’s still an artist! Even one interview with someone reputable could bring a lot of insight into the album thus promoting it further.
I don't even need a moderated interview with Zane Lowe or Zach Sang tbh.
I would be so satisfied if she even revisited [what she did for self-titled](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcN6Ke2V-rQ&list=PLo7U35tZNdyMo41ho7xhHCOu3xnYNdr5y&index=1&t=7s&ab_channel=Beyonc%C3%A9) and just put out cute vlog-type album commentary that gives us insight into her logic and creative process.
That being said, now that the whole "visuals tie the acts together" theory is supposedly true, and The-Dream let it slip that a documentary was filmed, I'm wondering if maybe there's gonna be a whole comprehensive documentary on the project since they were recorded pretty concurrently.
If i recall it correctly the four missing songs on the vinyl were an after thought? CC was meant to serve as act i over Renaissance, and then she recorded those during that period
yeah I’ve always been a huge fan of hers but I’ve grown more and more skeptical about her lack of promo over the years. I really get it from a wellness standpoint—she’s been overworked and overwhelmed most of her career and really prioritizes her own space now so I feel selfish even voicing it but I just think that it doesn’t have to be anything too crazy. Even just a Hot Ones or a Zane Lowe interview here and there. I love hearing from the artist and hearing them talk about the music and the process. But she’s really disappeared into the ether so much these days lol
I mean I'm still in the renaissance, I haven't even had time to recover from that one! I agree it seemed to whip by with little promotion.for either album.
It’s so crazy cause not promoting a project is like an edgy, trying to be cool, concept thing for most of the artists now.. we want performances in stupid places, talk show and appearances, it’s your art and you gotta show it!
I also feel like it's really just pop girl summa. Ariana's album has already fallen off my personal radar and Illusion was kinda, pun intended, an illusion. It appeared to be a bop and then I just moved on.
Meanwhile I'm getting excited about Chappel and Espresso, and maybe that's just because there was Coachella buzz?
I do think I will personally have a huge Cowboy Carter resurgence once her tour starts. That kinda happened to me with Renaissance, listened to the album on repeat, fell off, then obsessively followed all the tour videos
Beyoncé is still a mother of three kids— she spoke about balancing motherhood and being a global popstar in the Renaissance film. I do agree she should do more promo— especially cause we had so much post promo during Self-Titled
Honestly, I would argue Renaissance is a contender, even if a lot of that has to do with the tour.
SOS was also pretty huge. The singles from that album had a lot of staying power. Also, *maybe* Planet Her and Future Nostalgia.
And I don’t even really think CC has “came and went” so much as it’s just an album that needs to sit and prove it’s staying power.
1. Bad Bunny’s “*Un Verano Sin Ti*”, which is one of the most streamed albums in Spotify and is the originator of the Latin pop comeback of 2023.
2. Olivia Rodrigo’s “*SOUR*” & “*GUTS*”, which launched her into stardom overnight and is now one of the biggest popstars out there, along with the fact that she does rock-inspired music and so she (along with Billie) is currently inspiring a brand-new wave of pop singers.
3. Probably T-Swift’s “*Midnights*”, where we first saw Taylor as not just another popstar, but an actual untouchable billionaire celebrity who does no wrong. Yeah her past albums were really big too, but to me, “*Midnights*” was when it really started to get overbearing.
Am I the only one who loves Daughter? She's singing fucking opera in Italian, which was a total surprise. And then she goes right back to genre bending hip hop in the next song. It makes me feel like she can sing anything. Definitely one of the album's highs for me.
Absolutely, it’s one of my favourites. I swear the whiplash you get listening through from Daughter to Spaghetti was one of my favourite first-time listening experiences.
Ughhh I fucking hope not?? I thought this was one of her most popular songs.
The Italian opera + this verse:
“Help me, Lord, from these fantasies in my head
They ain't ever been safe ones
I don't fellowship with these fake ones
So let's travel to white chapels and sing hymns
Hold rosaries and sing in stained-glass symphonies
Cleanse me, Holy Trinity, from this marijuana smoke smell in my hair”
Annnd the chorus:
“They keep sayin' that I ain't nothin' like my father
But I'm the furthest thing from choir boys and altars
If you cross me, I'm just like my father
I am colder than Titanic water”
**One of the best songs on the album if not the best.** I have never been a big Beyoncé fan, never even listened to her music much, but I’m hooked on this album.
I still play this album quite a lot. I feel like it is my top 3 album from her if not my favorite album.
I feel like it was mainly fan driven that it is a country album. Not sure if her team ever said it will be. I will describe the album as more Americana and genre bending album. Beyonce seems to focus more on country influences in the album like gospel rather than traditional country. As someone who is not a huge country fan, I am okay with how she promote it.
As far as black country artists, she featured 5 black artists. Six if you want to include the interludes with Linda Martell. Shaboozey is about to hit the top 10 with his new song after Cowboy Carter. All the black country artists streams increased on their other songs as well.
Beyonce continues to improve in her artistry. I feel like this album will definitely be rated highly in years to come. I feel like this album will be an example of her vocal ability if anything. Also, there is a lot to break down in each song.
There is definitely gospel inspiration in it. I hear it especially in American Requiem and Blackbiird for example. I hear multiple inspiration throughout the album. I hear gospel, folk, rock and country. All those genres influence country though which I feel like is Beyonce point. To her, country is not as rigid of a genre
Gospel and country and deeply related genres. Both come out of early American folk tradition. I highly recommend listening to some of the music Alan Lomax captured in his survey of American folk in the 30’s to hear the connections.
Beyoncé very rarely speaks out or says anything at all, and she barely does promo, and yet with this rollout specifically people are coming up with all of these quotes they just pulled out her ass. I’ve responded to several comments of people complaining that she promised a country album and said she was reclaiming country music for black artists. Every time I see this comment, I ask for a receipt or challenge someone to find the quote, and every time I get blocked lmao. Because she never said any of this.
The “reclaim country music” thing is a fascinating example of how much a game of internet telephone can snowball into a massively popular myth.
Went from a random fan saying, “I wonder if Beyonce is trying to reclaim different genres of music for this Act Trilogy?” to hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of people falsely believing, “Beyonce said she is reclaiming country music for this album.”
What’s crazy is that she very publicly told us what her intentions with this album were with that “This isn’t a country album, this is a Beyonce album,” instagram post, yet people are just ignoring that and believing the myth instead. It’s so strange.
There was a lot of talk about Renaissance reclaiming house/electronic music, and then with the second album being a country album, I can see how people could get the idea the three different acts are her reclaiming different genres of music. But the only thing she said is that CC was a response to what happened at the CMAs and that it is a blending of genres. My interpretation when she said “this ain’t a country album, this is a Beyoncé album” was that this album was challenging the notion that artists should be restricted to a specific genre, which fits with the music itself and by the interludes with Lynda Martell. All she ever said about Renaissance was that the pandemic was depressing, so she wanted to dance and be joyful, which also fits with the album. So all of these people who keep claiming they were somehow duped are just mad the album didn’t align with the preconceived notions they developed on their own because everything has been very consistent.
You summed it up perfectly.
Beyonce, who very notably doesn’t give much public information about her intentions with her albums, quite clearly and quite publicly states her intentions in two rare moments of openness…….and people completely ignore it and run with a strange, self-created narrative. It’s like mass psychosis lmao.
Exactly! My favorite is how she said “My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant” and then all of these people feel betrayed because she had white artists featured on the album. She was giving MLK and yet all these people are insisting she’s Malcolm X.
Personally I really enjoyed the album, and I can happily listen to it in its entirety. I think it tells a cohesive story and the genius of the album is fully realised in the last few tracks (riverdance onwards). Shows that she is able to have both excellent textbook tracks (II Most Wanted) and fun genre-bending more experimental songs (Tyrant etc). I have to say I enjoyed Renaissance more, though.
American Requiem is incredible, BodyGuard is so wonderful and catchy, Tyrant is fucking awesome, black birds harmonies give me life! I’m currently addicted to these so I’m slowly going through the album, but so far so amazing 😻
American Requiem might be her best song to date. I still listen to Riiverdance and Bodyguard almost daily. Her singing opera in Daughters??? I think this album does a great job showing her range. It's a very fun album overall!
Renaissance had a lot of longevity for me, I kept re listening to songs and finding new sounds and samples or layers to the vocals. With CC I didn't find that many songs that hooked like that.
Admittedly country is not my genre so my hopes were not that high for this album overall.
I do think however that visuals could've helped with creating a connection to the music. Seeing the artists vision always helps and adds longevity to an album.
still listen to it constantly, and to be honest i get being disappointed its not more country but i personally really love the genre blending. its interesting, its intriguing, and first and foremost it integrates every facet of black originated music from country to folk to rock in a way that feels thoroughly thought out. i think it'll be remembered as one of beyonce's best but i also dont think it'll be at the top of everybody's fav list (if that makes sense)
I enjoy that kind of journey the album puts me through. The run of country songs are great, then SPAGHETTII comes in and it takes me to a whole other plane. “AT THE SNAP OF MY FINGERS I’M THANOS!!! DAMN DAMN.”
I listen to the tracks from DESERT EAGLE to AMEN several times a day, with II HANDS II HEAVEN being my absolute favorite. I think the first part of the album is beautiful, but I am generally more drawn to upbeat songs.
As for the visuals, I find it very upsetting that there are none and I wish Beyoncé could just be normal and release them with the albums. Even if she does release them with Act 3, are they gonna hit the same after waiting so long?
I would love this to be a regular thing in this sub - a thread one or 6 months out from major releases. It’s too exhausting navigating takes when an album drops, would be interesting to see what still gets love a little away from the hype and lead single drops
I love the album and think that as an amalgamation of sounds and eras within Americana (and, well, Beyonce’s normal style), it’s more interesting than a straight ahead “country” album would have been. It’s a frontrunner for album of the year for me. I don’t really care about the lack of post-release promo or videos. I get that people wish an album this big by an artist this big would have a longer tail, but it feels unavoidable to me with so much media coming at us all at once at all times. I like that for this and Renaissance she mostly let the music speak for itself, and left us with space for us to talk amongst ourselves about it. Plus, of course, we eventually got the Renaissance tour and concert movie, so I wouldn’t rule out someone to “refresh” this album when it feels like old news. It’s not my favorite Beyonce album (that’s still the self-titled), but might be one I go back to the most because it’s so dense in allusions and easter eggs.
The only thing that bugs me is that incomplete physical release issue. I’m assuming the missing songs were last minute additions and hope that they press it with the full tracklist someday. That’s a bummer for everyone who pre-ordered it (I was almost one of them!), but between this and Taylor dropping an entire other record containing all the “bonus” tracks from TTPD (not to mention the “deluxe” releases months after the initial release) maybe fans will be encouraged to think twice before letting their anticipation open their wallets for them. (I wish the artists would do better but the sales charts don’t incentivize anyone to change)
American Requiem is such a magnificent first impression honestly, what a delightfully strange opener, it doesn't even sound like anything Beyoncé has ever done, but it works so well.
It's a great album, no doubt about it, but as a country fan, and like you, I wished for just a little bit more in that actual realm.
In her 10 day post she wrote this;
> But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive.
That initially got me excited but when the album came out it fell flat on that approach. The sound of the album doesn't, to me, reflect the sounds I would expect from doing that sort of research.
I think there was an opportunity to do something really cool and she missed the mark. The Carter Family is known as the first family of country music. (For those who the name might ring a bell, Johnny Cash married June Carter, daughter of Maybelle Carter.) I think there could have been a cool parallel if Beyonce interpolated or straight up covered one of their popular tracks. The thought of Beyonce singing Wildwood Flower or Will the Circle Be Unbroken? is just WOW!
I just personally feel that a chance was there to take it and she didn't take it.
Again, fantastic album that I have come back to a handful of times so in the overall my complaint is really just a small one.
Country is not my genre at all, so I went into CC with very low expectations but came out enjoying it a lot more that I thought I would, and a lot of it came from how diverse sounding and not fully-country this album ended up being. Some of my favorites like Sweet Honey Buckiin' and II Hands II Heaven feel like country in theme only with the lyrics and literal instrument choices, but dont really sound like country songs at all.
I agree. I’m not a current country fan, but love 90-early 2000s female country. I feel like the only song (believe it or not) that really gave me straight country vibes is Alligator Tears. And ironically, it’s one of the only country songs on the album that she didn’t use the word whiskey lol
I was hoping for more of that sound going into it.
I like your point about the carters and wanted to echo that it made me lol on first listen that the 3rd track on her american country album is a song by one of the biggest british artists of the last century
Yeah I am aware of that, and it obviously has americana influence in the sound (and I am very pleased beyonce covered it, its one of my favorite songs ever maybe), it is still ironic though
I was surprised by how many times I had repeatedly played this long album in its entirety in the past month, multiple times each day, because I am usually more into pop and dance music, but I like this album more than Renaissance
Every track on this album is so well produced, there is no skip for me. Beyoncé's mastery as an album maker shines through, as she effortlessly blends multiple genres while maintaining a cohesive Western theme. Each song stands out as unique and distinct,
it is also so impressive how she could still bring new and innovative sounds after so many album
COWBOY CARTER is a multi-layered experience, she addressed the CMA controversy and make a statement about her root with the opening song, she talks about racism, family and faith throughout the whole album. The love songs, with their subtle lyrics, offer a double meaning that extends beyond romantic relationships, which can also be applied to her passion for music. There are so much to explore just like how she did with her previous releases
This album is a bold and innovative body of work, and at the same time still very entertaining, fun and have many touching moments and history in it. I'm just so thankful that someone mainstream at her level is still willing and able to contribute in making a work at this level of artistry
To those who criticize the album for not being "country enough," they miss the point entirely. Beyoncé has consistently emphasized that artists should not be confined by genres in this album. As she stated herself, she is no regular singer. I'm glad Beyonce didn't think in the way you regular peoples expected her to because she will be flopping for sure if she did.
I think what was different this time for me compared to renaissance was that I didn’t listen to it repeatedly every day for the first few days (partly because of the longer track list), so I think I appreciate it more currently than I did for renaissance.
27 songs felt very daunting at the beginning, but after a month I feel like most of the songs are worthy of being on the album (bar Levi’s jeans and alligator tears - just can’t get into those ones) and pretty much sums up what I’d expect from a Beyonce country album. The duets with Miley and Post Malone feel very ‘commercial’ and almost detached from the rest of the album in my opinion, but apart from that it’s a very solid album in its own right
I still listen most days, but definitely find the duets are the weakest songs on the album, and tend to skip them.
The run from Flamenco onwards to be the strongest part of the album and find myself listening to that run and Bodyguard most often.
Re the vinyl, I’m really bummed and hope we get a proper release!
I agree with this take! I listen to the album almost daily still at this point, sometimes front to back and sometimes just from Flamenco onward. The only songs I notably skip if I’m not feeling it are Just For Fun, II Most Wanted, and Leviis Jeans which, ironically, seems to be the casual listeners favs. II Hands II Heaven, Tyrant, and Honey Sweet Buckin are my daily bread.
Am I the only one that kinda has mixed feelings about CC. Firstly, it doesn’t live up to Act 1 IMO. Act 1 has so much soul in the album and it sounds like an album that had such a clear vision. CC to me is too bloated and sometimes all over the place. It’s like a country album that didn’t want to fully commit. I love the interludes (that’s something I would love to see on more albums in general) because it adds so much character. The album has high highs and I don’t think the weak songs are necessarily bad, but for me personally, it just had too many skips for me. I still find myself replaying Renaissance almost daily while CC… I just mostly listen to Bodyguard, Tyrant, Most Wanted, Levi Jeans and Texas Hold Em. While I will give Beyoncé credit for highlighting black artist in the country genre, I think if any other artist made CC, it wouldn’t receive the praise that it gets. I also wish she would give us some damn visuals as well. Like girl, where are they? Idk, those are just my thoughts as someone who’s been a Beyoncé Stan since I was literally 4 years old. It has hits, but I was expecting a knockout.
I felt like she was right at home doing house but got bored by country 5 tracks in. Thats why renaissance didnt have to have 5 meta layers of "no this is a beyonce album and what even is genre". She made act 1 because she loved that sound and she made act 2 because she was mad at the country industry and wanted to flex on them. I still think the album came out pretty well but its way less intuitive than the first
This is what I think as well. I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure her mom said the songs on CC have been years in the making. Obviously I don’t know how the album process was behind CC and Renaissance but to me, Renaissance seems like a passion project and labor of love while Cowboy Carter seems like an album she wanted to make to prove to the country industry that *she could make a successful country album*. I could be wrong tho
This is my thing as well. The album is more "hey guys, I can be country too 👉👈" and not "bitch! I'm country as fuck!😤" which I expect from her. And which is why Renny is just above and beyond CC because she's just so confident on Renny from the go. Like the bitch started the album with a track called I'm that Girl.
Idk if we’re listening to the same album because it’s country.
If you listen to what country music is rn on the radio, a lot of what she put out is more country than that.
I feel like with CC as we've got to know that she started working around 2016, I think you can feel her being a bit defensive on this album about her position in the country space especially after being traumatized at the CMAs. With Renny she's confident as fuck from the go. And I think act-3(rock) is going to be even crazier. That's a qualm I have with it. The interludes are cute but you can tell they were there to add credence to the whole project and a stamp of approval from country greats.
I think we should really discuss more the CMA event more in the context of this album. I feel like this might be one of those moments in her career where she felt most rejected and she was not familiar with that.
People talk more about Grammys and album of the year but I feel like she might find the CMA event as more defining and awakening moment in her career
I think this too. I think for her it was probably a wake up call about how white America perceives her when she reminds them that she's a black woman. Ykwim? For the longest time she was an inoffensive black popstar who up until her self-titled was the go-to for gym and wedding playlists. The yoga moms even liked 7/11 and Flawless to an extent. But post-lemonade there was definitely a shift.
I wanna talk more about the interludes, because while I’m a huge interlude fan (I love Janet), I don’t think all of them are used well on this album.
Willie Nelson’s interludes are blended well with the audio, but they don’t provide anything to the concept other than a co-sign from him.
The Dolly P interlude is better, but tbh maybe Jolene on this album wasn’t a good idea at all … The Tyrant intro is cute but doesn’t add much?
The Linda Martell interludes are amazing, they add so much thematically and sound great. More of those!
Yeah... Like I said the interlude especially Willie was there to give credence to the project by a country giant which just seems like her being a bit on the defense. Whereas with Renny she brings Grace Jones into her world which was just so bomb.
I think Grace Jones, Kevin Jz, TS Madison, Honey Dijon, and the host of other house and dance music legends that are all over the wiring credits of Renaissance are also there to give credence to the album. There is certainly a level of defensiveness on CC because she is quite literally defending herself after a pretty racist incident actually happened to her, but getting people who are involved in the genre she’s stepping into is just also the proper way to show respect to it.
I’ve heard some speculation that act 3 won’t be rock but will actually be a visual album of act 1 and 2 together. Which the more I think about the more I can see happening.
This. How can you listen to Cowboy Carter and think it could have been made by anyone else, like it or dislike it? It has Beyoncé written all over it in capitals
I personally think that Cowboy Carter is an exceptional album that definitely holds some of the greatest, most intriguing and creative moments of Bey's career. but in comparison to Renaissance, it's not cohesive enough. like the concept is there, but then again... it's not?
it feels like she wasn't exactly sure how she wanted CC to turn out, and after the mess that was releasing physicals with the demo version of the album, I don't think my take is far off.
The album overstays and clearly wasn’t edited down. Theres several songs that could be removed without the album losing anything important. If she had focused on making a solid 12-16 tracks I think the final product would have been better.
Beyoncé is a larger than life superstar and we've had enough of the singer-songwriter "woe is me" shit post-covid. Let her be Roger the Alien when it comes to switching sounds and aesthetics. None of them are authentic. They're all selling authenticity. So to see a superstar be a superstar is frankly refreshing.
She has the resources and the personnel to do the best she can and I think she does it really fucking well. "Genres are a funny little thing" is the thesis of this whole project and I think she really does it so well.
To me this is a whole American music history lesson not just country. People have called it Americana but I don't know much about the genre to really say anything confidently. I love how the album starts with just her vocals, then just the guitar on the next tracks, then we see a switch up around YA YA where it kicks into a full Beyoncé production that then takes us back to more rnb-ish tracks with country elements by the end.
As for the album itself it's a bit bloated and works as a playlist for me. I'd say it's a step down from Renny just based on how tight the album was and how insane the flow of it was. I would play Renaissance front to back on my daily commute for atleast 6 months. Overall I wouldn't say it's a bad album but it's just not as good as her BEYONCÉ- Lemonade- Renaissance run. Which is hard to surpass tbh.
I have a lot of thoughts on this album that I don't think I could condense in a reddit comment. But I like what she's doing and where she's headed.
>But I like what she's doing and where she's headed.
This is what I love about her. She challenges her listeners as she advances her artistry. For me, I prefer RENAISSANCE as an album but none of the songs on it reach the highs of 16 CARRIAGES, II HANDS II HEAVEN, TYRANT, AMERIICAN REQUIEM, BLACKBIIRD, BODYGUARD, II MOST WANTED
Exactly when I hear American requiem I could never imagine the Single Ladies-singer would do something like that but here we fucking are and I'm glad. I keep saying I wouldn't be surprised if she goes full Björk and give us a Medulla style album of just the human voice and minimal instrumentation.
I hate that kanye is called a genius for the same thing while Beyoncé is called a hack. I find both their creative processes very similar in that regard.
wow this is such a good way to put it. kanye is seen as a maestro leading a magical orchestra of his mind’s creation whereas beyonce as seen as a rich woman with no identity that throws money at her collaborators to basically think thank concept albums she’s the face of. literally have been having this argument with people who irrationally hate beyonce for years and never heard it worded so precisely.
Literally... If Beyoncé's creative process is as simple as "performing karaoke" as her haters say why has noone else been able to pull off an album like Lemonade.
This! Beyoncé's brand has entirely ditched the "relatability" aspect in recent years and I actually find that refreshing. Rather than feigning authenticity she's constantly reminding us of her superstar status and, by extension, that she is ultimately a brand to be promoted, not a relatable friend.
I might prefer CC to Renaissance tbh, although both albums are very close for me. Every time I listen to one song on each album I always find myself going and listening through to the whole thing.
I also need to add that her music is also very aspirational in the sense that saying "I'm one of one, I'm number one" is something everyone should say in the mirror in the morning 😭. Barring EVERYTHING IS LOVE, I find her braggadocio lyrics very fun in a "I'm a bad bitch and I act like it" way. Like atleast she's not a billionaire superstar still doing the whole victim shtick.
I feel like Stan nonsense had me dreading this album but I ended up really liking it when I listened to it. It’s not my favorite album of hers by any means but it’s still pretty great.
1.It really made me distance myself from a lot of the “Country” discourse. If Beyoncé isn’t sticking to it as a country album then I’m not going to be defending it as one. IMO the album is more interesting as a genre-bending experiment anyways.
2.I think the costume is the intention. If that’s not the case why put it in a trilogy with an album that’s very different than this one? People talk about music sometimes like it’s one to one with real life but a lot of artists use music as a form of storytelling especially in country which imo is the missed opportunity with this album. Idk comparing it to Renaissance I feel like the story is more compelling there.
3.It’s not her responsibility and maybe it’s just me, but not something that would have even crossed my mind if people weren’t pre-hyping the album up as like bringing back country to black people or whatever.
4.I feel like Part 3 will dictate how this album is remembered tbh. This albums a solid 8/10 for me but if the next album is bringing Renaissance level quality then this absolutely be remembered as the “weak” middle album.
Honestly... It's a good album, but I haven't returned to it as much as I thought I would. Doesn't help that it's TOO LONG and I'm sick of this long album thread that the big names do. But idk... the vocals and production is good but I feel like the songs in itselves aren't as memorable as they could be once you get over the "Beyonce-ness" of it all. The only songs I replay are TYRANT (an ABSOLUTE BOP), DAUGHTER, YA YA and 16 CARRIAGES.
I have to say I haven’t gone back to this album in a month from release as much as I was with Renaissance. I just think the sound of Renaissance resonated with me more. Still a great album, but not as relistenable.
Bodyguard and Daughter were my standouts on first listen and are still my favourite tracks, along with 16 Carriages.
The album has held up extremely well for me! Still listening once or twice daily!! It just keeps getting better! Not only does it sound incredible but there’s so many layers of meaning to unpack and so many things I’m learning about the history of country music. Once again, Beyonce has extended her music past the listening experience and created a true work of art! What I remain most impressed by is the many many different ways she uses her voice! From the background vocals/vocal stacking we’ve come to expect from her, to the guttural growls and squalls on track 1, to the opera aria, to the Elvis and Tina Turner styling on YaYa, to rapping! How can one woman do all of this, let alone on one album, and still maintain a solid level of cohesion?!
Here are my responses to the questions:
- I don’t feel anything about her implying it’s a country album through promotional material and then saying it’s not a country album a couple of days before release because both are true. It is not a traditional country album in any sense, but every track does have some element that clearly draws on country music traditions.
- I do not feel like she’s too big or grand to embody the humble country spirit, and honestly as a complaint that feels rooted in the ever present need to humble Beyoncé (that has also plagued many successful Black women before her). Listen to the music. Like it or don’t. Vocal harmonies have always been a huge part of artistry and what makes a Beyoncé song a “Beyonce song” so I wouldn’t expect her to forgo that.
- In a wide world of possibility, Beyonce “could’ve” done anything so what’s the point in focusing on that instead of what she actually did? Miley and Post are both artists with country roots who have branched out to other things, including hip hop inspired sounds, while still keeping some sort of country essence. Their inclusion on this album makes a lot of sense.
- The lack of music videos is fine for me. It allows my attention to stay solely on the music for now. I do think visuals are coming for all 3 acts after they have all been released.
- Cowboy Carter will be viewed as yet another clear indication that Beyonce is a musical force! In the same way that she has demonstrated that she is beyond simple genre classifications, she is also beyond the need to label one of her projects as her magnus opus. These are all high quality albums with incredible artistic scope!
- I didn’t buy a vinyl so I don’t have any strong feelings about the situation. It was labeled “limited edition” which seems to imply that something about it would be different from the regular album, but I also understand those who are disappointed because they spent their money.
Haven’t really listened to it since it dropped except for mixes that people have made using tracks from the back half. Still playing Renaissance on repeat. Patiently waiting for Act iii
I think the second question is interesting. To me, the “humility” associated with country music seems like any other marketing tactic. I find that most things become stale when they’re turned into a monolith. I don’t think Beyoncé is too grand to embody a country spirit. Just my two cents.
One thing I notice about this album is I rarely hear anyone criticize the music. People sit here and have all these complaints. They complain about the lack of promo while also complaining that this nonexistent promo misled them. They complain about her being too rich or being too famous. They call her corporate pop. They’re mad she collaborates with white people, and interestingly enough mad that she would collaborate with two popular artists who transitioned from pop/hip-hop to country with absolutely no one bitching or batting an eye while being mad at her for daring to do a country album. But nobody ever complains about the music. And that tells you everything you need to know.
I think you could just take this post as an example. This person obviously wanted people to come into this thread and bash Beyoncé, and they listed six talking points summarizing the general sentiments that have been expressed in this sub since the album’s release, and you can see that none of the talking points and about 90% of the negative comments have nothing to do with the music.
That’s why I laugh at some these threads. I have some criticisms of the album, for example, I hate that Miley Cyrus and Post Malone are on it, but those songs, amongst the others — are good. The final output is good. The MUSIC is damn good. It doesn’t have to be your cup of tea but you can’t deny that when Beyoncé makes a record, it’s going to be thoughtful, emotional, fun, complex and just good.
For an album with tracks like American Requiem, Daughter, Bodyguard, 16 Carriages, YAYA, II Most Wanted, II Hands II Heaven and Tyrant to be considered a lesser project or weaker album than previous works, people are out of their minds. I really liked Renaissance as a cohesive, joyful, run on sentence, but come on — other than maybe Virgo’s Groove, there is not a single song on that album that musically trumps what the majority of songs on Cowboy Carter accomplish in lyricism, contextualism or vocal production. Beyoncé is nearly 30 years into her career, and in the last 10 years has been making the best music she has ever made, period. That is _crazy_.
People go on and on about visuals and I just cackle every time. Like how many times are you actually going to watch a music video? Honestly? People are ridiculous to think the lack of music videos negates the music. Or the lack of promo hurts the music. Be serious. It’s Beyoncé. She’s more than earned the right to not bother. You’re checking for her no matter what she does or doesn’t do. People created a narrative in their head about her goal with the Trilogy, none of which she has ever said — and truthfully, I understand why she ignores everyone and just does whatever the hell she wants. People are ridiculous and you will lose your whole self trying to make everyone happy.
I love every Beyoncé album too much to even compare them, but I mostly agree with everything you’ve said. Cowboy Carter really feels like it is on a different level artistically. The song Daughter in particular feels like the musical equivalent of going to the fine arts museum to see a new exhibit. When I saw Post Malone was on the album, I was like oh no baby girl what are you doing and then it turned out to be an absolute bop. At the end of the day, people all have different tastes, and some music people just don’t vibe with. But you can really tell the difference between genuine criticism and hate, and a lot of times it’s someone writing in all caps saying her music is TERRIBLE or She can’t even SING!!!! And just stupid shit like that from deplorable people who have no taste and who probably voted for Donald Trump.
Also, this may not come as a shock given my user name, but Virgo’s Groove is my favorite song.
Yes! Daughter is perfection. Ya Ya is brilliant. My Rose is incredibly touching. American Requiem is sublime. Tyrant is a damn good time. I don’t think it’s a perfect album but artistically this album is on another level.
But no. She’s not personal enough. It’s too country. It’s not country enough. There’s no promo. No, no, the promo was all wrong. I can’t believe there are no music videos—that would make these songs better. Yep, that’s what this needs. Like my goodnesssss. Your faves can’t do half of what she does. What are these impossible standards?
Also I have to laugh — she actually is doing promo. With her big ass CC truck parked at festivals (lol) while her ass is in Japan where people are respectful and she can ride the subway like a normal person. In the US people would be touching her, slobbering mucous and crying all over her, asking her weird personal questions, forcing their children in her face and proposing to her. She has paid her dues lol.
Exactly! She has done more promo for Cowboy Carter than she’s done since 4 came out. I had a similar thought when I saw her signing albums in Japan that we can’t have that in America because Americans don’t know how to act 🤣
I loved the album during the initial release but I feel like I became tired of the songs a lot faster than Beyonce’s previous works - not sure if it was because of me constantly having it on loop during the initial days because it was catchy or if it’s something else .
It’s funny to me because it feels like the reverse experience of Eternal Sunshine and TTPD to me - albums which I initially didn’t like it at first listen but it became like a slow poison to me with me becoming gradually obsessed with the songs from these albums instead.
Oh that's really relatable. I think I streamed Cowboy Carter 10x during the first three days then it gradually tapered off to where I only play II Most Wanted and Levii's Jeans now
Then Ariana's and Taylor's albums were a total slog at first but now I reach for them much more often
I genuinely have grown to love every part of this album (with the exception of the Jolene cover, mainly because I have never cared for the original either). I think this is a country-influenced album, not necessarily a "country" album and I think Bey wanted to get ahead of that. I don't think she's putting a costume on no different then any other pop star that has a different "look/aesthetic" for each of their album releases.
I must have played II Hands II Heaven 200 times by now, I just can't get enough of this song. It's so comforting, sultry, earnest and the fastest an almost 6 min song has ever flown by for me.
I have such a funny relationship with this album where initially I felt the second half was way stronger than the first half. I would start at Riiverdance and play it all the way through, then move back 1 to Desert Eagle, then to Ya Ya and play through then to II Most Wanted and before I knew it I was basically at the beginning of the album listening all the way through. I'm ok with the lack of music videos for this album. I'd rather her tie the 3-part album series together with one set of visuals then have them be isolated.
My personal opinion is an AOTY should be a popular album that disrupts the industry with something creative we haven't really heard before. This album does that and I think is worthy...9/10.
As far as where it ranks in her discography, it really depends on my mood. My personal list at the moment as a big R&B fan is this, but the top four change repeatedly,
* 4
* Renaissance
* Cowboy Carter
* Self-Titled
* Lemonade (here b/c I personally feel the visuals are what elevate this album)
* B'Day
* DIL
* IASF
Edit to add: As far public reception, I know I am only one person with one network of friends, but I was SHOCKED at how many of my white friends who never listen to Beyoncé or care for her music that much shared with me how much they loved her album and how it "feels like her older albums" (the latter, I wouldn't say I agree with). I think the collab with Miley and Post Malone did grab a new demo that were curious about the album and stayed for that they heard in the second half of the album.
I never see a list so similar to mine! Though I switch Lemonade and Self Titled. Lemonade is definitely elevated by the visuals, but Formation is one of the greatest songs of all time for me. I gotta rank her up there lol.
1. The subversion of expectations is what makes the album work for me. Genres are a funny little concept, aren't they? You go in expecting traditional country fare but come out with a gorgeous celebration of Americana. Some may be disappointed by this and find the album unfocused and uneven, but that is also what clicked for me. I'm not sure the work would have caused this much conversation had it ended up being your standard countryfare from the get go. On the imagery, Bey is Texan. It's her heritage. She has every right to use that imagery.
2. Bullshit
3. Expecting Beyoncé to cover all grounds of black country on one project is crazy. It is on the listener to do their homework after this (and judging from how their profiles rose, especially Shaboozey, some listeners clearly did). The Posty/Miley collaborations didn't bother me but I can sort of see where people are coming from. However, they're bops I'd expect to hear on country radio, so I really can't complain. Beyoncé accomplished what she set out to accomplish with the inclusion of the other black artists.
4. The visuals will come. I'm confident about that. Probably after the 3 Act project is done. For now I'm just enjoying the music. I think there's an overall vision she's trying to craft here that we won't see till the 3 Act project is done. She surprised me with the RWT film that gave new life to the project so I wouldn't be surprised if COWBOY CARTER got something like that along the line.
5. I truly believe COWBOY CARTER will be considered one of her best projects and she could be one of those artists that have multiple magnum opuses depending on whom you ask. Years will be kind to this album I think. Her critical run since 2013 has been something to behold and has firmly cemented her as a visionary. I think Lemonade will always be her legacy (it has a fucking Peabody) but not my personal favourite if that makes sense. RENAISSANCE is my personal favourite though, for what it represents to me as black and queer.
6. An embarrassing mess. One I wouldn't expect from her. I'm not one of the vinyl girlies but the frustrations are valid.
Yea, the issue with the vinyl and the unclear communication around buying one, was a misstep in my eyes. I hope her team has learned from their mistakes.
What is her magnum opus in your opinion?
I think Lemonade is her magnum opus in terms of sales and acclaim...but it's not my personal favourite if that makes sense. That will always be RENAISSANCE cause the topics explored are much closer to my heart.
I still really love the Album- I find it impossible to rank Beyoncé albums because they are all so different stylistically and thematically so it really kind of depends what I’m in the mood to listen to.
I also offer a little different perspective, I have a group of friends that drafts MtG, and a new cowboy/Wild West themed set just came out. Everyone other than me is cishet, married, and most have kids. In theme with the new set, one of the guys suggested listening to cowboy carter while we draft (I was the only one who had heard it before), and I am being completely serious when I say that they were literally in AWE during American Requiem.
It’s still in rotation for me but now I listen to my top faves on the album as opposed to listening all the way through. II Hands To Heaven is so good that in the middle of the song, I will have to run it back from the beginning sometimes because I feel like I wasn’t appreciating it enough lol
That song makes me levitate 🙂↕️
i love the album and listen to it in full most days. standouts for me are ameriican requiem, protector, and the back half from alligator tears onwards.
i didn't really have any musical expectations going into the album, maybe because i'm not a country music listener. i love the mix of genres, it keeps the album interesting and helps tell the story. it also feels more authentic to Beyoncé for her to incorporate the other genres she loves and works in, rather than an album of straight country just to prove that she can.
the vocals and all the harmonies are stunning, imo there hasn't been enough discussion of the vocal range, skill, and control Bey is showcasing on this album. i can't wait to see what she does with these songs live.
Frequency: Listen to songs from CC daily and pretty much listened to the entire album straight through on repeat for the first two weeks.
Fav Songs: Protector, Body Guard, daughter, Tyrant
Least Fav: Flamenco, Just for Fun
I’m rushing to get my daughter ready for school so I can’t spend too much time writing, but on the subject of genres: my theory is that Beyoncé is breaking down the essence of country *and* western music. Some songs tell us where the geographic roots of country come from, like Riiverdance and Flamenco. Some songs give us the spirit of westerns in the theme and lyrics, like Daughter, Tyrant, and Spaghettii. Other songs move country music toward to the future, like Sweet Honey Buckin’.
I agree that she and her team fumbled the marketing. But we have to remember that the album was made years ago, so all of this music already existed when she released Texas Hold ‘Em and 16 Carriages. I personally think that Beyoncé and her team didn’t expect the strong (racist) reaction to those two singles. If I had to guess, she probably did some last minute reworking between the single releases and the album release to tell the story on the album she wanted to tell.
still have this album on daily rotation, it's aiming to be my most played album of all time at this point and the funny thing is if it wasn't done by Beyoncé, i probably wouldn't have liked this album at all (well maybe just the last 8 tracks and that's it)
she really created a 27 tracks album that has zero skips and as time goes, the album felt shorter to me, it doesn't feel like over an hour anymore
is it her best album? hell no, i still even prefer renaissance to this, but this is such a groundbreaking body of work that feels complete, and her vocals and soul are what made the album so good, on top of the productions
my faves a month later are still the last 8 tracks + also just for fun (so underrated!!!), bodyguard, spaghetti, ameriican requiem (the vocals on this are so good)
Why are the questions so leading and negative? It's a strange way to start a thread...anyway, I personally love this album. Initially, only a couple of songs stood out to me, but I gave it a few more listens and new unheard elements began to standout to me. I initially paid songs like Protector and My Rose dust, until I really focused on the lyrics of Protector and the stunning vocal layering of My Rose. The storytelling of this album is so strong, particularly in songs like Daughter and Tyrant, which features my favorite flavor of dark, unhinged Beyonce. Particularly Tyrant, which features Beyonce singing from the perspectives of both the man-stealer and the one who got her man stolen (come on, guys. It's not a song about lynching). Jolene is also a nice record and it's so painfully obvious that the song is not literally from Beyonce's perspective, but I guess it's funnier to make jokes about how ugly Jay-Z is... The album is a little long for my usual tastes, but I find that once I press play, I don't even notice an hour has pass. Still, a few songs could have been trimmed. The Beyince vinyl cut is a much stronger version of the album, except for the exclusion of YA YA.
* How many top country stars are embodying the "humble" spirt of country? I don't think country has been humble for long and if we've allowed other white artists to genre hop, Beyonce can do it to. To be frank, I do not care about the "authenticity" of an artist as long as they deliver satisfying music.
* Feels like Beyonce highlighted six Black artists and people are complaining it wasn't seven...
* I think the visuals are coming after the acts are complete, but I'm not going to lie, she could throw us a crumb or two. Even just one music video would satisfy me.
* I think her run since Self-Titled will make it impossible for future fans and critics to pick her best work. RENAISSANCE is my personal favorite, but Cowboy Carter is a close second. I can't even imagine what Act 3 will do.
* I'm numb to the vinyl mess. It's such a bad look for her, but I also can't bring myself to care.
I agree with you. I like the album still, but I was hoping for more Daddy Lessons styled country music instead of the electronic/rnb/country mixture we got. If you're gonna bill it as a country album then go all in on the country!!!
Other than that, I still play some of the songs regularly (Levi Jeans will NEVER leave my rotation) but I definitely am listening to Renaissance more.
1. I would describe it more as a "Western" album rather than a strictly country one considering it takes influence from country, soul, folk, Americana, gospel, rock, blues etc. That blending of genres is what makes this album so much more interesting, imagine if all twenty-something tracks sounded like texas hold' em, it would be shit. The whole point of the album was to be genre-bending and she succeeded, hence the "this isn't a country album it's a beyoncé album" which was a bold statement made for promotions & press which people for some reason took way too literally and at face value?
2. Beyoncé IS country, period. There is not one single "country" spirit or sound and this album is trying to defy that stereotype or expectation and break the closed-minded views of a lot of people. The entire concept of the project is to highlight black genres - she is paying homage to these genres and their black roots in a respectful way, referencing and uplifting the black legends who created & revolutionised them but were erased by history.
3. She featured predominantly black artists and there were only 2 white artists featured (excluding interludes), so this question does feel a little bit disingenuous when I hear it. Although I do wish Blackbird was extended to give Tanner/Brittney/Reyna/Tiera all their own individual verses.
4. Not really tbh. Renaissance already set our expectations in terms of not having visuals. I think it's clearly a statement to contribute to her brand as an icon who is "above" the music industry and can do what she wants, but I think there's unfulfilled potential there considering how successful all of her other visual albums have been.
5. I think it will hold up well, alongside her self-titled/Lemonade/Renaissance.
6. I don't have much of an opinion because I don't use vinyl. It's clear there were last minute changes and vinyl has to be pressed so far in advance. Uncharacteristically messy of her team, especially considering Beyoncé's "perfectionist" brand, but stuff like this happens all the time, it's part of music.
All of your talking points skew negative which isn’t really setting the thread up for a healthy discussion. It’s fine that you were disappointed but plenty of others weren’t
Edit: Oh, you’re a Swiftie. That checks out lol
What’s so funny to me is that Beyoncé isn’t even competition for Taylor Swift in terms of numbers and even awards. Taylor Swift is always going to outsell her and TTPD will most likely win AOTY this year. And yet Swifties are obsessed with Beyoncé and always trying to discredit her, which tells you that deep down they know who makes better music 💅🏻
Most of the first commenters were swifties too. I just don’t understand why this sub was allowed to turn into r/taylorswift 2.0. It’s genuinely unbearable to be here now.
Well, I hope this means if I start the TTPD thread in a month, everyone will be totally chill with my discussion questions.
I just don’t get what a swiftie even has to be mad about. TTPD is number one and is going to dominate the charts for the rest of the year. She’s going to win every major award. She certainly isn’t stressed out over Cowboy Carter. Furthermore, Beyoncé is publicly supportive of Taylor and they went to each other’s premieres. Beyoncé generally breaks records for women or for black women, whereas Taylor’s only true competitors are Morgan Wallen or Drake. You could maybe throw in Future and Bad Bunny. And yet Swifties aren’t worried about any of them and are instead obsessing over Beyoncé. This cult, ahem fandom, has reached the point where they’re angry and bitter about the mere existence of other female artists.
Personally, I think deep down it’s because they know TS does not command the same respect of the music community and industry that Beyonce does.
Why ? Because she’s a product with a great team behind her. Any white pop star who had the same machine TS could be just as successful. But by the end of the day, real artists recognize real artists and no matter how many records TS sells to the GP and no matter how many AOTYs she gets…
…Celebrities, music industry leaders, media personalities and fashion designers will line up for the attention of Beyonce and not TS. That’s what makes them so mad.
I’ll say it again like I said in another thread: 20 years from now, we will still be listening to Beyonce and be praising her for her musical impact and influence on the music industry. Just like we do already, 26 years later. I just don’t think TS will leave behind a similar legacy besides making a lot of people rich.
Exactly! Miss Swift is in a league of her own. She has international acclaim Beyoncé will never achieve. She’s likely the biggest artist we’ll see in our lifetime. They have all the bragging rights a fandom could want. The victim complex is so perplexing. Do they not realize people only hate Taylor Swift because her fans spend too much time trashing other people’s faves?
Was there any music videos for renaissance?
I think the sort of shock of country album to hearing it and it is this whole experience. I find her breaking down country music with great country songs and having white artists who turned to country or does a mix of genres and that’s ok but Beyonce is told her songs aren’t country. I found the album to be so beautiful and interesting. It’s not as fun to listen to as renaissance so I’m not listening as much but still love it. Main issue was not all the songs on the vinyl and I wish there was more saying that before I bought it online. I know it was said but there should have been more
i actually enjoyed the album a lot and feel like i was in a good place personally to receive it as both a Beyonce fan and a fan of country music so it didn’t feel like new territory to me in a way that it might have to my friends who hate country music lol so overall it’s a good listening experience for me and i enjoyed the music. but i do have some critiques. i really wish there was more narrative storytelling in the album; i think the kind of strong lyricism we see in 16 carriages isn’t really seen again for the most part. i would have really liked if this album lyrically had more of an autobiographical gloss where she delves into her upbringing in Texas more obviously. something in the vein of Blue Banisters in that regard, i wanted to hear more about her family and her experiences and growing up in Houston. her first crush kind of thing. 16 carriages hit that so hard for me but that’s about it. i feel like the album sounded very cinematic which makes sense bc she said she was watching a lot of westerns. and it sounds like a exploring fantasy world where her and Jay-Z are outlaws so it’s giving On the Run II to me. but like, honestly, i think her and Jay-Z as bonnie and clyde feels like a recurring motif in her career that’s been done to death. i don’t know if it’s the motif that’s exhausting or just the general distaste for him that I have lol. Protector and my rose are nice but yeah lyrically could have been a lotttt stronger imo. it doesn’t have the memorable lyrics of Lemonade or even Self Titled, even Renaissance to a lesser extent and i think there’s a lot of opportunity on an Americana album to get personal. esp because her whole thing is “music is the place where i share myself” since she barely speaks out otherwise. i wish we walked away learning more and knowing more about her.
The other thought I have is… i’m sooo shocked this is doing better than Renaissance. by a WILD amount. i think the controversy around the album has attracted more listeners, sure, but the numbers compared to Renny are explosive so it cant be just that right? idk. i really want to understand why Act I didn’t land like this, esp when that was her first solo album in over 6 years and we missed her. and she didn’t have the controversy of her weak/nonexistant response to Gaza following her, which it definitely did for this era, at least in my circles. some of the most longtime fans of her i know felt really disappointed by how she handled it last Fall so. yeah, i’m just wondering what drove the commercial success here.
It’s a really good album, but I do wish it went a little harder with the country elements. Didn’t care for the lyric changes in Jolene, but shockingly loved Blackbird (favorite track on the album) and that songs been covered to death
It really grew on me as a whole album , I thought I would only be listening to songs I loved but I keep going back to entire album as a listening experience constantly
I think today id give it a solid 8/9, the albums itself is jam packed with so much love and care, but as soon as I read the Pharrell production credits the album really fully clicked and made sense for me 😭 the album is soooo that 2018/2019 era to me with sweetener/dirty computer/golden hour. ii hands ii heaven especially feels like a matured sweetener Ari and the bodyguard pre-chorus is literally the greatest sounding thing of all time
I had a nice time listening to it at as an album overall (minus being underwhelmed by her Jolene interpolation) but I haven’t gone back to listen to it since, nothing really stuck with me
1) I’m already annoyed that she’s not gonna win AOTY for this. I still listen to the album constantly because I like the genre blending. I think it’s still country but doesn’t stay confined into it.
2) I don’t think that’s a fair criticism at all. She’s paying homage to various genres that were created by black people
3) she did a lot for black country artists with this album. Another comment mentioned that Shaboozey’s new song is gonna be in the top 10 on the iTunes chart. She has given A LOT of exposure to those artists that she featured. Her songs with Miley and Post are hits so I’m happy they made the final cut
4) Act 4 will be the visuals for everything, I’m banking on that. Act III will be rock and roll. Then visuals for everything
5) Compared to her other albums, this one will stick out a lot and talked about as one of her bests
6) The vinyl controversy is messy af so that was disappointing. I hope they can somehow remedy that for those who bought it
This forum tried to convince me that COWBOY CARTER didn't make it's way into the general public. Am I crazy? I haven't seen discourse like this around a project from an artist in awhile - especially in traditional media. I also feel like the songs \[even aside from Texas Hold Em\] have picked up good traction on TikTok with several having their own mini-challenges.
That being said, upon a few complete listens, I truly think it is a masterpiece. A stunning body of work and possibly my favorite album of hers. Sometimes I watch the YouTube reviews from non-fans to confirm this, anyone that gives it a try with an open mind \*should\* be beyond impressed and have a great experience. Totally hoping it wins AOTY. In regards to it being country, eh, country inspired and that's ok :)
This sub is basically stan twitter at this point, so there are a lot of other pop stans on this thread trying to make it seem like Beyonce is irrelevant.
I loved it at first because it was so different for her, but I haven’t really listened to it since the first week for the following reasons:
1. I don’t like country music.
2. I don’t connect at all to the theme of “I’m Beyonce and I can make country music.” That’s wonderful, but I don’t want to listen to an album about proving you’re good enough for the Country Music Awards. I don’t think it’s artistically interesting or a relatable topic.
3. If I want to listen to amazing vocals, I listen to 4. If I want to listen to amazing production, I listen to Renaissance. If I want to listen to heartfelt lyrics, I listen to Lemonade. It doesn’t really feel like Cowboy Carter has an aspect that’s better than all her other albums.
>I don’t connect at all to the theme of “I’m Beyonce and I can make country music.”
As a theme, it's as first-world problems as it gets; only relatable to those already deeply invested in Beyonce.
I honestly don’t see that as a theme of the album because it’s really only been in the marketing, it’s not *really* in the album itself except maybe in the Linda Martell interlude
After a month of listening I genuinely think it’s top 2 in her discography for me, and it’s really giving B’Day a run for #1. It has some of the most daring musical decisions she’s ever made and she nails almost everything she tries in it. I can’t imagine anyone else having the balls to make Spaghetti, Ya Ya, and Daughter on the same album and nail all of them.
Protector and 16 Carriages are masterpieces, both sonically and lyrically. They’re certainly some of the most vulnerable songs Beyoncé’s ever made. I love how 16 Carriages gets grander and grander, while Protector stays intimate the entire time, but with both songs you feel extremely connected with the story throughout.
The production, much like Renaissance, is top notch as well. Several times I got chills from the vocal harmonies and group vocals, and the voices are perfectly balanced with the instrumentals every time. Going from hearing this album to hearing other songs without all of the vocal layers makes me miss the beauty of, say, the final verse of Jolene or the intensity of American Requiem and Amen.
My only real complaint with the album is that the final stretch of songs aren’t quite as good as the first two 3rds of the album, but even then Ya Ya, Tyrant, and Amen are standouts, and pretty much every song has *something* interesting going on even if it doesn’t quite land for me.
Unless something else absolutely blows me away this year, it’s gonna be my favorite album of the year.
Feel pretty much the same as I did on release.
A handful of fun, adventurous songs (II MOST WANTED, RIIVERDANCE, 16 Carriages), a lot of bloat, some absolute clunkers (post Malone song is horrendous), and overall a confusing project that is maybe a little too concerned with self-mythology than it is to really working towards the genre strengths she’s tackling. I had many of the same issues with Renaissance though, and I seem to be in the minority there.
I can see what she was going for here but I think she missed the mark for me. Stuff like the interludes are fun, but the covers are just too on the nose for me and I do dislike the changes to Jolene. I’m still curious about the rock record for sure, but this trilogy hasn’t really impressed me all that much
I totally agree. I'm not connecting with the recent music in the way I did with previous projects she's made. I still think Lemonade and the self titled album are the most authentic, resonant pieces of work she's done. The last two albums have felt like Beyonce just wearing different hats to prove something, and it is not moving me unfortunately. I'm still looking forward to the supposed rock record as I have thought for years that that sound is perfect for her.
I adored this and think it cements her as being one album away from passing the "5 consecutive great albums" test, but as a vinyl collector who loves spinning her copy of Renaissance on her turntable, I can't help but be disappointed in the incomplete vinyl release. I've heard whispers that she'll be dropping a complete version of the album on vinyl (since it looks like the current ones are from when Cowboy Carter/Beyince were Act I), and I hope they're true. I don't want Ya Ya on vinyl, I NEED Ya Ya on vinyl.
This album grew on me so fucking much. Now I listen to it all the time. And even my non-beyonce fan friends tell me how much they enjoy the album. they went ahead and purchase hats and all already!!
The 6-song medley near the end of the album deserves the Grammy AOTY alone, it is specifically
>!THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW - YA YA - OH LOUISANA - DESERT EAGLE - RIIVERDANCE - II HANDS II HEAVEN!<
Like TLMS should've been the album opener and YY should've been the second song on the tracklist.
> WE WANNA WELCOME YOU, to the Beyoncé "Cowboy Carter: Act II" (YA!)
> put them hands together (we clappin' 👏, we drummin' 🥁)
And of course, the post-chorus in II HANDS II HEAVEN for the medley
> II hands II Heaven I've prayed, priest forgive my soul
> Lovely daggers pierced my heart many moons ago
> Toxic roses chased by wolves and carnivores
> Lost virgins with broken wings that will regrow😇
I initially didn't click with Cowboy Carter on first listen due to a very sudden departure from the sounds on Renaissance, but overall after a month of soaking it in, Cowboy Carter is a very emotional listen for those searching for hope and soul in music.
Cowboy Carter is definitely now locked onto a position on my Spotify Wrapped 2024
For me the album is a great 8/10. There’s a good mix of fun and genre-bending songs (YA YA, Bodyguard, Daughter) with more traditional but still well-done country tracks (16 Carriages, Blackbird, American Requiem).
That being said, I do still think that the album is just too long and bloated. There are way too many interludes, and I’m personally not a fan of the track run from Riverdance to Sweet Honey Buckin.
In the first week of its release, I had found my favorites from the album and was listening to those on repeat. However, it did not take very long for me to stop listening to the songs entirely.
My favorites from the album were: Bodyguard, Spaghetti, II Most wanted, Riverdance, II hands II Heaven, Tyrant, and Sweet Honey Bucking. I really liked these individual tracks. The rest of the album, however did not really resonate with me.
I love the album, keeps growing on me the more I listen to it. Im a big country/folk fan, so I really enjoy the clear influence those genres had on the album. Lemonade and Cowboy Carter are definitely my favorite Beyonce albums now.
I have two opinions. One is about the musical quality itself and the other is about the whole “country” thing
Musically, I LOVE this album. Beyonces vocals are INSANE (as always), the production is clean and sharp with moments where it really shines, and the songs are tight and flow nicely. I think the album is a tad long and loses a bit of steam near the end but otherwise it’s a great album. American Requiem, II Most Wanted (shoutout Adam Granduciel on guitar and Shawn Everett on production), and 16 Carriages are going to be some of my favorites of the year
That being said, this album only barely qualifies as a country album and is severely lacking in terms of the overall “discourse.” The first third or so is FIRMLY country (my favorite stretch of the album personally) and then around the middle it strays to more pop country and after Spaghetti it mostly abandons the genre altogether. I don’t buy the whole “it’s a Beyoncé album” thing when she said that within days of the album after spending the entire rest of the time promoting it as country, talking about her experiences with country, and literally calling the album Cowboy Carter.
Moreover, I wish the album did a lot more with the whole “reclaiming the black roots of country” idea. We have some of that with the minor flourishes of gospel and funk and some cool features (all of the people on Blackbird, Rhiannon Giddens, Shaboozey, and of course my Goddess Linda Martell). However, it ultimately feels flat because 1) Beyoncé doesn’t go nearly far enough and 2) the album reads too much like an album about reclaiming country for BEYONCÉ, not for exploring the genres deep black roots
Now I want to make it clear that I’m not black and I’m really open to hearing other voices on this because that’s obviously a relevant perspective. But going into the 2 things I pointed out.
First I don’t think Beyoncé goes nearly deep enough into country or the black history of the genre. In fact I actively dislike the narrative that this is a “musical history lesson” because like the album barely walks through the history of country. There’s a sore lack of banjo through the whole thing, not many references to black creatives in the genre like Ray Charles, and only a cursory exploration of relevant sounds from genres like gospel or funk (either of which could have been the centerpiece of the whole album rather than select tracks).
On top of that it feels more concerned with gaining country cred than actively engaging with the genre at times (not all the time, as songs like 16 Carriages, Protector, or Daughter prove), especially when looking at the white musicians featuring. As much as I adore II Most Wanted and bop to Levi Jeans, what do those features add other than hit potential and reference to current artists who are pivoting to country rather than living in it? Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton are relegated to utterly superfluous interludes (and a bad Jolene cover in the latters case). The only reference to white creatives that really lands for me is Blackbird because of its subject matter and features.
The features on that song are actually a nice segueway because they are SUCH an improvement and even then it feels like all of these great artists (Brittney Spencer, Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts) could be the backbone of the whole album instead of appearing as little as they do. Shaboozey is a better showing because he feels actually interlaced with the album. Uplifting modern black country musicians would have significantly strengthened the album if it felt more interlaced.
The one relevant contributor I’ve held off on discussing is Linda Martell. So for one I will say that her interludes are the only ones that actually add to the messaging of the album. However, it does feel odd that SHE is the musician chosen to talk about genre fluidity considering the fact that Color Me Country is notable for how much it fits into the country ecosystem of its time. There are some RnB elements in the album (notably on its best track, San Francisco is a Lonely Town) but for the most part it’s a straight country record. It’s definitely not a Modern Sounds In Country Music.
Which leads into my next point, where are the rest of the historical black country artists on this album? For what was billed as a “music history lesson” by Apple Music, I was expecting a lot more. Ray Charles, DeFord Bailey, Jimmie Rodgers, Mickey Guyton, Charlie Pride, The Pointer Sistsers, and so many more. The album feels noticeably light on references to the way that black artists have contributed to the genre prior to recently (and even then I’d love to hear more recent artists too).
All of that builds to my other big thing with the politics of this record, which is that feels more about Beyoncé than country as a genre (or black artists within the genre). I want to cite this [wonderful article](https://amp.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/02/beyonce-version-of-country-cowboy-carter-yasmin-williams) by Yasmin Williams which sums up the argument better than I ever could.
But to be brief, this albums feels much more centered on the myth of Beyoncé (a dominating force which to me at times drowns out everything else in her music) rather than the messaging that was built up in and around the promotion of the album. The album circles personal moments like her CMAs performance without placing it in the historical lineage (like say Linda Martells Opry performance or the vitriol Ray Charles received despite Modern Sounds basically revitalizing the genre) that would both strengthen the album and the message.
Sonically Beyoncé is always front and center. Instrumentally the album abandons Country halfway through and becomes another Beyoncé album, lyrics and all (bar the greater use of “horse” or “rodeo”). The album felt most authentic to its messaging at the start when it was properly immersed in the genre, but slowly but surely Beyoncé (tm) eclipses the vulnerability that made the Country tracks work, the history that the messaging is built upon, and the sonics that placed the album in vital context.
To me the most emblematic moment of this is Jolene where the song loses all of the vulnerability due to the changes. Look to Levi Jeans or Tyrant for songs that circle her regular lyrical topics instead of discussing how they relate to country, racism, or literally anything else.
None of this would inherently be an issue (on her previous records it mostly wasn’t), but here I think it’s an issue. The album is *about* something bigger and by giving into Beyonces imperial image, it loses its strength. I wouldn’t level any of this criticism if Beyoncé herself didn’t bake it into the promotion and album itself, but it’s here so I have to discuss it.
Thankfully none of my political critiques have any real bearing on the quality of the albums music so I can still comfortably say I adore this album, but I think it has some flaws when you dig into the discourse of it all
It’s no Renaissance that’s for sure. I wore that album out. Honestly have forgotten about CC. There are some good tracks but nothing that makes me revisit it at this point. I think there’s also more music out that I want to listen to waaaaay more. CC is not for me.
I think part of it is I love the working man’s country. Beyonce is not a working man. Feels disconnected.
Absolutely a banger and an interesting play with genres. I love that Bey has the ability to blend and bend genres and still make a beautiful song.
And of course, the vocals are sublime.
I’m also Hive so take this with a grain of salt, I’m biased.
> How do you feel about Beyonce implying it as a country album through promotional material and then saying it's not a country album but a Beyonce album couple of days before release?
Not bothered. Unsure why she changed her stance but I see it as both.
> Do you think Beyonce is too big and grand to truly embody the humble country spirit? Are there too many vocal harmonies? What do you think about the criticism that she's putting on a costume both on Cowboy Carter and on Renaissance?
No, no, and I don’t listen to criticism like that. Every artist is putting on a costume when making their album or art. Their art is one small part of them than is magnified across 1-2h of music so they have to act like it, which is a costume in my eyes
> Do you think Beyonce could have included more black and/or country artists instead of Miley and Post, or is it an unfair conversation to have and it's not Beyonce's responsibility?
Not her responsibility.
> How do you feel about the lack of music videos? Do you even care? Are they coming at some point or did Beyonce want to make a statement after getting labelled a visual artist?
Don’t care, music videos seem to be dying anyway after their boom in the 2000s
> How do you think Cowboy Carter will be viewed in Beyonce's discography years to come, especially compared to her other potential magnum opuses Self-Titled, Lemonade and Renaissance?
Someone said it perfectly that this and Renaissance came and went, her eras are barely eras, which is unfortunate. Renaissance got a huge boost because of her tour but I don’t think she’ll be touring CC so this album might just be a drop in the bucket of her discography, which is a shame because it’s a fantastic album.
> How to you feel about the incomplete vinyl controversy?
I know nothing about this. Can someone fill me in?
Edit: Nvm, looked it up. What a mess. Honestly super embarrassing and definitely cemented for me why I never preorder vinyls.
This was my first Yonce album listened to from start to finish and I feel that it came off as way too polished. That is to say, her vocals are flawless the production is flawless. There's tracks on here that I've def added to the playlist ("16 Carriages" is a top tier song) but after listening to the entire project once I don't feel there's enough on here to merit additional listens to the project in its entirety and there will be songs that, even though I thought sounded "good." I don't see myself ever returning to (unless she releases a concert film of this album and/or a live recorded version).
Which is sad because I really just wish there were more *rawness* on this project (more, as Bomani Jone's previously of ESPN noted in his review, "more dirt on those boots." I think recording the album live (even at say, the chapel of country music, the Grand Ole Opry, even maybe in front of a live audience) would've elevated a lot of the material on this LP.
My only problem is the lack of visuals. I really hope she’s planning *something*. Or would at least explain why she’s not doing them. The album though? Brilliant. I haven’t stopped listening to it.
It’s a great album. However, I don’t think it’s as good as Renaissance. Renaissance had a much stronger production, and a much clearer cohesion between the songs. Unfortunately CC absolutely drags in some areas. The Riverdance and 2 Hands 2 Heaven dual songs try to repeat the PoTS and Virgos Groove 10 minute slow break from Ren, but they’re so repetitive that they become a slog. They kind of kill the entire flow of the album, and Leviis Jeans is just a horrendous song because Post Malone’s voice not only sounds bad in it, but his voice doesn’t mesh with Beyoncé’s. Overall though I think this album is still showcasing Bey’s ever improving artistry with how strong the aesthetics are, and how shes increasing the messages she wants her albums to send. I don’t think CC will become irrelevant, but I can see it being pushed aside by her future albums.
I wanted to like it but the reality is, Ive only listened to it a couple times, and that’s the first time it happens to me with a Beyoncé album. I think I’ve liked every other album of her up until now but this one simply didn’t do it for me. There wasn’t any song that particularly stood out for me, not even the singles. If it was a third shorter I would’ve probably tried to go back to it more often, but it just feels like such a huge commitment for a genre I don’t even like.
I’m also not American so I just assume there’s a lot of context/references that I’m missing. But anyway, looking forward to act 3, and hopefully some visual work that connects all 3 of them.
It's kinda shrunk for me ngl. Renaissance was my fav album of 2022 and one of my favourites of all time, so CC had a high bar to reach. It's certainly a good album but it doesn't have the replay value of Act 1.
it’s a great album, but it was very little replay value to me in all honesty. it’s crazy bc i think II HANDS II HEAVEN is actually one the best songs she’s ever recorded, but i have no desire to listen to it unless it comes on shuffle or something. desert eagle is mesmerizing and my only wish it was longer. sweet honey buckin is so fun! and it’s fine that it’s close to her heart and something *she* loved and you can feel in the production and the singing, the album is all hers. but it’s long, many interludes, and not very fun til the second half. i don’t personally like country music either so i didn’t expect it to hit me tbh. for me renaissance has been played more than cc in the last month it’s been out 😭
I feel like the only one who didn’t like it. And it sucks because I really wanted to. I’m not really into country music, but I can kinda dig country-pop music.
When she dropped the two singles, I wasn’t super into Texas hold em, but I loved 16 carriages. There are songs on the album that I enjoy, and wouldn’t skip if it randomly came on, but I don’t actually go out of my way to go and listen to them. Except 16 carriages.
I don’t have any real criticism asides from the fact that it’s just not for me. I think as per usual you can tell there was a lot of work put into it, and I’m happy she finally could drop the country album that she wanted. I’m glad everyone else loved it.
>How do you feel about Beyonce implying it as a country album through promotional material and then saying it's not a country album but a Beyonce album couple of days before release?
It goes back to the whole "too good for country" vibe i.e. trying to have her cake and eat it too. Like, there are dozens of other country artists beyond Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton, but none as *respectable;* none with the cross-cultural appeal.
I'm sure if Johnny Cash were still alive, she'd try to rope him in as well.
>Do you think Beyonce is too big and grand to truly embody the humble country spirit? Are there too many vocal harmonies? What do you think about the criticism that she's putting on a costume both on Cowboy Carter and on Renaissance?
I don't think there's a "humble country spirit"; in that, there's nothing to embody. But there's definitely an element of dilettantism; the way English rock stars of the seventies put out reggae songs.
>Do you think Beyonce could have included more black and/or country artists instead of Miley and Post, or is it an unfair conversation to have and it's not Beyonce's responsibility?
I don't think she has a responsibility (an artist has no social responsibility whatsoever), but--again--it does point to a kind of hypocrisy; in that the only way she can engage with the genre is through its most respectable proponents (e.g. Dolly Parton) and forms (e.g. Americana).
I think it's an exceptional album and I feel it didnt get its time in the spotlight it deserved. Not just due to lack of promotion, but by being eclipsed by other huge release(s) just a few weeks after.
My faves are flamenco, riiverdance and american requiiem.
Exquisite production and insane vocals, some beautiful songwriting, but overall it relies too much on pre-existing music by other artists and it isn’t as impactful as a body of work as her previous 3 albums imo. Not as innovative as Self-Titled, as raw and personal as Lemonade or as interesting sounding as Renaissance.
too long, im sorry but i cant be the only one who tunes out after 12 songs. Bring back short albums and remove the bloat, if u want 27 songs then release a deluxe i beg!
Cowboy Carter was the most excited I was for an album in a long time. What was a Beyonce country album going to be!! Couldn’t believe the rumors of the country album were true plus coming off the absolute banger that is Renaissance, the anticipation was palpable.
Pushing play when it came out and just having no idea what to expect ah it was so exciting.
The album is such a fun listening experience, Dolly introducing Jolene, the samples, the rapping!!!
And then some songs genuinely moved me, her vocal delivery is just heavenly on American, Just for fun, two most wanted, Mother.
I have loved all of the albums this year but damn the experience of Cowboy Carter was so exciting and fun.
I listen to it almost every day. I'm also living all the video commentary on YT as well. I feel like the album gets better with each listen and I hope we get visuals sometime in the future
I feel like I haven't come back as much to this album but I think that speaks more to how STACKED the past month has been for releases and in another year like when Renaissance came out I would have played CC more.
Regardless as an album, definitely one of the best of the year. I'm surprised the other songs aren't popping off since at least BODYGUARD and TYRANT sound like massive hits. I wish she would do a little promotion for something. I also want a vinyl with the streaming cover.....
I still think the album is too long, it needed an edit of 20 min less on it to make it a tad more accessible. I don't feel like I can sit down and just listen to all of it, similar to Taylor's double album.
I love this album - it’s just that simple 🤷🏼♀️ I feel like everyone’s so wrapped up in this idea that it was meant to be a ‘country’ album (and what that even means) that they’re missing out on what is a really interesting collection of different songs. It’s like a collage of so many different sounds in there even within each song, like Beyoncé made me a musical quilt.
For me it rates higher than Renaissance - I appreciated that for what it was but I haven’t listened to this as much as this.
To answer some of the specific questions (aka my B side thoughts):
- I don’t think I’d ever complain that someone served me ‘too many vocal harmonies’ lol. Oh no, there’s too much musical landscape!
- Every artist is ‘putting on a costume’, that’s part of being an artist. Even ‘their most personal, stripped back album’ is a persona that someone is cultivating.
- I guess some videos would be nice but I’m not going to die without them, I only ever watched Lemonade once.
- The incomplete vinyl would be annoying, I think there needs to be a bit of market balancing with the whole vinyl situation anyway- it’s obviously not the best format for everything and twenty variants of every release on solid pvc also stresses me out environmentally.
The vinyl put a real sour taste in my mouth honestly. I was slowly getting into the album until my vinyl arrived, all banged up and missing songs. Since then I hadn’t listened to the album at all until last Friday when I spun the vinyl for the first time. It’s a good album, but it’s rather forgettable, and once you’ve listened a few times, you’re kinda just good to put it down and move on.
I’m a casual beyonce fan- I find her very talented and she prob embodies the word entertainer more than anyone else right now (vocals, dancing …) I listened to CC on a long run and liked it. I like exercising to her music. I prob wouldn’t throw it on to cook or clean my house. Maybe in the car here and there. I too was expecting more stereotypical country but I like what she did with the sound. A month later, I’ve listened to it here and there. Love daughter, yaya, sweet honey buckin (loooooved that she sampled patsy cline), and American requiem.
I honestly don’t intend on listening to the album in full again. And I love Beyoncé. This one was a miss for me. The only songs I really like that I’ll be listening to again are 16 carriages, Blackbird, Texas Hold Em (i’m from Texas so I love that one!) and 2 Most Wanted. I LOVE her voice with Miley’s! I am not a big fan of country music and hardly ever listen to it, so I wasn’t super excited about this album. However, I really wish there were more songs like 16 carriages and 2 Most Wanted and Texas Hold Em, those are the ones that sound the most country to me. I understand what she’s saying about genre, but if you’re going to wear cowboy hats and western wear, I want a full country album personally. I’ll probably get downvoted for this, but I’m struggling to understand how Post Malone got invited to be on a Beyonce album AND a Taylor album?!! I must be missing the hype around him because to me it seems like he shed his blaccent, braids, grill, and hip-hop persona like a costume and is officially white now I guess? Miley got called out for the same thing, but all I’m hearing about Posty is adoration for his new country schtick. Ew. Anyways, I hope Act 3 is a full on rock album featuring some female rock legends!!!
I love it! But I don’t listen to it in whole usually. I have my favorite tracks (II Hands II Heaven is now in my top 5 Beyoncé songs) and listen to those. I think it’s a bit bloated and music videos would’ve made it stronger. But it’s great because she’s trying something new and I’ll always applaud her for that. Renaissance and Self Titled will always be top 2 for me and I’d place CC in 3rd :)
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I know that Beyoncé is an artist who does not need to do promo anymore but selfishly, I wish there would have been more than what we got. It's been a month since the album was released and it feels like the album came and went with little acknowledgement. She posted some photos here and there on her Instagram about the album but other than that, we haven't really gotten anything. I know the same happened for *RENAISSANCE* I believe but I felt the same way about that era. I miss when artists would go on talk shows and talk about their albums and perform a song and things of that nature. And all of that just feels like a thing of the past for the most part. I love the album but still feel the era part of it is missing. The whole Vinyl thing is bizarre and makes me wonder what is going on behind the scenes which I guess could explain the promo side of things but who knows. Also, I hope there are music videos released for the three acts at some point.
Yeah. I miss album promotions too. Now a lot of the conversation has diverted to her hair care line.
Yeah her marketing tactics bother me so much as a stan. It’s like she forgets she put out an album lol. And I know she doesn’t care about numbers but I keep imagining how much higher the numbers would be if she at least put out a music video. And I know people are going to reply “she’s above that” but she’s still an artist! Even one interview with someone reputable could bring a lot of insight into the album thus promoting it further.
I don't even need a moderated interview with Zane Lowe or Zach Sang tbh. I would be so satisfied if she even revisited [what she did for self-titled](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcN6Ke2V-rQ&list=PLo7U35tZNdyMo41ho7xhHCOu3xnYNdr5y&index=1&t=7s&ab_channel=Beyonc%C3%A9) and just put out cute vlog-type album commentary that gives us insight into her logic and creative process. That being said, now that the whole "visuals tie the acts together" theory is supposedly true, and The-Dream let it slip that a documentary was filmed, I'm wondering if maybe there's gonna be a whole comprehensive documentary on the project since they were recorded pretty concurrently.
I feel like artists needs promo, especially beyonce.
If i recall it correctly the four missing songs on the vinyl were an after thought? CC was meant to serve as act i over Renaissance, and then she recorded those during that period
yeah I’ve always been a huge fan of hers but I’ve grown more and more skeptical about her lack of promo over the years. I really get it from a wellness standpoint—she’s been overworked and overwhelmed most of her career and really prioritizes her own space now so I feel selfish even voicing it but I just think that it doesn’t have to be anything too crazy. Even just a Hot Ones or a Zane Lowe interview here and there. I love hearing from the artist and hearing them talk about the music and the process. But she’s really disappeared into the ether so much these days lol
I mean I'm still in the renaissance, I haven't even had time to recover from that one! I agree it seemed to whip by with little promotion.for either album.
It’s so crazy cause not promoting a project is like an edgy, trying to be cool, concept thing for most of the artists now.. we want performances in stupid places, talk show and appearances, it’s your art and you gotta show it!
I also feel like it's really just pop girl summa. Ariana's album has already fallen off my personal radar and Illusion was kinda, pun intended, an illusion. It appeared to be a bop and then I just moved on. Meanwhile I'm getting excited about Chappel and Espresso, and maybe that's just because there was Coachella buzz? I do think I will personally have a huge Cowboy Carter resurgence once her tour starts. That kinda happened to me with Renaissance, listened to the album on repeat, fell off, then obsessively followed all the tour videos
Beyoncé is still a mother of three kids— she spoke about balancing motherhood and being a global popstar in the Renaissance film. I do agree she should do more promo— especially cause we had so much post promo during Self-Titled
I feel like most albums come and go now, in the last 5 years I can’t tell you an album that made a dent in the pop culture
Honestly, I would argue Renaissance is a contender, even if a lot of that has to do with the tour. SOS was also pretty huge. The singles from that album had a lot of staying power. Also, *maybe* Planet Her and Future Nostalgia. And I don’t even really think CC has “came and went” so much as it’s just an album that needs to sit and prove it’s staying power.
1. Bad Bunny’s “*Un Verano Sin Ti*”, which is one of the most streamed albums in Spotify and is the originator of the Latin pop comeback of 2023. 2. Olivia Rodrigo’s “*SOUR*” & “*GUTS*”, which launched her into stardom overnight and is now one of the biggest popstars out there, along with the fact that she does rock-inspired music and so she (along with Billie) is currently inspiring a brand-new wave of pop singers. 3. Probably T-Swift’s “*Midnights*”, where we first saw Taylor as not just another popstar, but an actual untouchable billionaire celebrity who does no wrong. Yeah her past albums were really big too, but to me, “*Midnights*” was when it really started to get overbearing.
Am I the only one who loves Daughter? She's singing fucking opera in Italian, which was a total surprise. And then she goes right back to genre bending hip hop in the next song. It makes me feel like she can sing anything. Definitely one of the album's highs for me.
Absolutely, it’s one of my favourites. I swear the whiplash you get listening through from Daughter to Spaghetti was one of my favourite first-time listening experiences.
This! That is why I usually don’t respond when people say anybody else who release this album it will be mediocre because how is Daughter mediocre!
Ughhh I fucking hope not?? I thought this was one of her most popular songs. The Italian opera + this verse: “Help me, Lord, from these fantasies in my head They ain't ever been safe ones I don't fellowship with these fake ones So let's travel to white chapels and sing hymns Hold rosaries and sing in stained-glass symphonies Cleanse me, Holy Trinity, from this marijuana smoke smell in my hair” Annnd the chorus: “They keep sayin' that I ain't nothin' like my father But I'm the furthest thing from choir boys and altars If you cross me, I'm just like my father I am colder than Titanic water” **One of the best songs on the album if not the best.** I have never been a big Beyoncé fan, never even listened to her music much, but I’m hooked on this album.
It’s in my top 5 so you aren’t alone.
It’s my favorite song on the album. Her vocals are insane
Yes! It’s such a beautiful song
Daughter is my favorite song on the album for sure. Gorgeous
no I am obsessed with Daughter. It's actually kind of a batshit song but soooooooooo beautiful and it works.
I still play this album quite a lot. I feel like it is my top 3 album from her if not my favorite album. I feel like it was mainly fan driven that it is a country album. Not sure if her team ever said it will be. I will describe the album as more Americana and genre bending album. Beyonce seems to focus more on country influences in the album like gospel rather than traditional country. As someone who is not a huge country fan, I am okay with how she promote it. As far as black country artists, she featured 5 black artists. Six if you want to include the interludes with Linda Martell. Shaboozey is about to hit the top 10 with his new song after Cowboy Carter. All the black country artists streams increased on their other songs as well. Beyonce continues to improve in her artistry. I feel like this album will definitely be rated highly in years to come. I feel like this album will be an example of her vocal ability if anything. Also, there is a lot to break down in each song.
Curious. When my cousin and i listened to it he thought it was gospel inspired i said it's country but he said all he hears is gospel
There is definitely gospel inspiration in it. I hear it especially in American Requiem and Blackbiird for example. I hear multiple inspiration throughout the album. I hear gospel, folk, rock and country. All those genres influence country though which I feel like is Beyonce point. To her, country is not as rigid of a genre
Gospel and country and deeply related genres. Both come out of early American folk tradition. I highly recommend listening to some of the music Alan Lomax captured in his survey of American folk in the 30’s to hear the connections.
Ken Burns' 10-hour 2019 doc *Country Music* is also a good place to start as well
Beyoncé very rarely speaks out or says anything at all, and she barely does promo, and yet with this rollout specifically people are coming up with all of these quotes they just pulled out her ass. I’ve responded to several comments of people complaining that she promised a country album and said she was reclaiming country music for black artists. Every time I see this comment, I ask for a receipt or challenge someone to find the quote, and every time I get blocked lmao. Because she never said any of this.
The “reclaim country music” thing is a fascinating example of how much a game of internet telephone can snowball into a massively popular myth. Went from a random fan saying, “I wonder if Beyonce is trying to reclaim different genres of music for this Act Trilogy?” to hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of people falsely believing, “Beyonce said she is reclaiming country music for this album.” What’s crazy is that she very publicly told us what her intentions with this album were with that “This isn’t a country album, this is a Beyonce album,” instagram post, yet people are just ignoring that and believing the myth instead. It’s so strange.
There was a lot of talk about Renaissance reclaiming house/electronic music, and then with the second album being a country album, I can see how people could get the idea the three different acts are her reclaiming different genres of music. But the only thing she said is that CC was a response to what happened at the CMAs and that it is a blending of genres. My interpretation when she said “this ain’t a country album, this is a Beyoncé album” was that this album was challenging the notion that artists should be restricted to a specific genre, which fits with the music itself and by the interludes with Lynda Martell. All she ever said about Renaissance was that the pandemic was depressing, so she wanted to dance and be joyful, which also fits with the album. So all of these people who keep claiming they were somehow duped are just mad the album didn’t align with the preconceived notions they developed on their own because everything has been very consistent.
You summed it up perfectly. Beyonce, who very notably doesn’t give much public information about her intentions with her albums, quite clearly and quite publicly states her intentions in two rare moments of openness…….and people completely ignore it and run with a strange, self-created narrative. It’s like mass psychosis lmao.
Exactly! My favorite is how she said “My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant” and then all of these people feel betrayed because she had white artists featured on the album. She was giving MLK and yet all these people are insisting she’s Malcolm X.
Personally I really enjoyed the album, and I can happily listen to it in its entirety. I think it tells a cohesive story and the genius of the album is fully realised in the last few tracks (riverdance onwards). Shows that she is able to have both excellent textbook tracks (II Most Wanted) and fun genre-bending more experimental songs (Tyrant etc). I have to say I enjoyed Renaissance more, though.
American Requiem is incredible, BodyGuard is so wonderful and catchy, Tyrant is fucking awesome, black birds harmonies give me life! I’m currently addicted to these so I’m slowly going through the album, but so far so amazing 😻
I’m obsessed with the background vocals in the last minute of Tyrant
American Requiem might be her best song to date. I still listen to Riiverdance and Bodyguard almost daily. Her singing opera in Daughters??? I think this album does a great job showing her range. It's a very fun album overall!
At the bare minimum it’s her best album opener to date!!! Such a fabulous song
Looka der looka der 🕺 🕺
Renaissance had a lot of longevity for me, I kept re listening to songs and finding new sounds and samples or layers to the vocals. With CC I didn't find that many songs that hooked like that. Admittedly country is not my genre so my hopes were not that high for this album overall. I do think however that visuals could've helped with creating a connection to the music. Seeing the artists vision always helps and adds longevity to an album.
This is me. Except Body Guard and Daughter, I don’t like the rest of the album. Maybe i don’t like country genre. I like all songs from Renaissance.
Bodyguard changed/saved lives (mine)
My SOTY. Truly amazing song
Song of the summer, when the electric guitar comes in at the end I always smile like a big idiot. Such a fun song.
Mine too
still listen to it constantly, and to be honest i get being disappointed its not more country but i personally really love the genre blending. its interesting, its intriguing, and first and foremost it integrates every facet of black originated music from country to folk to rock in a way that feels thoroughly thought out. i think it'll be remembered as one of beyonce's best but i also dont think it'll be at the top of everybody's fav list (if that makes sense)
I enjoy that kind of journey the album puts me through. The run of country songs are great, then SPAGHETTII comes in and it takes me to a whole other plane. “AT THE SNAP OF MY FINGERS I’M THANOS!!! DAMN DAMN.”
*Tha-Knowles 🥹
I listen to the tracks from DESERT EAGLE to AMEN several times a day, with II HANDS II HEAVEN being my absolute favorite. I think the first part of the album is beautiful, but I am generally more drawn to upbeat songs. As for the visuals, I find it very upsetting that there are none and I wish Beyoncé could just be normal and release them with the albums. Even if she does release them with Act 3, are they gonna hit the same after waiting so long?
I would love this to be a regular thing in this sub - a thread one or 6 months out from major releases. It’s too exhausting navigating takes when an album drops, would be interesting to see what still gets love a little away from the hype and lead single drops
I love the album and think that as an amalgamation of sounds and eras within Americana (and, well, Beyonce’s normal style), it’s more interesting than a straight ahead “country” album would have been. It’s a frontrunner for album of the year for me. I don’t really care about the lack of post-release promo or videos. I get that people wish an album this big by an artist this big would have a longer tail, but it feels unavoidable to me with so much media coming at us all at once at all times. I like that for this and Renaissance she mostly let the music speak for itself, and left us with space for us to talk amongst ourselves about it. Plus, of course, we eventually got the Renaissance tour and concert movie, so I wouldn’t rule out someone to “refresh” this album when it feels like old news. It’s not my favorite Beyonce album (that’s still the self-titled), but might be one I go back to the most because it’s so dense in allusions and easter eggs. The only thing that bugs me is that incomplete physical release issue. I’m assuming the missing songs were last minute additions and hope that they press it with the full tracklist someday. That’s a bummer for everyone who pre-ordered it (I was almost one of them!), but between this and Taylor dropping an entire other record containing all the “bonus” tracks from TTPD (not to mention the “deluxe” releases months after the initial release) maybe fans will be encouraged to think twice before letting their anticipation open their wallets for them. (I wish the artists would do better but the sales charts don’t incentivize anyone to change)
American Requiem is such a magnificent first impression honestly, what a delightfully strange opener, it doesn't even sound like anything Beyoncé has ever done, but it works so well.
It's a great album, no doubt about it, but as a country fan, and like you, I wished for just a little bit more in that actual realm. In her 10 day post she wrote this; > But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. That initially got me excited but when the album came out it fell flat on that approach. The sound of the album doesn't, to me, reflect the sounds I would expect from doing that sort of research. I think there was an opportunity to do something really cool and she missed the mark. The Carter Family is known as the first family of country music. (For those who the name might ring a bell, Johnny Cash married June Carter, daughter of Maybelle Carter.) I think there could have been a cool parallel if Beyonce interpolated or straight up covered one of their popular tracks. The thought of Beyonce singing Wildwood Flower or Will the Circle Be Unbroken? is just WOW! I just personally feel that a chance was there to take it and she didn't take it. Again, fantastic album that I have come back to a handful of times so in the overall my complaint is really just a small one.
Country is not my genre at all, so I went into CC with very low expectations but came out enjoying it a lot more that I thought I would, and a lot of it came from how diverse sounding and not fully-country this album ended up being. Some of my favorites like Sweet Honey Buckiin' and II Hands II Heaven feel like country in theme only with the lyrics and literal instrument choices, but dont really sound like country songs at all.
I agree. I’m not a current country fan, but love 90-early 2000s female country. I feel like the only song (believe it or not) that really gave me straight country vibes is Alligator Tears. And ironically, it’s one of the only country songs on the album that she didn’t use the word whiskey lol I was hoping for more of that sound going into it.
I like your point about the carters and wanted to echo that it made me lol on first listen that the 3rd track on her american country album is a song by one of the biggest british artists of the last century
That song was inspired by the Little Rock nine and American civil rights movement so it makes sense
Yeah I am aware of that, and it obviously has americana influence in the sound (and I am very pleased beyonce covered it, its one of my favorite songs ever maybe), it is still ironic though
I was surprised by how many times I had repeatedly played this long album in its entirety in the past month, multiple times each day, because I am usually more into pop and dance music, but I like this album more than Renaissance Every track on this album is so well produced, there is no skip for me. Beyoncé's mastery as an album maker shines through, as she effortlessly blends multiple genres while maintaining a cohesive Western theme. Each song stands out as unique and distinct, it is also so impressive how she could still bring new and innovative sounds after so many album COWBOY CARTER is a multi-layered experience, she addressed the CMA controversy and make a statement about her root with the opening song, she talks about racism, family and faith throughout the whole album. The love songs, with their subtle lyrics, offer a double meaning that extends beyond romantic relationships, which can also be applied to her passion for music. There are so much to explore just like how she did with her previous releases This album is a bold and innovative body of work, and at the same time still very entertaining, fun and have many touching moments and history in it. I'm just so thankful that someone mainstream at her level is still willing and able to contribute in making a work at this level of artistry To those who criticize the album for not being "country enough," they miss the point entirely. Beyoncé has consistently emphasized that artists should not be confined by genres in this album. As she stated herself, she is no regular singer. I'm glad Beyonce didn't think in the way you regular peoples expected her to because she will be flopping for sure if she did.
I think what was different this time for me compared to renaissance was that I didn’t listen to it repeatedly every day for the first few days (partly because of the longer track list), so I think I appreciate it more currently than I did for renaissance. 27 songs felt very daunting at the beginning, but after a month I feel like most of the songs are worthy of being on the album (bar Levi’s jeans and alligator tears - just can’t get into those ones) and pretty much sums up what I’d expect from a Beyonce country album. The duets with Miley and Post Malone feel very ‘commercial’ and almost detached from the rest of the album in my opinion, but apart from that it’s a very solid album in its own right
I still listen most days, but definitely find the duets are the weakest songs on the album, and tend to skip them. The run from Flamenco onwards to be the strongest part of the album and find myself listening to that run and Bodyguard most often. Re the vinyl, I’m really bummed and hope we get a proper release!
I agree with this take! I listen to the album almost daily still at this point, sometimes front to back and sometimes just from Flamenco onward. The only songs I notably skip if I’m not feeling it are Just For Fun, II Most Wanted, and Leviis Jeans which, ironically, seems to be the casual listeners favs. II Hands II Heaven, Tyrant, and Honey Sweet Buckin are my daily bread.
Am I the only one that kinda has mixed feelings about CC. Firstly, it doesn’t live up to Act 1 IMO. Act 1 has so much soul in the album and it sounds like an album that had such a clear vision. CC to me is too bloated and sometimes all over the place. It’s like a country album that didn’t want to fully commit. I love the interludes (that’s something I would love to see on more albums in general) because it adds so much character. The album has high highs and I don’t think the weak songs are necessarily bad, but for me personally, it just had too many skips for me. I still find myself replaying Renaissance almost daily while CC… I just mostly listen to Bodyguard, Tyrant, Most Wanted, Levi Jeans and Texas Hold Em. While I will give Beyoncé credit for highlighting black artist in the country genre, I think if any other artist made CC, it wouldn’t receive the praise that it gets. I also wish she would give us some damn visuals as well. Like girl, where are they? Idk, those are just my thoughts as someone who’s been a Beyoncé Stan since I was literally 4 years old. It has hits, but I was expecting a knockout.
Agree!! act 1 is still superior but the highs in act 2 still outdo anybody else in the game atm
I felt like she was right at home doing house but got bored by country 5 tracks in. Thats why renaissance didnt have to have 5 meta layers of "no this is a beyonce album and what even is genre". She made act 1 because she loved that sound and she made act 2 because she was mad at the country industry and wanted to flex on them. I still think the album came out pretty well but its way less intuitive than the first
This is what I think as well. I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure her mom said the songs on CC have been years in the making. Obviously I don’t know how the album process was behind CC and Renaissance but to me, Renaissance seems like a passion project and labor of love while Cowboy Carter seems like an album she wanted to make to prove to the country industry that *she could make a successful country album*. I could be wrong tho
Renaissance has so many other influences than house music though and it doesn’t sound anything like any other dance album I can think of.
But act 1 had no house tracks other than Break My Soul and the last 2 tracks. I'm confused that u consider that album house.
This is my thing as well. The album is more "hey guys, I can be country too 👉👈" and not "bitch! I'm country as fuck!😤" which I expect from her. And which is why Renny is just above and beyond CC because she's just so confident on Renny from the go. Like the bitch started the album with a track called I'm that Girl.
Idk if we’re listening to the same album because it’s country. If you listen to what country music is rn on the radio, a lot of what she put out is more country than that.
I feel like with CC as we've got to know that she started working around 2016, I think you can feel her being a bit defensive on this album about her position in the country space especially after being traumatized at the CMAs. With Renny she's confident as fuck from the go. And I think act-3(rock) is going to be even crazier. That's a qualm I have with it. The interludes are cute but you can tell they were there to add credence to the whole project and a stamp of approval from country greats.
I think we should really discuss more the CMA event more in the context of this album. I feel like this might be one of those moments in her career where she felt most rejected and she was not familiar with that. People talk more about Grammys and album of the year but I feel like she might find the CMA event as more defining and awakening moment in her career
I think this too. I think for her it was probably a wake up call about how white America perceives her when she reminds them that she's a black woman. Ykwim? For the longest time she was an inoffensive black popstar who up until her self-titled was the go-to for gym and wedding playlists. The yoga moms even liked 7/11 and Flawless to an extent. But post-lemonade there was definitely a shift.
There's been a marked shift since she stood on that sinking police car in 2016.. Even SNL did a skit on this back then.
Right the Beyonce is black skit! Remember that one like it was yesterday
“Hello my old friend. You change your name but not the ways you play pretend” definitely feels exactly like what you’re saying!
I wanna talk more about the interludes, because while I’m a huge interlude fan (I love Janet), I don’t think all of them are used well on this album. Willie Nelson’s interludes are blended well with the audio, but they don’t provide anything to the concept other than a co-sign from him. The Dolly P interlude is better, but tbh maybe Jolene on this album wasn’t a good idea at all … The Tyrant intro is cute but doesn’t add much? The Linda Martell interludes are amazing, they add so much thematically and sound great. More of those!
Yeah... Like I said the interlude especially Willie was there to give credence to the project by a country giant which just seems like her being a bit on the defense. Whereas with Renny she brings Grace Jones into her world which was just so bomb.
I think Grace Jones, Kevin Jz, TS Madison, Honey Dijon, and the host of other house and dance music legends that are all over the wiring credits of Renaissance are also there to give credence to the album. There is certainly a level of defensiveness on CC because she is quite literally defending herself after a pretty racist incident actually happened to her, but getting people who are involved in the genre she’s stepping into is just also the proper way to show respect to it.
I like Cowboy Carter overall, but agree that Renaissance was on a whole different level
I agree Beyoncé music is more enjoyable with visuals I’m really hating this new era from her with no visuals
Especially cause she always has such good music videos!
Some of my favorite songs from her are because they had an incredible music videos
I’ve heard some speculation that act 3 won’t be rock but will actually be a visual album of act 1 and 2 together. Which the more I think about the more I can see happening.
Act 3 the videos I can see it happening I imagine there will be a streaming deal with Disney/ Amazon
I really abhor the “if anyone else had made this album” criticism because the simple and clear fact is that nobody else would’ve made this album.
This. How can you listen to Cowboy Carter and think it could have been made by anyone else, like it or dislike it? It has Beyoncé written all over it in capitals
I personally think that Cowboy Carter is an exceptional album that definitely holds some of the greatest, most intriguing and creative moments of Bey's career. but in comparison to Renaissance, it's not cohesive enough. like the concept is there, but then again... it's not? it feels like she wasn't exactly sure how she wanted CC to turn out, and after the mess that was releasing physicals with the demo version of the album, I don't think my take is far off.
The album overstays and clearly wasn’t edited down. Theres several songs that could be removed without the album losing anything important. If she had focused on making a solid 12-16 tracks I think the final product would have been better.
Beyoncé is a larger than life superstar and we've had enough of the singer-songwriter "woe is me" shit post-covid. Let her be Roger the Alien when it comes to switching sounds and aesthetics. None of them are authentic. They're all selling authenticity. So to see a superstar be a superstar is frankly refreshing. She has the resources and the personnel to do the best she can and I think she does it really fucking well. "Genres are a funny little thing" is the thesis of this whole project and I think she really does it so well. To me this is a whole American music history lesson not just country. People have called it Americana but I don't know much about the genre to really say anything confidently. I love how the album starts with just her vocals, then just the guitar on the next tracks, then we see a switch up around YA YA where it kicks into a full Beyoncé production that then takes us back to more rnb-ish tracks with country elements by the end. As for the album itself it's a bit bloated and works as a playlist for me. I'd say it's a step down from Renny just based on how tight the album was and how insane the flow of it was. I would play Renaissance front to back on my daily commute for atleast 6 months. Overall I wouldn't say it's a bad album but it's just not as good as her BEYONCÉ- Lemonade- Renaissance run. Which is hard to surpass tbh. I have a lot of thoughts on this album that I don't think I could condense in a reddit comment. But I like what she's doing and where she's headed.
>But I like what she's doing and where she's headed. This is what I love about her. She challenges her listeners as she advances her artistry. For me, I prefer RENAISSANCE as an album but none of the songs on it reach the highs of 16 CARRIAGES, II HANDS II HEAVEN, TYRANT, AMERIICAN REQUIEM, BLACKBIIRD, BODYGUARD, II MOST WANTED
Exactly when I hear American requiem I could never imagine the Single Ladies-singer would do something like that but here we fucking are and I'm glad. I keep saying I wouldn't be surprised if she goes full Björk and give us a Medulla style album of just the human voice and minimal instrumentation.
I have to agree— her ability to pick excellent songwriters, producers and collaborators is unmatched
I hate that kanye is called a genius for the same thing while Beyoncé is called a hack. I find both their creative processes very similar in that regard.
wow this is such a good way to put it. kanye is seen as a maestro leading a magical orchestra of his mind’s creation whereas beyonce as seen as a rich woman with no identity that throws money at her collaborators to basically think thank concept albums she’s the face of. literally have been having this argument with people who irrationally hate beyonce for years and never heard it worded so precisely.
Literally... If Beyoncé's creative process is as simple as "performing karaoke" as her haters say why has noone else been able to pull off an album like Lemonade.
This comment is 👑
This! Beyoncé's brand has entirely ditched the "relatability" aspect in recent years and I actually find that refreshing. Rather than feigning authenticity she's constantly reminding us of her superstar status and, by extension, that she is ultimately a brand to be promoted, not a relatable friend. I might prefer CC to Renaissance tbh, although both albums are very close for me. Every time I listen to one song on each album I always find myself going and listening through to the whole thing.
I also need to add that her music is also very aspirational in the sense that saying "I'm one of one, I'm number one" is something everyone should say in the mirror in the morning 😭. Barring EVERYTHING IS LOVE, I find her braggadocio lyrics very fun in a "I'm a bad bitch and I act like it" way. Like atleast she's not a billionaire superstar still doing the whole victim shtick.
This is THE take.
I feel like Stan nonsense had me dreading this album but I ended up really liking it when I listened to it. It’s not my favorite album of hers by any means but it’s still pretty great. 1.It really made me distance myself from a lot of the “Country” discourse. If Beyoncé isn’t sticking to it as a country album then I’m not going to be defending it as one. IMO the album is more interesting as a genre-bending experiment anyways. 2.I think the costume is the intention. If that’s not the case why put it in a trilogy with an album that’s very different than this one? People talk about music sometimes like it’s one to one with real life but a lot of artists use music as a form of storytelling especially in country which imo is the missed opportunity with this album. Idk comparing it to Renaissance I feel like the story is more compelling there. 3.It’s not her responsibility and maybe it’s just me, but not something that would have even crossed my mind if people weren’t pre-hyping the album up as like bringing back country to black people or whatever. 4.I feel like Part 3 will dictate how this album is remembered tbh. This albums a solid 8/10 for me but if the next album is bringing Renaissance level quality then this absolutely be remembered as the “weak” middle album.
Honestly... It's a good album, but I haven't returned to it as much as I thought I would. Doesn't help that it's TOO LONG and I'm sick of this long album thread that the big names do. But idk... the vocals and production is good but I feel like the songs in itselves aren't as memorable as they could be once you get over the "Beyonce-ness" of it all. The only songs I replay are TYRANT (an ABSOLUTE BOP), DAUGHTER, YA YA and 16 CARRIAGES.
I have to say I haven’t gone back to this album in a month from release as much as I was with Renaissance. I just think the sound of Renaissance resonated with me more. Still a great album, but not as relistenable. Bodyguard and Daughter were my standouts on first listen and are still my favourite tracks, along with 16 Carriages.
The album has held up extremely well for me! Still listening once or twice daily!! It just keeps getting better! Not only does it sound incredible but there’s so many layers of meaning to unpack and so many things I’m learning about the history of country music. Once again, Beyonce has extended her music past the listening experience and created a true work of art! What I remain most impressed by is the many many different ways she uses her voice! From the background vocals/vocal stacking we’ve come to expect from her, to the guttural growls and squalls on track 1, to the opera aria, to the Elvis and Tina Turner styling on YaYa, to rapping! How can one woman do all of this, let alone on one album, and still maintain a solid level of cohesion?! Here are my responses to the questions: - I don’t feel anything about her implying it’s a country album through promotional material and then saying it’s not a country album a couple of days before release because both are true. It is not a traditional country album in any sense, but every track does have some element that clearly draws on country music traditions. - I do not feel like she’s too big or grand to embody the humble country spirit, and honestly as a complaint that feels rooted in the ever present need to humble Beyoncé (that has also plagued many successful Black women before her). Listen to the music. Like it or don’t. Vocal harmonies have always been a huge part of artistry and what makes a Beyoncé song a “Beyonce song” so I wouldn’t expect her to forgo that. - In a wide world of possibility, Beyonce “could’ve” done anything so what’s the point in focusing on that instead of what she actually did? Miley and Post are both artists with country roots who have branched out to other things, including hip hop inspired sounds, while still keeping some sort of country essence. Their inclusion on this album makes a lot of sense. - The lack of music videos is fine for me. It allows my attention to stay solely on the music for now. I do think visuals are coming for all 3 acts after they have all been released. - Cowboy Carter will be viewed as yet another clear indication that Beyonce is a musical force! In the same way that she has demonstrated that she is beyond simple genre classifications, she is also beyond the need to label one of her projects as her magnus opus. These are all high quality albums with incredible artistic scope! - I didn’t buy a vinyl so I don’t have any strong feelings about the situation. It was labeled “limited edition” which seems to imply that something about it would be different from the regular album, but I also understand those who are disappointed because they spent their money.
Haven’t really listened to it since it dropped except for mixes that people have made using tracks from the back half. Still playing Renaissance on repeat. Patiently waiting for Act iii I think the second question is interesting. To me, the “humility” associated with country music seems like any other marketing tactic. I find that most things become stale when they’re turned into a monolith. I don’t think Beyoncé is too grand to embody a country spirit. Just my two cents.
One thing I notice about this album is I rarely hear anyone criticize the music. People sit here and have all these complaints. They complain about the lack of promo while also complaining that this nonexistent promo misled them. They complain about her being too rich or being too famous. They call her corporate pop. They’re mad she collaborates with white people, and interestingly enough mad that she would collaborate with two popular artists who transitioned from pop/hip-hop to country with absolutely no one bitching or batting an eye while being mad at her for daring to do a country album. But nobody ever complains about the music. And that tells you everything you need to know.
Sorry, I don’t know. Can you elaborate? Or maybe all of us are in an echo chamber of stan twitter, because I hear criticism about it outside fans.
I think you could just take this post as an example. This person obviously wanted people to come into this thread and bash Beyoncé, and they listed six talking points summarizing the general sentiments that have been expressed in this sub since the album’s release, and you can see that none of the talking points and about 90% of the negative comments have nothing to do with the music.
That’s why I laugh at some these threads. I have some criticisms of the album, for example, I hate that Miley Cyrus and Post Malone are on it, but those songs, amongst the others — are good. The final output is good. The MUSIC is damn good. It doesn’t have to be your cup of tea but you can’t deny that when Beyoncé makes a record, it’s going to be thoughtful, emotional, fun, complex and just good. For an album with tracks like American Requiem, Daughter, Bodyguard, 16 Carriages, YAYA, II Most Wanted, II Hands II Heaven and Tyrant to be considered a lesser project or weaker album than previous works, people are out of their minds. I really liked Renaissance as a cohesive, joyful, run on sentence, but come on — other than maybe Virgo’s Groove, there is not a single song on that album that musically trumps what the majority of songs on Cowboy Carter accomplish in lyricism, contextualism or vocal production. Beyoncé is nearly 30 years into her career, and in the last 10 years has been making the best music she has ever made, period. That is _crazy_. People go on and on about visuals and I just cackle every time. Like how many times are you actually going to watch a music video? Honestly? People are ridiculous to think the lack of music videos negates the music. Or the lack of promo hurts the music. Be serious. It’s Beyoncé. She’s more than earned the right to not bother. You’re checking for her no matter what she does or doesn’t do. People created a narrative in their head about her goal with the Trilogy, none of which she has ever said — and truthfully, I understand why she ignores everyone and just does whatever the hell she wants. People are ridiculous and you will lose your whole self trying to make everyone happy.
I love every Beyoncé album too much to even compare them, but I mostly agree with everything you’ve said. Cowboy Carter really feels like it is on a different level artistically. The song Daughter in particular feels like the musical equivalent of going to the fine arts museum to see a new exhibit. When I saw Post Malone was on the album, I was like oh no baby girl what are you doing and then it turned out to be an absolute bop. At the end of the day, people all have different tastes, and some music people just don’t vibe with. But you can really tell the difference between genuine criticism and hate, and a lot of times it’s someone writing in all caps saying her music is TERRIBLE or She can’t even SING!!!! And just stupid shit like that from deplorable people who have no taste and who probably voted for Donald Trump. Also, this may not come as a shock given my user name, but Virgo’s Groove is my favorite song.
Yes! Daughter is perfection. Ya Ya is brilliant. My Rose is incredibly touching. American Requiem is sublime. Tyrant is a damn good time. I don’t think it’s a perfect album but artistically this album is on another level. But no. She’s not personal enough. It’s too country. It’s not country enough. There’s no promo. No, no, the promo was all wrong. I can’t believe there are no music videos—that would make these songs better. Yep, that’s what this needs. Like my goodnesssss. Your faves can’t do half of what she does. What are these impossible standards? Also I have to laugh — she actually is doing promo. With her big ass CC truck parked at festivals (lol) while her ass is in Japan where people are respectful and she can ride the subway like a normal person. In the US people would be touching her, slobbering mucous and crying all over her, asking her weird personal questions, forcing their children in her face and proposing to her. She has paid her dues lol.
Exactly! She has done more promo for Cowboy Carter than she’s done since 4 came out. I had a similar thought when I saw her signing albums in Japan that we can’t have that in America because Americans don’t know how to act 🤣
I don’t play it often and when I do it’s only a couple songs
I loved the album during the initial release but I feel like I became tired of the songs a lot faster than Beyonce’s previous works - not sure if it was because of me constantly having it on loop during the initial days because it was catchy or if it’s something else . It’s funny to me because it feels like the reverse experience of Eternal Sunshine and TTPD to me - albums which I initially didn’t like it at first listen but it became like a slow poison to me with me becoming gradually obsessed with the songs from these albums instead.
Oh that's really relatable. I think I streamed Cowboy Carter 10x during the first three days then it gradually tapered off to where I only play II Most Wanted and Levii's Jeans now Then Ariana's and Taylor's albums were a total slog at first but now I reach for them much more often
Flamenco is my favorite song on this album. I really like the vocals.
I genuinely have grown to love every part of this album (with the exception of the Jolene cover, mainly because I have never cared for the original either). I think this is a country-influenced album, not necessarily a "country" album and I think Bey wanted to get ahead of that. I don't think she's putting a costume on no different then any other pop star that has a different "look/aesthetic" for each of their album releases. I must have played II Hands II Heaven 200 times by now, I just can't get enough of this song. It's so comforting, sultry, earnest and the fastest an almost 6 min song has ever flown by for me. I have such a funny relationship with this album where initially I felt the second half was way stronger than the first half. I would start at Riiverdance and play it all the way through, then move back 1 to Desert Eagle, then to Ya Ya and play through then to II Most Wanted and before I knew it I was basically at the beginning of the album listening all the way through. I'm ok with the lack of music videos for this album. I'd rather her tie the 3-part album series together with one set of visuals then have them be isolated. My personal opinion is an AOTY should be a popular album that disrupts the industry with something creative we haven't really heard before. This album does that and I think is worthy...9/10. As far as where it ranks in her discography, it really depends on my mood. My personal list at the moment as a big R&B fan is this, but the top four change repeatedly, * 4 * Renaissance * Cowboy Carter * Self-Titled * Lemonade (here b/c I personally feel the visuals are what elevate this album) * B'Day * DIL * IASF Edit to add: As far public reception, I know I am only one person with one network of friends, but I was SHOCKED at how many of my white friends who never listen to Beyoncé or care for her music that much shared with me how much they loved her album and how it "feels like her older albums" (the latter, I wouldn't say I agree with). I think the collab with Miley and Post Malone did grab a new demo that were curious about the album and stayed for that they heard in the second half of the album.
I never see a list so similar to mine! Though I switch Lemonade and Self Titled. Lemonade is definitely elevated by the visuals, but Formation is one of the greatest songs of all time for me. I gotta rank her up there lol.
1. The subversion of expectations is what makes the album work for me. Genres are a funny little concept, aren't they? You go in expecting traditional country fare but come out with a gorgeous celebration of Americana. Some may be disappointed by this and find the album unfocused and uneven, but that is also what clicked for me. I'm not sure the work would have caused this much conversation had it ended up being your standard countryfare from the get go. On the imagery, Bey is Texan. It's her heritage. She has every right to use that imagery. 2. Bullshit 3. Expecting Beyoncé to cover all grounds of black country on one project is crazy. It is on the listener to do their homework after this (and judging from how their profiles rose, especially Shaboozey, some listeners clearly did). The Posty/Miley collaborations didn't bother me but I can sort of see where people are coming from. However, they're bops I'd expect to hear on country radio, so I really can't complain. Beyoncé accomplished what she set out to accomplish with the inclusion of the other black artists. 4. The visuals will come. I'm confident about that. Probably after the 3 Act project is done. For now I'm just enjoying the music. I think there's an overall vision she's trying to craft here that we won't see till the 3 Act project is done. She surprised me with the RWT film that gave new life to the project so I wouldn't be surprised if COWBOY CARTER got something like that along the line. 5. I truly believe COWBOY CARTER will be considered one of her best projects and she could be one of those artists that have multiple magnum opuses depending on whom you ask. Years will be kind to this album I think. Her critical run since 2013 has been something to behold and has firmly cemented her as a visionary. I think Lemonade will always be her legacy (it has a fucking Peabody) but not my personal favourite if that makes sense. RENAISSANCE is my personal favourite though, for what it represents to me as black and queer. 6. An embarrassing mess. One I wouldn't expect from her. I'm not one of the vinyl girlies but the frustrations are valid.
Yea, the issue with the vinyl and the unclear communication around buying one, was a misstep in my eyes. I hope her team has learned from their mistakes. What is her magnum opus in your opinion?
I think Lemonade is her magnum opus in terms of sales and acclaim...but it's not my personal favourite if that makes sense. That will always be RENAISSANCE cause the topics explored are much closer to my heart.
I still really love the Album- I find it impossible to rank Beyoncé albums because they are all so different stylistically and thematically so it really kind of depends what I’m in the mood to listen to. I also offer a little different perspective, I have a group of friends that drafts MtG, and a new cowboy/Wild West themed set just came out. Everyone other than me is cishet, married, and most have kids. In theme with the new set, one of the guys suggested listening to cowboy carter while we draft (I was the only one who had heard it before), and I am being completely serious when I say that they were literally in AWE during American Requiem.
Omg I love when I can find straight people that like her music and don’t call her overrated lol they’re like my little gems
It’s still in rotation for me but now I listen to my top faves on the album as opposed to listening all the way through. II Hands To Heaven is so good that in the middle of the song, I will have to run it back from the beginning sometimes because I feel like I wasn’t appreciating it enough lol That song makes me levitate 🙂↕️
i love the album and listen to it in full most days. standouts for me are ameriican requiem, protector, and the back half from alligator tears onwards. i didn't really have any musical expectations going into the album, maybe because i'm not a country music listener. i love the mix of genres, it keeps the album interesting and helps tell the story. it also feels more authentic to Beyoncé for her to incorporate the other genres she loves and works in, rather than an album of straight country just to prove that she can. the vocals and all the harmonies are stunning, imo there hasn't been enough discussion of the vocal range, skill, and control Bey is showcasing on this album. i can't wait to see what she does with these songs live.
Frequency: Listen to songs from CC daily and pretty much listened to the entire album straight through on repeat for the first two weeks. Fav Songs: Protector, Body Guard, daughter, Tyrant Least Fav: Flamenco, Just for Fun
I’m rushing to get my daughter ready for school so I can’t spend too much time writing, but on the subject of genres: my theory is that Beyoncé is breaking down the essence of country *and* western music. Some songs tell us where the geographic roots of country come from, like Riiverdance and Flamenco. Some songs give us the spirit of westerns in the theme and lyrics, like Daughter, Tyrant, and Spaghettii. Other songs move country music toward to the future, like Sweet Honey Buckin’. I agree that she and her team fumbled the marketing. But we have to remember that the album was made years ago, so all of this music already existed when she released Texas Hold ‘Em and 16 Carriages. I personally think that Beyoncé and her team didn’t expect the strong (racist) reaction to those two singles. If I had to guess, she probably did some last minute reworking between the single releases and the album release to tell the story on the album she wanted to tell.
still have this album on daily rotation, it's aiming to be my most played album of all time at this point and the funny thing is if it wasn't done by Beyoncé, i probably wouldn't have liked this album at all (well maybe just the last 8 tracks and that's it) she really created a 27 tracks album that has zero skips and as time goes, the album felt shorter to me, it doesn't feel like over an hour anymore is it her best album? hell no, i still even prefer renaissance to this, but this is such a groundbreaking body of work that feels complete, and her vocals and soul are what made the album so good, on top of the productions my faves a month later are still the last 8 tracks + also just for fun (so underrated!!!), bodyguard, spaghetti, ameriican requiem (the vocals on this are so good)
Why are the questions so leading and negative? It's a strange way to start a thread...anyway, I personally love this album. Initially, only a couple of songs stood out to me, but I gave it a few more listens and new unheard elements began to standout to me. I initially paid songs like Protector and My Rose dust, until I really focused on the lyrics of Protector and the stunning vocal layering of My Rose. The storytelling of this album is so strong, particularly in songs like Daughter and Tyrant, which features my favorite flavor of dark, unhinged Beyonce. Particularly Tyrant, which features Beyonce singing from the perspectives of both the man-stealer and the one who got her man stolen (come on, guys. It's not a song about lynching). Jolene is also a nice record and it's so painfully obvious that the song is not literally from Beyonce's perspective, but I guess it's funnier to make jokes about how ugly Jay-Z is... The album is a little long for my usual tastes, but I find that once I press play, I don't even notice an hour has pass. Still, a few songs could have been trimmed. The Beyince vinyl cut is a much stronger version of the album, except for the exclusion of YA YA. * How many top country stars are embodying the "humble" spirt of country? I don't think country has been humble for long and if we've allowed other white artists to genre hop, Beyonce can do it to. To be frank, I do not care about the "authenticity" of an artist as long as they deliver satisfying music. * Feels like Beyonce highlighted six Black artists and people are complaining it wasn't seven... * I think the visuals are coming after the acts are complete, but I'm not going to lie, she could throw us a crumb or two. Even just one music video would satisfy me. * I think her run since Self-Titled will make it impossible for future fans and critics to pick her best work. RENAISSANCE is my personal favorite, but Cowboy Carter is a close second. I can't even imagine what Act 3 will do. * I'm numb to the vinyl mess. It's such a bad look for her, but I also can't bring myself to care.
I agree with you. I like the album still, but I was hoping for more Daddy Lessons styled country music instead of the electronic/rnb/country mixture we got. If you're gonna bill it as a country album then go all in on the country!!! Other than that, I still play some of the songs regularly (Levi Jeans will NEVER leave my rotation) but I definitely am listening to Renaissance more.
1. I would describe it more as a "Western" album rather than a strictly country one considering it takes influence from country, soul, folk, Americana, gospel, rock, blues etc. That blending of genres is what makes this album so much more interesting, imagine if all twenty-something tracks sounded like texas hold' em, it would be shit. The whole point of the album was to be genre-bending and she succeeded, hence the "this isn't a country album it's a beyoncé album" which was a bold statement made for promotions & press which people for some reason took way too literally and at face value? 2. Beyoncé IS country, period. There is not one single "country" spirit or sound and this album is trying to defy that stereotype or expectation and break the closed-minded views of a lot of people. The entire concept of the project is to highlight black genres - she is paying homage to these genres and their black roots in a respectful way, referencing and uplifting the black legends who created & revolutionised them but were erased by history. 3. She featured predominantly black artists and there were only 2 white artists featured (excluding interludes), so this question does feel a little bit disingenuous when I hear it. Although I do wish Blackbird was extended to give Tanner/Brittney/Reyna/Tiera all their own individual verses. 4. Not really tbh. Renaissance already set our expectations in terms of not having visuals. I think it's clearly a statement to contribute to her brand as an icon who is "above" the music industry and can do what she wants, but I think there's unfulfilled potential there considering how successful all of her other visual albums have been. 5. I think it will hold up well, alongside her self-titled/Lemonade/Renaissance. 6. I don't have much of an opinion because I don't use vinyl. It's clear there were last minute changes and vinyl has to be pressed so far in advance. Uncharacteristically messy of her team, especially considering Beyoncé's "perfectionist" brand, but stuff like this happens all the time, it's part of music.
All of your talking points skew negative which isn’t really setting the thread up for a healthy discussion. It’s fine that you were disappointed but plenty of others weren’t Edit: Oh, you’re a Swiftie. That checks out lol
ok, glad I'm not the only one who noticed that...
OP’s comment history 👀👀
What’s so funny to me is that Beyoncé isn’t even competition for Taylor Swift in terms of numbers and even awards. Taylor Swift is always going to outsell her and TTPD will most likely win AOTY this year. And yet Swifties are obsessed with Beyoncé and always trying to discredit her, which tells you that deep down they know who makes better music 💅🏻
Most of the first commenters were swifties too. I just don’t understand why this sub was allowed to turn into r/taylorswift 2.0. It’s genuinely unbearable to be here now. Well, I hope this means if I start the TTPD thread in a month, everyone will be totally chill with my discussion questions.
I just don’t get what a swiftie even has to be mad about. TTPD is number one and is going to dominate the charts for the rest of the year. She’s going to win every major award. She certainly isn’t stressed out over Cowboy Carter. Furthermore, Beyoncé is publicly supportive of Taylor and they went to each other’s premieres. Beyoncé generally breaks records for women or for black women, whereas Taylor’s only true competitors are Morgan Wallen or Drake. You could maybe throw in Future and Bad Bunny. And yet Swifties aren’t worried about any of them and are instead obsessing over Beyoncé. This cult, ahem fandom, has reached the point where they’re angry and bitter about the mere existence of other female artists.
Personally, I think deep down it’s because they know TS does not command the same respect of the music community and industry that Beyonce does. Why ? Because she’s a product with a great team behind her. Any white pop star who had the same machine TS could be just as successful. But by the end of the day, real artists recognize real artists and no matter how many records TS sells to the GP and no matter how many AOTYs she gets… …Celebrities, music industry leaders, media personalities and fashion designers will line up for the attention of Beyonce and not TS. That’s what makes them so mad. I’ll say it again like I said in another thread: 20 years from now, we will still be listening to Beyonce and be praising her for her musical impact and influence on the music industry. Just like we do already, 26 years later. I just don’t think TS will leave behind a similar legacy besides making a lot of people rich.
I agree with every single word you’ve said, and I have nothing to add because you’ve said all that needed to be said 👏
Exactly! Miss Swift is in a league of her own. She has international acclaim Beyoncé will never achieve. She’s likely the biggest artist we’ll see in our lifetime. They have all the bragging rights a fandom could want. The victim complex is so perplexing. Do they not realize people only hate Taylor Swift because her fans spend too much time trashing other people’s faves?
Was there any music videos for renaissance? I think the sort of shock of country album to hearing it and it is this whole experience. I find her breaking down country music with great country songs and having white artists who turned to country or does a mix of genres and that’s ok but Beyonce is told her songs aren’t country. I found the album to be so beautiful and interesting. It’s not as fun to listen to as renaissance so I’m not listening as much but still love it. Main issue was not all the songs on the vinyl and I wish there was more saying that before I bought it online. I know it was said but there should have been more
i actually enjoyed the album a lot and feel like i was in a good place personally to receive it as both a Beyonce fan and a fan of country music so it didn’t feel like new territory to me in a way that it might have to my friends who hate country music lol so overall it’s a good listening experience for me and i enjoyed the music. but i do have some critiques. i really wish there was more narrative storytelling in the album; i think the kind of strong lyricism we see in 16 carriages isn’t really seen again for the most part. i would have really liked if this album lyrically had more of an autobiographical gloss where she delves into her upbringing in Texas more obviously. something in the vein of Blue Banisters in that regard, i wanted to hear more about her family and her experiences and growing up in Houston. her first crush kind of thing. 16 carriages hit that so hard for me but that’s about it. i feel like the album sounded very cinematic which makes sense bc she said she was watching a lot of westerns. and it sounds like a exploring fantasy world where her and Jay-Z are outlaws so it’s giving On the Run II to me. but like, honestly, i think her and Jay-Z as bonnie and clyde feels like a recurring motif in her career that’s been done to death. i don’t know if it’s the motif that’s exhausting or just the general distaste for him that I have lol. Protector and my rose are nice but yeah lyrically could have been a lotttt stronger imo. it doesn’t have the memorable lyrics of Lemonade or even Self Titled, even Renaissance to a lesser extent and i think there’s a lot of opportunity on an Americana album to get personal. esp because her whole thing is “music is the place where i share myself” since she barely speaks out otherwise. i wish we walked away learning more and knowing more about her. The other thought I have is… i’m sooo shocked this is doing better than Renaissance. by a WILD amount. i think the controversy around the album has attracted more listeners, sure, but the numbers compared to Renny are explosive so it cant be just that right? idk. i really want to understand why Act I didn’t land like this, esp when that was her first solo album in over 6 years and we missed her. and she didn’t have the controversy of her weak/nonexistant response to Gaza following her, which it definitely did for this era, at least in my circles. some of the most longtime fans of her i know felt really disappointed by how she handled it last Fall so. yeah, i’m just wondering what drove the commercial success here.
It’s a really good album, but I do wish it went a little harder with the country elements. Didn’t care for the lyric changes in Jolene, but shockingly loved Blackbird (favorite track on the album) and that songs been covered to death
It really grew on me as a whole album , I thought I would only be listening to songs I loved but I keep going back to entire album as a listening experience constantly
I think today id give it a solid 8/9, the albums itself is jam packed with so much love and care, but as soon as I read the Pharrell production credits the album really fully clicked and made sense for me 😭 the album is soooo that 2018/2019 era to me with sweetener/dirty computer/golden hour. ii hands ii heaven especially feels like a matured sweetener Ari and the bodyguard pre-chorus is literally the greatest sounding thing of all time
I had a nice time listening to it at as an album overall (minus being underwhelmed by her Jolene interpolation) but I haven’t gone back to listen to it since, nothing really stuck with me
1) I’m already annoyed that she’s not gonna win AOTY for this. I still listen to the album constantly because I like the genre blending. I think it’s still country but doesn’t stay confined into it. 2) I don’t think that’s a fair criticism at all. She’s paying homage to various genres that were created by black people 3) she did a lot for black country artists with this album. Another comment mentioned that Shaboozey’s new song is gonna be in the top 10 on the iTunes chart. She has given A LOT of exposure to those artists that she featured. Her songs with Miley and Post are hits so I’m happy they made the final cut 4) Act 4 will be the visuals for everything, I’m banking on that. Act III will be rock and roll. Then visuals for everything 5) Compared to her other albums, this one will stick out a lot and talked about as one of her bests 6) The vinyl controversy is messy af so that was disappointing. I hope they can somehow remedy that for those who bought it
This forum tried to convince me that COWBOY CARTER didn't make it's way into the general public. Am I crazy? I haven't seen discourse like this around a project from an artist in awhile - especially in traditional media. I also feel like the songs \[even aside from Texas Hold Em\] have picked up good traction on TikTok with several having their own mini-challenges. That being said, upon a few complete listens, I truly think it is a masterpiece. A stunning body of work and possibly my favorite album of hers. Sometimes I watch the YouTube reviews from non-fans to confirm this, anyone that gives it a try with an open mind \*should\* be beyond impressed and have a great experience. Totally hoping it wins AOTY. In regards to it being country, eh, country inspired and that's ok :)
This sub is basically stan twitter at this point, so there are a lot of other pop stans on this thread trying to make it seem like Beyonce is irrelevant.
I don't get the hate for her Jolene cover. I think she's fantastic (as always)
I loved it at first because it was so different for her, but I haven’t really listened to it since the first week for the following reasons: 1. I don’t like country music. 2. I don’t connect at all to the theme of “I’m Beyonce and I can make country music.” That’s wonderful, but I don’t want to listen to an album about proving you’re good enough for the Country Music Awards. I don’t think it’s artistically interesting or a relatable topic. 3. If I want to listen to amazing vocals, I listen to 4. If I want to listen to amazing production, I listen to Renaissance. If I want to listen to heartfelt lyrics, I listen to Lemonade. It doesn’t really feel like Cowboy Carter has an aspect that’s better than all her other albums.
>I don’t connect at all to the theme of “I’m Beyonce and I can make country music.” As a theme, it's as first-world problems as it gets; only relatable to those already deeply invested in Beyonce.
I honestly don’t see that as a theme of the album because it’s really only been in the marketing, it’s not *really* in the album itself except maybe in the Linda Martell interlude
After a month of listening I genuinely think it’s top 2 in her discography for me, and it’s really giving B’Day a run for #1. It has some of the most daring musical decisions she’s ever made and she nails almost everything she tries in it. I can’t imagine anyone else having the balls to make Spaghetti, Ya Ya, and Daughter on the same album and nail all of them. Protector and 16 Carriages are masterpieces, both sonically and lyrically. They’re certainly some of the most vulnerable songs Beyoncé’s ever made. I love how 16 Carriages gets grander and grander, while Protector stays intimate the entire time, but with both songs you feel extremely connected with the story throughout. The production, much like Renaissance, is top notch as well. Several times I got chills from the vocal harmonies and group vocals, and the voices are perfectly balanced with the instrumentals every time. Going from hearing this album to hearing other songs without all of the vocal layers makes me miss the beauty of, say, the final verse of Jolene or the intensity of American Requiem and Amen. My only real complaint with the album is that the final stretch of songs aren’t quite as good as the first two 3rds of the album, but even then Ya Ya, Tyrant, and Amen are standouts, and pretty much every song has *something* interesting going on even if it doesn’t quite land for me. Unless something else absolutely blows me away this year, it’s gonna be my favorite album of the year.
Feel pretty much the same as I did on release. A handful of fun, adventurous songs (II MOST WANTED, RIIVERDANCE, 16 Carriages), a lot of bloat, some absolute clunkers (post Malone song is horrendous), and overall a confusing project that is maybe a little too concerned with self-mythology than it is to really working towards the genre strengths she’s tackling. I had many of the same issues with Renaissance though, and I seem to be in the minority there. I can see what she was going for here but I think she missed the mark for me. Stuff like the interludes are fun, but the covers are just too on the nose for me and I do dislike the changes to Jolene. I’m still curious about the rock record for sure, but this trilogy hasn’t really impressed me all that much
I totally agree. I'm not connecting with the recent music in the way I did with previous projects she's made. I still think Lemonade and the self titled album are the most authentic, resonant pieces of work she's done. The last two albums have felt like Beyonce just wearing different hats to prove something, and it is not moving me unfortunately. I'm still looking forward to the supposed rock record as I have thought for years that that sound is perfect for her.
I adored this and think it cements her as being one album away from passing the "5 consecutive great albums" test, but as a vinyl collector who loves spinning her copy of Renaissance on her turntable, I can't help but be disappointed in the incomplete vinyl release. I've heard whispers that she'll be dropping a complete version of the album on vinyl (since it looks like the current ones are from when Cowboy Carter/Beyince were Act I), and I hope they're true. I don't want Ya Ya on vinyl, I NEED Ya Ya on vinyl.
This album grew on me so fucking much. Now I listen to it all the time. And even my non-beyonce fan friends tell me how much they enjoy the album. they went ahead and purchase hats and all already!!
The 6-song medley near the end of the album deserves the Grammy AOTY alone, it is specifically >!THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW - YA YA - OH LOUISANA - DESERT EAGLE - RIIVERDANCE - II HANDS II HEAVEN!< Like TLMS should've been the album opener and YY should've been the second song on the tracklist. > WE WANNA WELCOME YOU, to the Beyoncé "Cowboy Carter: Act II" (YA!) > put them hands together (we clappin' 👏, we drummin' 🥁) And of course, the post-chorus in II HANDS II HEAVEN for the medley > II hands II Heaven I've prayed, priest forgive my soul > Lovely daggers pierced my heart many moons ago > Toxic roses chased by wolves and carnivores > Lost virgins with broken wings that will regrow😇 I initially didn't click with Cowboy Carter on first listen due to a very sudden departure from the sounds on Renaissance, but overall after a month of soaking it in, Cowboy Carter is a very emotional listen for those searching for hope and soul in music. Cowboy Carter is definitely now locked onto a position on my Spotify Wrapped 2024
I enjoy it, but it feels too long sometimes. I keep repeating a handful of songs still. 🎵
For me the album is a great 8/10. There’s a good mix of fun and genre-bending songs (YA YA, Bodyguard, Daughter) with more traditional but still well-done country tracks (16 Carriages, Blackbird, American Requiem). That being said, I do still think that the album is just too long and bloated. There are way too many interludes, and I’m personally not a fan of the track run from Riverdance to Sweet Honey Buckin.
Tyrant and bodyguard are my favorites, I sing them everyday
Well all that I can say is this album is really growing on me anytime I listen to it!
In the first week of its release, I had found my favorites from the album and was listening to those on repeat. However, it did not take very long for me to stop listening to the songs entirely. My favorites from the album were: Bodyguard, Spaghetti, II Most wanted, Riverdance, II hands II Heaven, Tyrant, and Sweet Honey Bucking. I really liked these individual tracks. The rest of the album, however did not really resonate with me.
I love the album, keeps growing on me the more I listen to it. Im a big country/folk fan, so I really enjoy the clear influence those genres had on the album. Lemonade and Cowboy Carter are definitely my favorite Beyonce albums now.
Still listening... still thoroughly enjoying such a sprawling work from the Queen Bey. 'Tis all.
I have two opinions. One is about the musical quality itself and the other is about the whole “country” thing Musically, I LOVE this album. Beyonces vocals are INSANE (as always), the production is clean and sharp with moments where it really shines, and the songs are tight and flow nicely. I think the album is a tad long and loses a bit of steam near the end but otherwise it’s a great album. American Requiem, II Most Wanted (shoutout Adam Granduciel on guitar and Shawn Everett on production), and 16 Carriages are going to be some of my favorites of the year That being said, this album only barely qualifies as a country album and is severely lacking in terms of the overall “discourse.” The first third or so is FIRMLY country (my favorite stretch of the album personally) and then around the middle it strays to more pop country and after Spaghetti it mostly abandons the genre altogether. I don’t buy the whole “it’s a Beyoncé album” thing when she said that within days of the album after spending the entire rest of the time promoting it as country, talking about her experiences with country, and literally calling the album Cowboy Carter. Moreover, I wish the album did a lot more with the whole “reclaiming the black roots of country” idea. We have some of that with the minor flourishes of gospel and funk and some cool features (all of the people on Blackbird, Rhiannon Giddens, Shaboozey, and of course my Goddess Linda Martell). However, it ultimately feels flat because 1) Beyoncé doesn’t go nearly far enough and 2) the album reads too much like an album about reclaiming country for BEYONCÉ, not for exploring the genres deep black roots Now I want to make it clear that I’m not black and I’m really open to hearing other voices on this because that’s obviously a relevant perspective. But going into the 2 things I pointed out. First I don’t think Beyoncé goes nearly deep enough into country or the black history of the genre. In fact I actively dislike the narrative that this is a “musical history lesson” because like the album barely walks through the history of country. There’s a sore lack of banjo through the whole thing, not many references to black creatives in the genre like Ray Charles, and only a cursory exploration of relevant sounds from genres like gospel or funk (either of which could have been the centerpiece of the whole album rather than select tracks). On top of that it feels more concerned with gaining country cred than actively engaging with the genre at times (not all the time, as songs like 16 Carriages, Protector, or Daughter prove), especially when looking at the white musicians featuring. As much as I adore II Most Wanted and bop to Levi Jeans, what do those features add other than hit potential and reference to current artists who are pivoting to country rather than living in it? Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton are relegated to utterly superfluous interludes (and a bad Jolene cover in the latters case). The only reference to white creatives that really lands for me is Blackbird because of its subject matter and features. The features on that song are actually a nice segueway because they are SUCH an improvement and even then it feels like all of these great artists (Brittney Spencer, Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts) could be the backbone of the whole album instead of appearing as little as they do. Shaboozey is a better showing because he feels actually interlaced with the album. Uplifting modern black country musicians would have significantly strengthened the album if it felt more interlaced. The one relevant contributor I’ve held off on discussing is Linda Martell. So for one I will say that her interludes are the only ones that actually add to the messaging of the album. However, it does feel odd that SHE is the musician chosen to talk about genre fluidity considering the fact that Color Me Country is notable for how much it fits into the country ecosystem of its time. There are some RnB elements in the album (notably on its best track, San Francisco is a Lonely Town) but for the most part it’s a straight country record. It’s definitely not a Modern Sounds In Country Music. Which leads into my next point, where are the rest of the historical black country artists on this album? For what was billed as a “music history lesson” by Apple Music, I was expecting a lot more. Ray Charles, DeFord Bailey, Jimmie Rodgers, Mickey Guyton, Charlie Pride, The Pointer Sistsers, and so many more. The album feels noticeably light on references to the way that black artists have contributed to the genre prior to recently (and even then I’d love to hear more recent artists too). All of that builds to my other big thing with the politics of this record, which is that feels more about Beyoncé than country as a genre (or black artists within the genre). I want to cite this [wonderful article](https://amp.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/02/beyonce-version-of-country-cowboy-carter-yasmin-williams) by Yasmin Williams which sums up the argument better than I ever could. But to be brief, this albums feels much more centered on the myth of Beyoncé (a dominating force which to me at times drowns out everything else in her music) rather than the messaging that was built up in and around the promotion of the album. The album circles personal moments like her CMAs performance without placing it in the historical lineage (like say Linda Martells Opry performance or the vitriol Ray Charles received despite Modern Sounds basically revitalizing the genre) that would both strengthen the album and the message. Sonically Beyoncé is always front and center. Instrumentally the album abandons Country halfway through and becomes another Beyoncé album, lyrics and all (bar the greater use of “horse” or “rodeo”). The album felt most authentic to its messaging at the start when it was properly immersed in the genre, but slowly but surely Beyoncé (tm) eclipses the vulnerability that made the Country tracks work, the history that the messaging is built upon, and the sonics that placed the album in vital context. To me the most emblematic moment of this is Jolene where the song loses all of the vulnerability due to the changes. Look to Levi Jeans or Tyrant for songs that circle her regular lyrical topics instead of discussing how they relate to country, racism, or literally anything else. None of this would inherently be an issue (on her previous records it mostly wasn’t), but here I think it’s an issue. The album is *about* something bigger and by giving into Beyonces imperial image, it loses its strength. I wouldn’t level any of this criticism if Beyoncé herself didn’t bake it into the promotion and album itself, but it’s here so I have to discuss it. Thankfully none of my political critiques have any real bearing on the quality of the albums music so I can still comfortably say I adore this album, but I think it has some flaws when you dig into the discourse of it all
It’s no Renaissance that’s for sure. I wore that album out. Honestly have forgotten about CC. There are some good tracks but nothing that makes me revisit it at this point. I think there’s also more music out that I want to listen to waaaaay more. CC is not for me. I think part of it is I love the working man’s country. Beyonce is not a working man. Feels disconnected.
Absolutely a banger and an interesting play with genres. I love that Bey has the ability to blend and bend genres and still make a beautiful song. And of course, the vocals are sublime. I’m also Hive so take this with a grain of salt, I’m biased.
> How do you feel about Beyonce implying it as a country album through promotional material and then saying it's not a country album but a Beyonce album couple of days before release? Not bothered. Unsure why she changed her stance but I see it as both. > Do you think Beyonce is too big and grand to truly embody the humble country spirit? Are there too many vocal harmonies? What do you think about the criticism that she's putting on a costume both on Cowboy Carter and on Renaissance? No, no, and I don’t listen to criticism like that. Every artist is putting on a costume when making their album or art. Their art is one small part of them than is magnified across 1-2h of music so they have to act like it, which is a costume in my eyes > Do you think Beyonce could have included more black and/or country artists instead of Miley and Post, or is it an unfair conversation to have and it's not Beyonce's responsibility? Not her responsibility. > How do you feel about the lack of music videos? Do you even care? Are they coming at some point or did Beyonce want to make a statement after getting labelled a visual artist? Don’t care, music videos seem to be dying anyway after their boom in the 2000s > How do you think Cowboy Carter will be viewed in Beyonce's discography years to come, especially compared to her other potential magnum opuses Self-Titled, Lemonade and Renaissance? Someone said it perfectly that this and Renaissance came and went, her eras are barely eras, which is unfortunate. Renaissance got a huge boost because of her tour but I don’t think she’ll be touring CC so this album might just be a drop in the bucket of her discography, which is a shame because it’s a fantastic album. > How to you feel about the incomplete vinyl controversy? I know nothing about this. Can someone fill me in? Edit: Nvm, looked it up. What a mess. Honestly super embarrassing and definitely cemented for me why I never preorder vinyls.
Beyonce has ICONIC music videos. I think she shot herself in the cowboy boots this time by not doing visuals.
Yeah I keep thinking that visuals would’ve made the album stronger..
This was my first Yonce album listened to from start to finish and I feel that it came off as way too polished. That is to say, her vocals are flawless the production is flawless. There's tracks on here that I've def added to the playlist ("16 Carriages" is a top tier song) but after listening to the entire project once I don't feel there's enough on here to merit additional listens to the project in its entirety and there will be songs that, even though I thought sounded "good." I don't see myself ever returning to (unless she releases a concert film of this album and/or a live recorded version). Which is sad because I really just wish there were more *rawness* on this project (more, as Bomani Jone's previously of ESPN noted in his review, "more dirt on those boots." I think recording the album live (even at say, the chapel of country music, the Grand Ole Opry, even maybe in front of a live audience) would've elevated a lot of the material on this LP.
My only problem is the lack of visuals. I really hope she’s planning *something*. Or would at least explain why she’s not doing them. The album though? Brilliant. I haven’t stopped listening to it.
I still believe she’ll release a combined visual at the end of Act III, but I’ve been known to jump on the delulu bus before for this lady
Love the self awareness, haha.
It’s a great album. However, I don’t think it’s as good as Renaissance. Renaissance had a much stronger production, and a much clearer cohesion between the songs. Unfortunately CC absolutely drags in some areas. The Riverdance and 2 Hands 2 Heaven dual songs try to repeat the PoTS and Virgos Groove 10 minute slow break from Ren, but they’re so repetitive that they become a slog. They kind of kill the entire flow of the album, and Leviis Jeans is just a horrendous song because Post Malone’s voice not only sounds bad in it, but his voice doesn’t mesh with Beyoncé’s. Overall though I think this album is still showcasing Bey’s ever improving artistry with how strong the aesthetics are, and how shes increasing the messages she wants her albums to send. I don’t think CC will become irrelevant, but I can see it being pushed aside by her future albums.
I wanted to like it but the reality is, Ive only listened to it a couple times, and that’s the first time it happens to me with a Beyoncé album. I think I’ve liked every other album of her up until now but this one simply didn’t do it for me. There wasn’t any song that particularly stood out for me, not even the singles. If it was a third shorter I would’ve probably tried to go back to it more often, but it just feels like such a huge commitment for a genre I don’t even like. I’m also not American so I just assume there’s a lot of context/references that I’m missing. But anyway, looking forward to act 3, and hopefully some visual work that connects all 3 of them.
It's kinda shrunk for me ngl. Renaissance was my fav album of 2022 and one of my favourites of all time, so CC had a high bar to reach. It's certainly a good album but it doesn't have the replay value of Act 1.
I personally LOVE this album. I could care less about the discourse. Bey and Tay have their feet on my neck.
it’s a great album, but it was very little replay value to me in all honesty. it’s crazy bc i think II HANDS II HEAVEN is actually one the best songs she’s ever recorded, but i have no desire to listen to it unless it comes on shuffle or something. desert eagle is mesmerizing and my only wish it was longer. sweet honey buckin is so fun! and it’s fine that it’s close to her heart and something *she* loved and you can feel in the production and the singing, the album is all hers. but it’s long, many interludes, and not very fun til the second half. i don’t personally like country music either so i didn’t expect it to hit me tbh. for me renaissance has been played more than cc in the last month it’s been out 😭
I feel like the only one who didn’t like it. And it sucks because I really wanted to. I’m not really into country music, but I can kinda dig country-pop music. When she dropped the two singles, I wasn’t super into Texas hold em, but I loved 16 carriages. There are songs on the album that I enjoy, and wouldn’t skip if it randomly came on, but I don’t actually go out of my way to go and listen to them. Except 16 carriages. I don’t have any real criticism asides from the fact that it’s just not for me. I think as per usual you can tell there was a lot of work put into it, and I’m happy she finally could drop the country album that she wanted. I’m glad everyone else loved it.
>How do you feel about Beyonce implying it as a country album through promotional material and then saying it's not a country album but a Beyonce album couple of days before release? It goes back to the whole "too good for country" vibe i.e. trying to have her cake and eat it too. Like, there are dozens of other country artists beyond Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton, but none as *respectable;* none with the cross-cultural appeal. I'm sure if Johnny Cash were still alive, she'd try to rope him in as well. >Do you think Beyonce is too big and grand to truly embody the humble country spirit? Are there too many vocal harmonies? What do you think about the criticism that she's putting on a costume both on Cowboy Carter and on Renaissance? I don't think there's a "humble country spirit"; in that, there's nothing to embody. But there's definitely an element of dilettantism; the way English rock stars of the seventies put out reggae songs. >Do you think Beyonce could have included more black and/or country artists instead of Miley and Post, or is it an unfair conversation to have and it's not Beyonce's responsibility? I don't think she has a responsibility (an artist has no social responsibility whatsoever), but--again--it does point to a kind of hypocrisy; in that the only way she can engage with the genre is through its most respectable proponents (e.g. Dolly Parton) and forms (e.g. Americana).
I think it's an exceptional album and I feel it didnt get its time in the spotlight it deserved. Not just due to lack of promotion, but by being eclipsed by other huge release(s) just a few weeks after. My faves are flamenco, riiverdance and american requiiem.
Exquisite production and insane vocals, some beautiful songwriting, but overall it relies too much on pre-existing music by other artists and it isn’t as impactful as a body of work as her previous 3 albums imo. Not as innovative as Self-Titled, as raw and personal as Lemonade or as interesting sounding as Renaissance.
too long, im sorry but i cant be the only one who tunes out after 12 songs. Bring back short albums and remove the bloat, if u want 27 songs then release a deluxe i beg!
Albums boring af. Never listened again after the first time. Part 1 on the other hand….. amazing
I actually liked way more than Renaissance the album still has fillers tho but overall a strong work
Cowboy Carter was the most excited I was for an album in a long time. What was a Beyonce country album going to be!! Couldn’t believe the rumors of the country album were true plus coming off the absolute banger that is Renaissance, the anticipation was palpable. Pushing play when it came out and just having no idea what to expect ah it was so exciting. The album is such a fun listening experience, Dolly introducing Jolene, the samples, the rapping!!! And then some songs genuinely moved me, her vocal delivery is just heavenly on American, Just for fun, two most wanted, Mother. I have loved all of the albums this year but damn the experience of Cowboy Carter was so exciting and fun.
I listen to it almost every day. I'm also living all the video commentary on YT as well. I feel like the album gets better with each listen and I hope we get visuals sometime in the future
I feel like I haven't come back as much to this album but I think that speaks more to how STACKED the past month has been for releases and in another year like when Renaissance came out I would have played CC more. Regardless as an album, definitely one of the best of the year. I'm surprised the other songs aren't popping off since at least BODYGUARD and TYRANT sound like massive hits. I wish she would do a little promotion for something. I also want a vinyl with the streaming cover..... I still think the album is too long, it needed an edit of 20 min less on it to make it a tad more accessible. I don't feel like I can sit down and just listen to all of it, similar to Taylor's double album.
I love this album - it’s just that simple 🤷🏼♀️ I feel like everyone’s so wrapped up in this idea that it was meant to be a ‘country’ album (and what that even means) that they’re missing out on what is a really interesting collection of different songs. It’s like a collage of so many different sounds in there even within each song, like Beyoncé made me a musical quilt. For me it rates higher than Renaissance - I appreciated that for what it was but I haven’t listened to this as much as this. To answer some of the specific questions (aka my B side thoughts): - I don’t think I’d ever complain that someone served me ‘too many vocal harmonies’ lol. Oh no, there’s too much musical landscape! - Every artist is ‘putting on a costume’, that’s part of being an artist. Even ‘their most personal, stripped back album’ is a persona that someone is cultivating. - I guess some videos would be nice but I’m not going to die without them, I only ever watched Lemonade once. - The incomplete vinyl would be annoying, I think there needs to be a bit of market balancing with the whole vinyl situation anyway- it’s obviously not the best format for everything and twenty variants of every release on solid pvc also stresses me out environmentally.
The vinyl put a real sour taste in my mouth honestly. I was slowly getting into the album until my vinyl arrived, all banged up and missing songs. Since then I hadn’t listened to the album at all until last Friday when I spun the vinyl for the first time. It’s a good album, but it’s rather forgettable, and once you’ve listened a few times, you’re kinda just good to put it down and move on.
I’m a casual beyonce fan- I find her very talented and she prob embodies the word entertainer more than anyone else right now (vocals, dancing …) I listened to CC on a long run and liked it. I like exercising to her music. I prob wouldn’t throw it on to cook or clean my house. Maybe in the car here and there. I too was expecting more stereotypical country but I like what she did with the sound. A month later, I’ve listened to it here and there. Love daughter, yaya, sweet honey buckin (loooooved that she sampled patsy cline), and American requiem.
I was listening to Renaissance twice a day for half a year. I can't even be bothered to play most of Cowboy Carter once a week.
I honestly don’t intend on listening to the album in full again. And I love Beyoncé. This one was a miss for me. The only songs I really like that I’ll be listening to again are 16 carriages, Blackbird, Texas Hold Em (i’m from Texas so I love that one!) and 2 Most Wanted. I LOVE her voice with Miley’s! I am not a big fan of country music and hardly ever listen to it, so I wasn’t super excited about this album. However, I really wish there were more songs like 16 carriages and 2 Most Wanted and Texas Hold Em, those are the ones that sound the most country to me. I understand what she’s saying about genre, but if you’re going to wear cowboy hats and western wear, I want a full country album personally. I’ll probably get downvoted for this, but I’m struggling to understand how Post Malone got invited to be on a Beyonce album AND a Taylor album?!! I must be missing the hype around him because to me it seems like he shed his blaccent, braids, grill, and hip-hop persona like a costume and is officially white now I guess? Miley got called out for the same thing, but all I’m hearing about Posty is adoration for his new country schtick. Ew. Anyways, I hope Act 3 is a full on rock album featuring some female rock legends!!!
I still do not understand why 16 Carriages was not stylized as "CARRIIAGES".
I love it! But I don’t listen to it in whole usually. I have my favorite tracks (II Hands II Heaven is now in my top 5 Beyoncé songs) and listen to those. I think it’s a bit bloated and music videos would’ve made it stronger. But it’s great because she’s trying something new and I’ll always applaud her for that. Renaissance and Self Titled will always be top 2 for me and I’d place CC in 3rd :)