Revisiting Beyonce's Cowboy Carter

Jazz Williams
May 14
3 min read

Beyonce Cowboy Carter Cover Art — Credit: Spotify

Before Act 3 (whenever it arrives) graces our earholes, I wanted to go back and review Acts 1 and 2. To give a little background about the three act project, Beyonce created this project as a way of reclaiming genres that had originated with black people. I just reviewed Act 1 so please check that out before proceeding. Act 2 received many accolades including Grammys for Best Country Album, the first black woman to win it, and the long overdued Album of The Year. Two years ago, the album divided people because of their own personal opinions about what country is and isn't. Let's dive in...

AMERIlCAN REQUlEM
BLACKBIIRD
16 CARRIAGES
PROTECTOR
MY ROSE
SMOKE HOUR WILLIE NELSON
TEXAS HOLD 'EM
BODYGUARD
DOLLY P
JOLENE
DAUGHTER
SPAGHETTIl
ALLIlGATOR TEARS
SMOKE HOUR ll
JUST FOR FUN
ll MOST WANTED
LEVll'S JEANS
FLAMENCO
THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW
YA YA
OH LOUISIANA
DESERT EAGLE
RIIVERDANCE
ll HANDS ll HEAVEN
TYRANT
SWEET HONEY BUCKIlN'
AMEN

Setting the stage with American Requiem and moving to Blackbird, the album starts off with heavy subject matter being the main focal point. Moving through the album, she bounces between upbeat songs like Texas Hold ‘Em and Spaghetti and ballads like Protector and Alligator Tears. The most shocking moment came when she busted out her Italian opera chops in Daughter. The latter third is Renaissance-coded. It really picks up and seperates itself from the rest of the album. With songs like Ya Ya, Riverdance, and Tyrant, she shows her versatility and commitment to making fun music. She finishes off this timeless project with the best send-off possible, Amen. The album wasn’t a straight run through of three, four, or five minute songs. It featured many interludes such as My Rose, Smoke Hour ll, and Desert Eagle. Each one served its purpose in transitioning from one song to another and ushering in a different kind of country sound.

Cowboy Carter is a Beyonce album consisting of country pop, outlaw country, and Americana. While country at its core, each song had elements of other genres. Ya Ya is rock and roll, ll Hands ll Heaven is contemporary R&B, Tyrant is Southern rap, and so on and so forth. I would describe it as 1/3 traditional country, 1/3 moden country, and 1/3 experimental with notes of country. Simply put, it’s her most genrebending album, hence the fact she called it a Beyonce album. Most of the songs are slow/mid tempo, but the lyrics really shine because of the subject matter and how it relates to her upbringing and personal experiences. This album is her most impressive to me because everything has to be sung, written, and produced perfectly to accurately convey the multiple genres each song artistically blends. Very few can master this level of creativity. My unwavering top three will always be American Requeim, Ya Ya, and Sweet Honey Buckin'.

Cowboy Carter was born out of discrimination. In 2016, she performed Lemonade's Daddy Lessons at the CMAs and received immense racist backlash for it. This album was already going to have cultural impact, but that incident made this moment even more significant. It caused more black and Gen Z people to seek out country music which boosted the careers of rising black country artists through streams and sales. Whether it was small businesses, fast fashion retailers, or high end designers, there was a huge uptick in both the sales and creation of Western-themed clothing. In addition to that, the world tour also had the same amount of significance. It triggered a cowboy fashion craze in England, a hotel price increase in concert locations, and a meteoric rise in black-owned brands particularly black women-owned small businesses that speciliazed in Western-themed clothing and accessories. It also broke numerous venue records including highest attendance, highest gross, and career milestones in each stadium’s history. Another moment where black history shined. Another sociocultural phenomenon. Another historic era in the books.

Written By Jazz