Country experienced a huge revival in recent years, and we’ve seen many artists embrace it with open arms, but no one did it better than Beyoncé. She knocked it out of the park with Cowboy Carter, a masterful body of work that celebrates country’s Black roots and seamlessly fuses it with other genres, from gospel to R&B.
Cowboy Carter has often been referred to as Beyoncé’s country album, but she makes it clear it’s more than that from the very first song. The album’s gospel-infused opener “American Requiem” sees her opening up about not feeling at home on the country scene, while also making it clear she’s here to put down roots.
Her rendition of The Beatles’ “Blackbird” sees her bringing some of country’s overlooked Black female artists on board, but it’s not even the best cover this album has in store. Her take on Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene” created quite a splash, and her bold interpretation sees her standing her ground and warning the titular heroine to back off.
Beyoncé did a great job championing other artists on Cowboy Carter, and amazing collaborations are one of its strongest suits. She brought everyone from Dolly Parton and Linda Martell to Post Malone and Shaboozey on board, but the Miley Cyrus duet “II Most Wanted” is definitely one of its shiniest moments.
Needless to say, Beyoncé also shows the moment of brilliance all on her own. In addition to previously released singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages”, she gave us several more amazing songs that cement Cowboy Carter as a masterpiece, starting with “Bodyguard” and “Protector”.
At 27 songs, Cowboy Carter never feels too long, because they work in perfect harmony, seeing Beyoncé masterfully weave a story about country’s Black roots, paying homage to those who came before her and made this genre what it is. It’s a perfect reminder that there’s truly nothing she can’t do, and it’s another tour de force in her unmatched discography.
