By now, I’m sure you know that the second act of Beyoncé’s Renaissance project, which she announced during the Super Bowl, is a country album (or is it?). This is hugely exciting for people who grew up on mix CDs that included both “Get Me Bodied” and “Wide Open Spaces.” But what is this album even going to be? Who is going to be featured? Will there be visuals this time? We have so many questions, and only a little more than a month before the album comes out. Let’s go, girls.
Is the album called Renaissance Act II?
No. A few weeks before the release date, Beyoncé announced via her website that the album would be called Cowboy Carter. Yeehaw! In true Beyoncé fashion, a merch drop accompanied the title announcement. I have my eye on this ringer tee, personally.
When is it coming out?
Thankfully, there is not a long runway on this one. The album is coming out on March 29.
What has Beyoncé said about Cowboy Carter?
Ten days before the release of the album, Beyoncé sat us all down to give us a bit of a primer on Instagram. In a lengthy post, she explained the genesis of the album and why she’s not calling it a country album.
“This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed … and it was very clear that I wasn’t,” Beyoncé wrote. “But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive.”
She continued, saying that Cowboy Carter is “a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.” She also noted that she does not consider Cowboy Carter to be a country album — to her it’s just a Beyoncé album.
Do we know the track list yet?
Yes! Beyoncé shared a rodeo-themed track-list announcement just a couple of days before the album’s release. It looks like we’re getting 27 songs, so clear your schedule for the weekend. I expect everyone to be off book by Monday morning.
Will there be features?
Definitely. Based on the track-list announcement, it seems that Dolly Parton, Linda Martell, and Willie Nelson are going to be on the album. Legends only! Based on the songs we have so far, there are also some exciting people in the liner notes, including MacArthur Fellow Rhiannon Giddens, who credited with playing the banjo and viola on “Texas Hold ’Em.” Giddens has spent a large portion of her career educating people about the African origins of the banjo, which makes her the perfect collaborator for Cowboy Carter.On “16 Carriages,” legendary steel-guitar player Robert Randolph is credited.
“I have a few surprises on the album, and have collaborated with some brilliant artists who I deeply respect,” Beyoncé wrote on Instagram. Knowing her, that could mean anything from full-on features to someone interesting playing the spoons in the background.
Dolly Parton might have spoiled the surprise when she recently said that she believed Beyoncé had recorded a cover of “Jolene.” Was she supposed to say that? Probably not, but now we have even more of a reason to be excited.
What’s on the mood board?
Of all things, the 1984 Wim Wenders movie Paris, Texas. In the initial teaser for “Texas Hold ’Em,” we see the vast expanse of Texas and an older man in a red hat coming forward to look at what we eventually see is a Beyoncé billboard. The man in the hat is a clear nod to Harry Dean Stanton’s character in the film, a wayward man searching for his wife.
In the “16 Carriages” cover art, Beyoncé has a short blonde bob, one very similar to the one Nastassja Kinski has in the film.
Beyoncé, the cinephile — maybe this means that this time we’ll actually get visuals?
How long has she been working on this?
Well, wouldn’t we all like to know? Unlike Taylor and her Tortured Poets Department, this is not something Beyoncé only started working on after Renaissance came out in 2022. Here’s what we know: In “16 Carriages,” she sings about how it’s been “38 summers and I’m not in my bed.” If Beyoncé was 38 when she wrote the song, that would mean it was written about four years ago. Oh, but sometimes people hold onto songs for years. Yeah, I know that. The more interesting piece of evidence is that Tina Knowles — Beyoncé’s mom — posted to Instagram saying that she has loved this album “for years.”
Beyoncé eventually clarified things herself, writing in an Instagram post that she’s been working on this album for more than five years. Do you think that she’s currently cooking up the best album of 2029?
What will Act 3 be?
Well, if Act 1 was house music and ballroom, and Act 2 is country and blues, the Hive believes that Beyoncé’s goal is to revisit genres often credited to white people that are actually rooted in Black history and culture. This is all to say, the BeyHive thinks we’re getting a rock album next. Get ready for a phone call, Jack White.
This post has been updated.
By Olivia Craighead , 2024-03-27 18:45:00
Source link