In 2024, after a cutthroat lineup for Album of the Year, Beyoncé, Grammy-award-winning artist and performer, received not only Album of the Year, but also Country Album of the Year. Both of these awards catalyzed widespread controversy across social media platforms and news outlets.
As I scrolled through TikTok, I noticed that people were particularly critical of Beyoncé’s win. Twitter users claimed the album was not “real” country music and said that the album was purely “TikTok music.” TikTokers began to make videos with one of the album’s songs, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” stating it was the only song they knew from the album and that Beyoncé, a 35-time Grammy winner, was “irrelevant.”
I have been a Beyoncé fan for as long as I can remember. My mom would play her songs in the car when she picked me up from school, and Beyoncé has always been an influential figure in my life; she helped improve my confidence and learn to feel comfortable being me.
While I may be biased, “Cowboy Carter” was an extremely powerful and impressive album. The album follows the narrative of Beyoncé’s alter ego, known as “Cowboy Carter,” and addresses issues such as family, betrayal and love. The album seamlessly blends together a wide variety of musical genres and tests what a country album can be.
As Beyoncé stated in 2013, “people don’t make albums anymore.” In this interview, Beyoncé critiques the modern music industry, pointing out how it is focused on producing a plethora of hit singles and then putting them all on the same album to increase sales. She states, “Nobody wants to listen to a body of work.” However, with this album, Beyoncé created a masterful body of work with a powerful message about labels, race and identity.
Paying Homage to the Past and Looking Towards the Future
Beyoncé is a clear expert on country music. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she knows and clearly listens to the greats. As a result, she masterfully pays homage to some of the most influential artists in the genre, while still adding her Beyoncé twist.
Chiefly, Beyoncé collaborates with some of the biggest names in country, such as Dolly Parton, in “TYRANT.” However, she also collaborates with artists who are unfortunately ostracized from the country genre. For example, she collaborates with Shaboozey on a country-rap-inspired track, “SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIN’.” Despite having the number one country song on the charts with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Shaboozey, an Igbo-American artist, has also been criticized for not being “country enough.” In her song “LEVII’S JEANS,” Beyoncé features Post Malone, an emerging country artist who has been shunned from the genre due to his origin in rap music. However, this is arguably one of the most country tracks on the record.
Alongside her collaborations, Beyoncé references prominent country artists through her songwriting. For example, the interlude, “SMOKE HOUR ★ WILLIE NELSON,” is full of clever lyrical references to the country genre. More specifically, the opening lyric states, “People grinnin’ in your face.” This first lyric references a prominent Delta blues artist, Son House. This reference demonstrates Beyoncé’s thorough understanding of the genre and how her album aims to be a source of nostalgia, while also introducing new, innovative sounds.
This first line contributes to Beyoncé’s overall thesis of the album, referencing her initial country performance of “Daddy Lessons” from the “Lemonade” album with the Chicks. This performance at the Country Music Awards was immediately met with ridicule, outrage and laughs from the audience. Country fans insisted that her performance was inappropriate, claiming she was not a country artist.
Many fans speculate that this experience catalyzed the creation of “Cowboy Carter.” Beyoncé opens the album with “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” in which she criticizes the constant double standards she faces as an artist. She triumphantly sings, “Used to say I spoke too country, then the rejection came, said I wasn’t country ‘nough.”
Beyoncé’s album is rooted in examining the relationship between music and American history, specifically focusing on Black history and Black artists’ contributions to the American musical identity. She simultaneously recognizes the past while also looking forward to the future. “AMERIICAN REQUIEM” urges the listener to “stand for something” and “face the wind.” These powerful lyrics are a call to action, beckoning the listener to rethink not only what the country genre is but also what the American identity is.
Reshifting the Narrative and Highlighting the Black Experience
The album also calls into question one of the most taboo topics in the country music genre — race. This album is extremely intentional in that it shifts the current cultural narrative our society has around country music and highlights the ignored, underrepresented contributions of Black country artists, who spearheaded the genre.
In recent years, country music has evolved into a predominantly white music genre despite its origins in Black music.
As previously mentioned, “SMOKE HOUR ★ WILLIE NELSON” is full of masterful wordplay and allusions to other pieces of country music, specifically music by Black country artists that have either been forgotten, intentionally erased or even outright stolen.
It is no secret that Elvis Presley, a prominent rock singer and performer from the 1950s and 1960s, directly benefited from the songwriting and production of Black artists. One of his most famous hits, “Hound Dog,” was initially sung by a Black blues singer, Big Mama Thornton, before Elvis’ manager purchased the song and popularized it. Beyoncé exposes the Black influence behind Elvis’ career through referencing Roy Hamilton, a Black country artist whom Elvis took inspiration from. The lyrics “don’t let go, don’t let go” mimic the chorus of Roy Hamilton’s “Don’t Let Go,” which further highlights how white country artists often benefit from the stolen and unpublicized work of Black country artists.
Beyoncé’s lyrics highlight forgotten Black country artists and help keep their memory alive and breathing. At the same time, she is educating the public about the role race plays in our music history.
Shattering Genres and Creating New, Inventive Sounds
Most critics claim this album is not country music. I will concede that some songs are definitely more in line with the country music genre than others. But, I think Beyoncé is doing something that has been popular for years — blending genres with country.
This makes the album more interesting and gives it a unique sound you cannot quite find anywhere else. In “SPAGHETTII,” Beyoncé playfully asks her listener, “Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they?” She follows this statement through a country-inspired rap beat with Shaboozey that can get anyone out of their seat and dancing.
Likewise, “RIIVERDANCE” contains a country sound but also utilizes Irish step dance and Irish-inspired beats. This song further exemplifies how Beyoncé’s album is all about reclamation. She wants to test American culture and demonstrate how Black people can still participate and excel in music genres that are traditionally thought of as “white,” such as country music and Irish step dance.
Ultimately, “Cowboy Carter” is a body of work that I rarely find in the current music industry. It is nuanced and extremely refreshing through its unique sound, masterful lyricism and intimate storytelling. While I recognize this album might not be everyone’s cup of tea, there is not a single doubt in my mind that this was a Grammy-worthy album. Thank you, Beyoncé.