Beyoncé is a chic-ified cowboy icon.
This new Queen Bey era is breaking the internet in more ways than I can count. The drastic genre shift from Renaissance’s house pop to Cowboy Carter’s country pop has placed a sensational eye on her every move politically, visually, and thematically. In fact, Cowboy Carter immediately became Spotify‘s most streamed album in a day for 2024. I mean, putting out an album that forces the black community and the country community into conversation with one another during a very divisive election year is bold, trailblazing, and not to mention, aesthetic gold.
Contrast and intersection as a mode of reinvention is a major theme for the “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” singer, and her outfits reflect it. The natural-born trendsetter is pioneering a space for country fashion in mainstream media. Since the release of Cowboy Carter, the popularity of cowboy boots has increased by 27%, the popularity of Levi’s has increased by 54%, and the popularity of the famous jean-on-jean outfits has increased by 14%.
Of course, the Western glam revival has been a long time coming, with country looks dominating high fashion on recent runways. Louis Vuitton’s Autumn/Winter 2024 collection that was showcased at Paris Fashion Week this January was particularly influential for the comeback. The brand referred to the collection as one that “infuses refined tailoring with quintessential emblems of the American West”.
*Fun fact: The “16 CARRIAGES” singer ended up wearing the final look in this collection to the 2024 Grammy’s.
Nonetheless, this style evolution is a whole new rodeo! Here are some of her most notable cowboy couture moments.
The Renaissance Tour (Pre-Cowboy Carter)
I think it’s safe to say Mrs. Bey started stepping into cowgirl glam long before her country debut. We even had a brief period where the vocalist was wearing Renaissance x Cowboy Carter era costumes on stage that perfectly merged futuristic glitz with Western style.
the 2024 iHeartRadio Awards
The singer took home the Innovator award on April 1st (just days after her country album release) in this all-black Versace fit. Between the gold embellishments, two chunky belts, fringed leather jacket, gold embroidered leather pants, and stilettos, the ensemble was Western glam at its finest.
W Magazine Photoshoot
Now for my personal fave, the W Magazine photoshoot! These pictures dropped alongside the album on March 29th. Visually, the shoot plays perfectly into the theme of contrast. A platinum blonde Beyoncé rocks a smokey eye and sticks to a neutral clothing palette of creams, browns, and blacks. The shoot pictures the singer with full-on cowboy imagery: swinging lassos, posing with horses, in front of hay bales and cacti, etc.
Meet ‘N Greet In Japan
At this signing event, the star strutted in an all-patent leather and monochrome chocolate brown look complete with elbow-length gloves and, of course, a dark brown cowboy hat. So sleek and stylish.
Streetwear
The vocalist has been rocking the “yassified” Western style not only at events but also on personal outings. On April 1st, the Grammy’s queen was spotted on her way to a meeting dressed in denim on denim on denim on denim, a perfect homage to her song, “LEVII’S JEANS” ft. Post Malone. The look was complete with a swanky pair of Steve Madden jean boots.
All in all, Beyoncé’s risky shift from pop royalty to country newcomer teaches us that it is possible to dominate the charts and spark valuable cultural conversation in the same beat. Reinvention is about rewriting narratives, and if you can do it in high fashion, even better. So buckle up everyone, because this style hoedown has just begun!