“They don’t know, they don’t know how hard I have to fight for this,” Beyoncé sings on “American Requiem,” the harmony-filled opener on her eighth studio album, “Cowboy Carter.” Anyone associated with the promotional cycle leading up to its release knows this all too well.
A few weeks ago, Beyoncé revealed that she came up with the concept for the album, the second in her three-act project that kicked off with 2022’s “Renaissance,” after she had an incident in which she didn’t feel “welcome.” She was likely referring to a performance she gave at the 2016 Country Music Association Awards alongside the Dixie Chicks (as they were then known), which was met with backlash on social media for highlighting her at a country event.
But Beyoncé used this experience as inspiration for the film “Carter,” which she began working on five years ago. Now, after releasing the singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” in early February, she’s finally unveiled the sprawling 27-song project, a country album — or as she puts it, Beyoncé — that plays with the conventions of what country can be It is filled with metaphors and connotations of other kinds. In 80 thrilling minutes, “Carter” is a rebuttal to anyone who doubts that Beyoncé belongs in country music; Instead, he tweaks country music to fit Beyoncé, bending and stretching what listeners expect in a contemporary country album, especially from Beyoncé.
To color the lines, Beyoncé brings together a coterie of artists via “Carter,” from country giants to up-and-comers. The marquee appearances are in the form of diodes and dividers. Post Malone picks up the first of two high-profile hits this year in “Levii’s Jeans” (he’s set to guest star on Taylor Swift’s upcoming album “The Tortured Poets Department” due out April 19), while Miley Cyrus lends her vocals to this powerful collaboration. “Most Wanted II”.
Carter pays tribute to the country legends by tapping them in for some cameos on the breaks and tracks. Dolly Parton, whose 1973 classic “Jolene” has been revamped with fiery new lyrics, contributes an interlude titled “Dolly P” and the opening moments of “Tyrant.” Willie Nelson has an old-time country radio appearance on two segments of “Smoke Hour,” while Linda Martell, a seminal black country artist, stars with “The Linda Martell Show.” She was also featured on “Spaghettii” in reference to the controversy surrounding “Carter” and its naming as a country album when it was announced.
“Species are a funny little concept, aren’t they?” Martell says. “Yes, they are. In theory, they have a simple definition that is easy to understand. But in practice, well, some may feel trapped.”
Beyoncé is also making it a family affair for the Carters. The voice of her six-year-old daughter, Rumi Carter, can be heard at the beginning of the song “Protector,” as she says: “Mommy, can I hear the lullaby please?” What follows is a deeply resonant poem to her children, and a poignant one at that: “I’ll lead you down this path if you lose your way / Born to be a protector,” she sings in the chorus. Beyoncé has previously shown recorded love for her other daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, who at 9 became the second-youngest artist to win a Grammy for her appearance in 2019’s “Brown Skin Girl.”
Beyoncé also focuses the spotlight on some new black country artists in “Carter.” Tanner Adele stars alongside Beyoncé on a cover of The Beatles’ “Blackbird” (renamed “Blackbiird”, with an “i” like many of the songs on the album to indicate that it was the second installment from the Renaissance project). Additional artists credited for “Blackbiird” include Brittney Spencer, Tyra Kennedy and Rayna Roberts. Adell is best known as a country star with a strong social media following who released her debut album, “Buckle Bunny,” last July. Her inclusion was notable: In February, shortly after Beyoncé dropped the first two singles from the album, Adele tweeted that she wanted to be considered for a guest appearance on the group.
“As one of the only black girls in the country music scene, I hope Bey decides to shower me with a touch of her magic for a collaboration,” she wrote. It seems as if her wish has been fulfilled.
Alternative country artist Chabuzi stops by to perform “Spaghettii,” one of Carter’s harder hip-hop tunes, which samples DJ Diddy Mandrake’s Brazilian funk hit “Aquecimento – Vem Vem Vai Vai.” He also appears in “Sweet Honey Buckiin”. The 28-year-old, Virginia native, has released a pair of albums — 2018’s “Lady Wrangler” and 2022’s “Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die” — though his most popular song was a collaboration with Duckwrth titled “Start a Riot”. Which was featured on the 2018 soundtrack for the film “Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse”.
Beyoncé taps Willie Jones for “Ya Ya,” an eclectic mix of bluegrass, Americana, and of course a very prominent sample of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Were Made for Walkin’.” It’s unclear where exactly Jones falls on the sonic palette of “Ya Ya,” but the spirit of the tune echoes the Shreveport, LA native’s latest album, “Something to Dance To,” which was released last June.
The samples don’t begin and end with Sinatra on “Ya Ya,” as there are plenty of references and interpolations throughout “Carter.” On the same track, Beyoncé sings a bit of the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations.” A sped-up version of what appears to be Chuck Berry’s 1971 song “Oh Louisiana” appears in an interlude of the same name. It is one of two Perry songs: On “Smoke Hour – Willie Nelson”, the radio dial scrolls through snippets of songs including Perry’s “Maybellene”, Roy Hamilton’s “Don’t Let Go”, and “Down by the River Side” By Sister Rosetta Tharpe. ”
Beyoncé has two covers — the aforementioned “Jolene” and “Blackbiird” — and on “II Most Wanted,” an alleged interpolation of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” And in “Sweet Honey Buckin’,” she makes a clear reference to Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces.”
There’s a lot to unpack about “Carter,” a record with ambitions as grand as its accomplishments. But Beyoncé has managed to bring country into her own world, assembling a crew of musicians to execute her vision along the way.