Beyonce’s new album is much more than just a country project.
In her own words, it’s the “best music I’ve ever made”. Cowboy Carter arrived on Friday (March 29) to a universal “Yee-haw” but it’s not all Texas twang. Bey pays homage to all the music she loved growing up visiting Houston rodeos – from The Beatles, rhythm & blues and black folk music.
She said: “I think people are going to be surprised because I don’t think this music is what everyone expects but it’s the best music I’ve ever made. This album took over five years. It’’s been really great to have the time and the grace to be able to take my time with it.
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“I was initially going to put Cowboy Carter out first but, with the pandemic, there was too much heaviness in the world. We wanted to dance. We deserved to dance. But I had to trust God’s timing.” Cowboy Carter is Act II in her three-part Renaissance project, but easily her most accessible as it’s largely realised on acoustic guitar and piano with traditional instruments like washboard, ukulele, fiddle and even boot stomps on hardwood floors.
(Image: beyonce/INSTAGRAM)
“She sees each song as a reimagined Western, taking inspiration from films like Urban Cowboy, Killers of the Flower Moon and ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou? My process is that I typically have to experiment,” Beyoncé said. “I enjoy being open to have the freedom to get all aspects of things I love out and so I worked on many songs.
“I recorded probably 100 songs. Once that is done, I am able to put the puzzle together and realise the consistencies and the common themes, and then create a solid body of work.” Beyonce has faced a backlash from traditional country folk in the States, but she doesn’t want to be labelled by genres.
(Image: INSTAGRAM)
She explained: “The joy of creating music is that there are no rules. The more I see the world evolving the more I felt a deeper connection to purity. With artificial intelligence and digital filters and programming, I wanted to go back to real instruments, and I used very old ones. All the sounds were so organic and human, everyday things like the wind, snaps and even the sound of birds and chickens, the sounds of nature.” The sound of Beyonce has never been better.
Bey’s four rhinestone stars opus gets a giddy-up from the likes of Pharrell, Raphael Saadiq, Ryan Tedder, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder, Chuck Berry, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Nile Rodgers and more. Here’s my Track by track on pop’s finest hoedown.
(Image: Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Ameriican Requiem shows off Bey’s incredible gospel vocals morph into darker country blues reminding fans of her political aspirations: “There’s a lot of chatter in here, do ya hear me?” while Blackbiird stays true to the original Beatles cover with bonus harmonisation. Track three 16 Carriages is a reflection on Beyonce’s childhood and the relationship between parents and their kids in general.
Bey’s young daughter Rumi makes appearance on this acoustic ballad Protector about motherhood and knowing “you’re gonna shine on your own” one day. There’s more amazing harmonisation on this short and sweet interlude on My Rose and Willie Nelson’s wee interlude is included in Smoke Hour II playing part of a Texan DJ.
(Image: INSTAGRAM)
Number 1 hit Texas Hold’ Em t is real foot-stompin’ romp after a few ballads and Bodyguard is the poppiest moment on the LP where Bey sounds seductive over a Prince-ish backing. Queen of Country Dolly Parton features on track Dolly P, a spoken word moment from the music superstar who references “Becky with the good hair” – the source of Lemonade’s Jay-Z cheating scandal.
Bey’s update on the Parton classic Jolene refuses to beg the woman not to take her man, instead she issues a stalk warning and the next song Daughter is a a soundtrack to an imagined Western where Bey leaves another woman “black and blue”.
In fan favourite, Spaghettii, Bey raps “petty petty: in relation to the backlash over her country leanings.
(Image: Getty Images for American Greetings)
Alliigator Tears acts as a bluesy highlight perfect for beans around the campfire followed by Just For Sun which is a a tender tale, with gospel touches. II Most Wanted is a Miley Cyrus love song where they both promise: “I’ll be a shotgun rider ’til’ the day I die.” Fellow genre-hopper Post Malone joins Bey’s saucy love song Levii’s Jeans where she wishes she was her man’s pants.
Flamenco is a meticulous vocal piece with interweaving harmonies and Ya Ya is an updated version of These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ gets an update on this upbeat gem. There’s a short interlude by the pioneer of black rock ‘n’ roll Chuck Berry in the form of Oh Louisiana.
(Image: Carlijn Jacobs/PR Supplied)
Desert Eagle is driven by a Thundercay-style bassline followed by Bey’s R&B track Riiverdance which sounds like modern guitar-picking anthem. Beyonce returns to her traditional ballad roots for II Hands II Heaven before Dolly Parton briefly returns for Tyrant with some electronic instruments and fiddles.
“Buckin like a mechanical bull” booms Bey on the wonderfully weird rodeo hip hop anthem during Sweet Honey Buckiin’ featuring rapper Shaboozey. The album ends with Amen as Bey praises “Mercy on me” for a full on gospel finale.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
