Why we shouldn’t be surprised that Beyoncé is going country with Cowboy Carter
“This ain’t a Country album,” declared Beyoncé last week, “This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”
And in fairness, 16 Carriages and Texas Hold ‘Em – the first two glimpses of her upcoming new record Cowboy Carter – are country-flavoured songs with a distinct twist, leaning towards exploring the genre’s Black cultural roots rather than simply embracing the tradition without further questions.
“This album has been over five years in the making,” Bey continued. “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.”
The distinction is an important one; rather than assimilating into a genre which has historically excluded, undermined and ignored the vast contributions of Black musicians throughout its long history, Cowboy Carter seems like it may take an alternative approach.
It remains to be seen what kind of tone her distinctive visuals – which play on US patriotism, nationalist iconography, the colonial Western settler,
