Beyoncé released COWBOY CARTER serving as Act II of her Renaissance era. Released on March 29, 2024, COWBOY CARTER features 27 songs, with a runtime of an hour and 18 minutes. Followed with much controversy, this album delves into a more country genre that Beyonce has experimented with before.

AMERIICAN REQUIEM opens the album amazingly, echoing a message of strength. Beyoncé knows that this album isn’t her usual style, but she’s not tolerating hate derived from racism or close-mindedness. She wants you to listen with an open heart and hear her truth.

“Now is the time to let love in” / “And the rejection came, said I wasn’t, “Country ‘nough”

JOLENE is a stunning rewrite of “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, introduced by Dolly Parton herself in the interlude DOLLY P. The interlude compares the similarities between the characters “Jolene” and “Becky” from Sorry by Beyoncé off of Lemonade. JOLENE consists of Beyoncé warning a woman that she won’t succeed in taking her husband, and that she can’t separate their love.

JOLENE takes the power of the “homewrecker” it’s written about away as well as seeming more confident and in control. Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” is begging the homewrecker to not take her man, and while it remains a phenomenal song, the message doesn’t hold up to today’s standards.

Beyoncé’s rewrite is a reminder that a strong relationship cannot be broken by some stranger who can’t find love and that a good partner will have your back.

“You’re beautiful beyond compare” / “Takes more than beauty and seductive stares” / “To come between a family and a happy man”
II MOST WANTED featuring Miley Cyrus is a beautiful ballad between Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus. This song combines their voices creating a heartfelt duet of having your friend’s back. The production uses almost all guitar sounds, using the artists’ voices as the main instrument carrying the song through. The song follows the theme of being a “ride or die”, a friend who has your back no matter what.

“Making waves in the wind with my empty hand” / “My other hand on you” / “Been a while since I haven’t tried to pull away” / “But it’s time for something new”

TEXAS HOLD ‘EM was released on Feb. 11th, 2024, becoming one of the first singles off the album. When COWBOY CARTER was announced, TEXAS HOLD ‘EM was given to us and acted as a window into what COWBOY CARTER was going to be. Holding a strong banjo instrumental in the background, TEXAS HOLD ‘EM is more of a fun song about letting your worries go free and having a good time.

“All of the problems just feel dramatic (just feel dramatic)” / “And now we’re runnin’ to the first spot that we find, yeah” / “Ooh, one step to the right” / “We headin’ to the dive bar we always thought was nice”

INTERLUDES are used throughout the album and act as almost a radio station, featuring guest stars and familiar faces, such as Dolly Parton and Linda Martell. Another album that used interludes in this fashion was “Dawn FM” by The Weeknd. Some interludes are simply interludes such as “MY ROSE”, just a calm break between songs.

COWBOY CARTER as an album creates a fantastic listening experience, with the slow R&B songs like “II MOST WANTED” to the high energy songs like “SWEET HONEY BUCKIIN” and “YA YA”. If you’re looking for a unique album that gives you a new sound and does it well, this album is a perfect choice.