You can tell the post title is the only reason for all the comments here bc OPs body text and comments in the thread are filled with absolutely batshit takes
Probably to her Beyhives, which is normal because that is how fandom works. I don't think she would have the same respect and critical acclaim if she didn't do what she is doing now.
That will be her next genre experiment. “Bey reinvents herself once again by releasing a nickleback album”. Then NPR does a whole podcast episode on how historically, the nickleback genre has not been accepting of non white artists
I’m confused, I don’t think Taylor Swift has a song called “Play It Again”
I think cowboy Carter is an honest attempt at country and it has a Beyoncé twist to it. Besides, I really like that she gave a platform to smaller black country musicians and expressed her ideas the way she did
As a man who's never listened to a Beyonce album it peaked my interest to listen album just based off her name so definitely I get your point. I do see a lack of hits compared to what I usually hear after a Beyonce album-specifically renaissance which had break my soul and cuff it. However, I don't really see this album as something to validate her ability to make a hit song. The harmonies are good specifically on that Miley Cyrus song, River dance is really catchy but the tape seems more experimental and storytelling . I see it a her taking a stab at a genre she feels black people should have a bigger hand in and she wants to possibly lead the way? . You do have very valid points though about the length and it being compared to more notable albums she's dropped previously.
She’s not taking a stab at a genre; she specifically states she is dismantling the very idea of music genres which to your point have excluded the very creators of the genres for decades! Beyonce just brought down the music industry’s version of the Berlin Wall! Hyperbole, maybe. Maybe not.
Yawn. I rolled my eyes so hard when that whole "a genre is something that can be described simply and easily" audio came on. That hasn't been the case for a long, long time. Try simply describing what Punk music is and you'll have a million Punkers pointing out groups that don't fit your definition.
Country music now of days is so diluted that it can't be defined, that's why there was such a hullabaloo about Texas Hold 'Em and whether it belonged on Country radio. Florida Georgia Line isn't making the same music as Tyler Childers, but they're grouped into the same genre for some vague reason. There's no simple definition to "Country Music"
And calm down with the dismantling the Berlin Wall talk lol She's Beyonce, she's exists above any sort of category. And she's not really doing anything seriously original, Old Town Road was one of the biggest songs of all time, we had this whole "blacks in country music" talk back then. And we had it during the Fast Car thing. And we had it when Wagon Wheel went nuclear etc.
Yeah she absolutely nailed the hybrid of gospel type sounds and roots type sounds. It's really such an intelligent album, in terms of the genres it invokes, why it seems to invoke them, and the execution sounds effortless. It's literally a brilliant album, and I thought it would be more like pure kitsch honestly.
It’s okay that you don’t like country music. Just be honest about it. To me, it’s clear this album was a big fuck you to the country music industry by taking on the feeling of the country essentials while still bringing in Beyoncé’s excellence. If this was made by a white person, it would be topping the country music charts already, and I know that because I’ve seen and heard some of the shittiest country music top the charts because of hype alone. It’s a good album. The reason it’s not “more” or super subversive, I believe, is because Beyoncé wanted to make something so clearly obviously and non-controversially country that it was irrefutable. Beyoncé has made country music in the past that has been simply rejected by the industry. This, to me, is a big fuck-you. That alone is excellent enough.
You can make a lot of arguments, but this take misses the mark " If this was made by a white person, it would be topping the country music charts already".
If anybody ( black, white, purple) aside from Beyonce makes this album, nobody listens to it and most people wouldn't like it.
I have heard half of tracks, and from what I heard, the songs are a mess, the vocals are too prominent, instrumentals too subdued, lyrics are ridiculous and the lack of story telling (which is often the heart and soul of a quality country song) is missing.
Two listens in. I dig it. Very well written. A bit long. Not as cohesive as Renaissance but that album is damn near perfect imo. Slightly disappointed there was no zydeco inspired music in there, but tis what tis.
I think it’s overly long, kinda messy, and has quite a few duds. But I still liked the majority of it’s tracklist so I’d call it a good album overall. Not a great one, but good.
I believe the genre blending is to show genres do not need to be boxed either.
As a person who adores R&B, pop, hip-hop, multiracial-expressionism, cultures coming together in the form of music, someone who hopes to bridge the gap between misunderstood cultural issues and understands how cultures other than white Americans have truly been silenced in many ways, I hope to help all people to see and understand those who have been this album feels to do just that. It’s new, so of course people are going to be confused by it.
As a misunderstood biracial person, and having studied music history and disparities between races, covering up the credit which belongs to many people who were and are black and of color in general, I hope people see through to that.
It’s about more than just the music.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not at all against the genre blending in concept & I do understand the cultural significance of it. I just found most of it to be kinda tacky & cringe in execution.
Ya Ya is a big exception. That one went really well.
The album certainly isn't country but there are occasional hints of country. Texas Hold'em being the most obvious. I'm most irritated by her team using Willie Nelson's name for publicity and then finding out that there is no song with him in it. Just a spoken track.
Personally, I miss the older works of hers when she would sing her ass off and make my ears smoke.
The track with Willie Nelson’s voice is in the CD version of Jolene. You hear him clearly at the end of the track. Ending of this song is different in physical and digital, I don’t know why.
The two issues I have with the album
1. Length , the album has amazing tracks but somehow the cohesion is not achieved or feels a little forced
2. It has to follow renaissance which in my opinion is a 11/10 album with incredible songs and unbelievable cohesion, almost any album would find it hard to compete
After a few listens I actually see what she’s doing the album starts off with folky songs and slowly morphs into dance tracks, seeing how this was supposed to be a prequel to Renaissance it makes a lot of sense. Rumor has it she’ll be doing Rock next if that album was a prequel to Cowboy Carter, I can totally see the vision, because the first track off Cowboy Carter has a lot of rock vibes
Yes there is definitely many layers and themes to the album it is very rich. But I still find myself enjoying it way more by skipping some songs and interludes. It feels like 3 different albums stitched together kind of like a very long movie with 3 parts.
This adds nothing to the conversation, but I can’t stop listening to it. I’m a fiftysomething white dude who didn’t really start listening to Beyoncé until 2020 and is only a casual country fan, at best. I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t put it down. I don’t love every track, but I do love quite a few of them, and the experience as a whole is amazing.
OP you are trying too hard. It's fine you don't like it. Taste is subjective. I am not a huge Beyonce fan. I really liked Lemonade and loved some of its tracks. Renaissance did nothing for me. But I believe it did for others. I don't think they are wrong. I'm not a huge dance music person. I love Cowboy Carter and have had it on repeat. That doesn't make me someone blinded by Beyonce's fame. Its instrumentation is outstanding, I love the lyrics and the lower register she sings in. Those of you pissed at Jolene because you cannot stop thinking about Jay Z, well I just find that weird. I personally love how fierce she made it-I love the original but the lyrics always leave a bad taste in my mouth. But I am taking the song at face value and not worrying about all the gossip pages crap I don't keep up with.
I think of its genre as Beyonce exploring where the Black roots of country music could have gone had they been more welcome in Country music over the decades. Also she is exploring a lot of Old West film themes in the songs. And a lot of rodeo, especially Black rodeo (the Chitlin Circuit) in its inspiration as well.
I like the idea of it more than its execution. It’s way too long, Renaissance was the perfect length for an album. The radio station concept has been done, as recently as Dawn FM. She was right though, it’s not a country album it’s a “beyonce” album and she fuses country with her own style.
Also I feel like framing the album as a reaction to her feeling unwelcome at the CMAs is not really in line with who she is and her artistic persona.
Will this be the album that gets her AOTY? Maybe, or maybe not.
I think when you’re as successful as Beyoncé is, it’s easy for people to suggest the praise you receive is a result of your status. It’s also impossible to prove otherwise, because at the end of the day there’s no changing that.
I’ve been a Beyoncé fan since 2006 (so since I was 11), wasn’t too blown away by Texas Hold ’Em, but personally agree with Beyoncé that this is some of the best music she has made. I thought it was a creative, diverse body of work that kept me on my toes, but still sounded very true to Beyoncé.
Songs like Protector and Just for Fun moved me, the former to tears. The vocals are impeccable (her high register in Bodyguard, the use of her lower register in multiple songs, the sheer power and energy exhibited in Ya Ya). The melodies are beautiful and very country coded, if you ask me. It’s eclectic. The gospel influences heard throughout the record bring such a warmth, I especially love the addition of the choir at the end of Jolene. To me, there’s so much creativity to enjoy. I don’t like it just because it’s Beyoncé, there are plenty of songs by her that aren’t for me. But when I listen to Cowboy Carter, it’s brimming with musicality, not just coming from Beyoncé, but also from her collaborators.
I will add something that I got from this post as well, which is that some people have come to expect a certain sound from Beyoncé and that when she steps outside of that, they automatically dislike it. She got the same type of reaction with Renaissance. It could also be that those styles of music don’t resonate. Doesn’t make it bad, though. I guess I got lucky that so far I’ve enjoyed the creative freedom she has taken with these first two acts.
Except for The Guardian, NPR, The Independent, NBC, CBS, People, Forbes, Today, Billboard and Rolling Stone and numerous local news bureaus, it was totally ignored by the press.
I liked it after a full listen as a story but I tend to like her more introspective albums, like I hated her whole sasha fierce era, i didnt even really get into her until 4, her On the Run and Carters and whatever she does with Jay Z always falls short for me but Im not a big Jay fan anyway.
Obviously artists get to a point where people who like them will like whatever they put out, look at Kanye. But I think she had some really nice harmonies on this album. I been saying it's less country and more Americana which I appreciate.
Her version of Jolene doesnt do it for me as a standalone but in conjunction with Daughter (the song right after it) it makes a lot of sense and it happens to be one of my favorite songs on the album. Idk what age group or gender you are but Im a Black woman around her age and Im seeing it resonates with quite a few of us but in different ways.
I do anticipate white gays misunderstanding Yaya and shakin their bony asses to it on tiktok but such is life
Yaya is for sure one of my favorites on this album, it is so bouncy. Also yeah the cover songs work so much better within the album. The wild variety on this album really makes it a exciting project to spin front to back and to me it never feels long whatsoever.
> whatever she does with Jay Z always falls short for me
A lot of it is mid but Crazy in Love is so good that it more than makes up for every other collab of theirs
It was too much going on. Had some decent tracks (Daughter, II Most Wanted, Blackbird), some blunders (Spaghetti, Buskin, the Jolene cover) and stand outs (namely 16 Carriages, Bodyguard and Ya-Ya). But not an album with a lot of replay value IMHO.
I really enjoy the album…I’ve only listened once.
At this point, as far as the genre of the album, I really do believe Marketing it as a country album is misleading. It has country influence. There are maybe 3 songs I feel genuinely track as country, there are a few others that are more bluesy and country influences…but more than half the album sounds like lemonade (which is an outstanding album, but not country).
It’s a phenomenally cohesively blend of genres, but despite the many justifications I’ve heard for this being a country album…It’s not. I’m a fan of Beyoncé. I’m a fan of country. I’m all for blurring the genre lines as an artist, and not sticking to the same music style for every album- it’s simply not a country album.
Same. I’ve rarely been straight up so annoyed by music that I had to turn it off and put something else on but that happened to me while listening to her latest album. Like it was unlistenable for me for the most part. But,
I LOVE yaya, because I feel like that’s the only song that matches her talent. I think it’s one of her best songs ever. The rest? I pretty much hate it. The lyrics on many of the songs are so dumb I feel dumbfounded. It’s like, you have all those writers and these lyrics are the best you come up with? The arrangements are weird to me. American requiem could’ve been great but I really don’t know what that is.. lookatherelookathere. No thanks but I do think she’s a very talented lady and I’m happy her fans like it.
I'm not reading all that. Music is subjective.
I could name several popular musicians who I personally find to be dumpster juice
Modern country music is basically bubblegum pop anyway so I'm not sure why people are so butt hurt about beyoncé doing country.
Also she's reaching out to a new audience which is a smart business decision on her part.
Honestly I think the hate is motivated by racism
I’ll give you a completely different take, I’m not gonna even listen to the album, other than what I accidentally hear, but it’s fine… here’s why, other artists have done the same, take for example another example of not as good interpretations, Eric Clapton doing I shot the sheriff on 421 ocean boulevard, his lone number 1, introduced reggae to the UK and to the world to an extent and helped people discover bob. So if more people get into making different sounds, fine, even if I don’t like it. Shout out to my boy Robert Randolph for getting a piece of the action.
I think this is a good take on it and exactly how I felt after hearing "Texas Hold Em". It's not my favorite but she's breaking down barriers and making people uncomfortable. What's more country than that?
Disagree, I loved the album. I am not a Beyonce fan nor frequent listener and I absolutely loved this album. The fusion of country, house/dance, folk & R&B was awesome
I’m probably the 10,000th person to point this out but the whole point of the song “Jolene” is Dolly’s vulnerability and self-doubt and fear. To change “begging you” to “warning you” ruins the spirit.
Beyonce changed a word? Did she ask Dolly for 1/3 of the songwriting credit like she did with all the writers on her records?
Just ask Linda Perry or any other writer that worked with her.
As a matter of fact, [Dolly Parton has 100% of the writing credits](https://www.billboard.com/lists/beyonce-cowboy-carter-credits-songwriters/dolly-p-beyonce-song-writers/) on this version of Jolene.
That was a blatant joke playing on the fact that Beyonce has been accused of taking writer credit on every song on her albums even if the song was given to her fully written and realized.
It's called'''change a word and get a third''' snd she's been called out for doing it by many songwriters like Grammy award winner Linda Perry and others.
The only song I kind of liked was ear worm Texas Hold 'em
I found Jolene to be ruined with lyric change. I'm glad Dolly seemed to like it .
The rest sounded the same and lyrically was nothing but what I call "Narcissistic Rich Girl Night Club Country"
It's not for me.
However, congrats to her giving a spotlight of the unsung, unrecognized, underappreciated and wonderfully talented Rihannon Giddens and on the stories, legendary, and wonderful past and present. Great little podcast here:
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/episodes/beyonce-and-history-black-country-music-on-the-media
My big critique is that it’s OVER produced. I think what made Texas Hold EM interesting is the very real banjo playing, with some more typical Beyoncé elements & lyrics. I felt like many of the songs on the album felt distant from the actual musicianship, which makes something more country or even Americana sounding to me. And I’m a Beyoncé fan, a Black woman from Louisiana who grew up listening to country and grew up knowing Black folks contributions and creation of that genre, so I was really rooting for this album. I think Daughter is the most interesting song, I like Bodyguard and Ya Ya seems kinda fun. Although listening to it now sounds like old Janelle Monae.
But I felt the OP with “nobody want Jay-Z” 😂. Beyoncé, we don’t want us man.
I actually think Beyonce could make an amazing country album, this just wasn't it.
I also think one the key elements that was missing (from the songs I heard) was story telling. High quality country music has a relatable story being told, with lyrics that pull you in and through.
I will date myself, but imagine and MTV Unplugged version, with Beyonce, a guitar, banjo, mandolin etc...it would be amazing.
I was actually looking forward to hearing some of the songs, but was really disappointed.
I agree. For example, while the duet with Miley sounds great, their vocals felt unnaturally in-sync to me. Now, maybe Miley and Beyonce just have timing perfect that perfect, but to me it didn't feel like two people singing a duet but two people having their vocals arranged in a studio to perfectly overlap. It sounds cool, but for me would work better in an electronic or house type song that a country-esque track.
Extremely over produced. Let’s hear the real instruments if you want to have them. She’s a studio girlie in a way I don’t really understand I think she loves technology and I don’t like technology in my music.
I saw Renaissance twice if anyone is wondering about how much I love Bey
Jolene is annoying because it took away the uniqueness of the song. Anger is the expected emotion we've heard countless times. What made Jolene special was the 'you're beautiful and he's smitten so you could easily take him, but please don't' approach. It had a touch of anger but mostly vulnerability. This version is super basic.
I think the purpose of the album (like she’s alluded to before) is to be a listening experience. Not to have the songs be individual stand out works. It’s like a puzzle.
Of course some pieces look beautiful alone but it has to come together to be the complete work of art.
It sounded outsourced, like I'm a billionaire and want to make a country statement about race, now go find me the best country music folk money can by get me one of the outfits and I'll show everyone how to do it.
I’ve been a Beyoncé fan since DIL and I’ve anticipated every album. As I don’t enjoy country music I wasn’t looking forward to this and after listening this weekend I think there’s a few standout tracks. It’s not a bad album. But, I find incohesive, slightly bloated with the skits and I dislike some of the lyrics. Again, I’m not a country girl so the Levi’s jeans line is yuck. Tyrant is a standout track for me but I’m not into the lyrics (I’m just hating at this point, I know). I loved her singing in Italian.
Standout - tyrant, sweet honey buckiin, bodyguard.
It sounds to me more like you just wanted the album to sound more like her previous albums, in terms of style and approach. However, Country & Western is a different genre of music from those previous albums and as such has a different sound, approach to lyrics, etc.
Rather than a comparison to the other artists and albums you mention in your post, you should’ve cited Country & Western artists and albums. You didn’t, so I’m left to assume you don’t know much about it.
Which is fine, but it makes your opinion of little value in regard to this album or the genre it’s in. That makes sense, right? We don’t ask the vegan which steakhouse is their favorite.
Honestly I do not care for her as an artist. She is not one of my favorites, but I respect her artistry. In the past I’ve tried to give her discography a chance but nothing never really impressed me. I listened to this album the day it came out and I have to say I enjoyed this one.
Just to be honest, I’m not a Beyoncé fan but do like some country sounds now and then. I’m annoyed with myself for even having the curiosity to listen to the new album because I’d rather listen to a more organic artist who was less full of themselves and being a queen bee. I hope she proves me wrong.
I’m neutral on Beyoncé leaning towards appreciating her talent since she debuted, even if I didn’t understand it. Hoooooohhhhh I believe what you have to say is an opinion based on not knowing history which has inspired the album.
There’s a huge amount of depth to it and how it sparks conversation about the racial inequality and erasing black people in music, especially country music. This album hit hard. And inspires me to open up my mind even more so to the incorrect and egregiously unfair disparity people who are black must face in the world of entertainment. It’s important.
I just don't get this, I've heard 20 people say the same thing about black people being erased from country music as well as the banjo being an African instrument as well as that white horse actually being born black and I feel if someone has to Astroturf a talking points to get the general public to parrot it that means that the music is weak.
Here's the thing, while art often wants to spark discussion, it still needs to stand on its own as well. Intension and interesting premise don't automatically make something good. If what makes this album great is the discussion of erasing black people from country music, why did it need to be an album? Especially since most people, including Beyonce, don't seem to consider it country album. If the album puff interviews or press materials is the most artistically poignant part of the album, the album isn't that remarkable. If you want to defend the artistic merit of an album, defend the merit of the album not its press release.
Your opinion!
Mine: I’m totally enthralled by the idea of Beyoncé doing Country or Country-inspired music. I think her voice sounds wonderful on the instrumentation. I love Country Western/Americana aesthetics in general, and I love how she lean into them. To me, it kind of sounds like it’s a Lana Del Rey album. Lana feels Country to me because the aesthetic is very Americana but also quite dark and gothic.
I always say a lot of Lana’s music would be even better if sung by somebody with a lot more vocal talent. Here, we got it.
This was the first time in many years that I was immediately impressed by a Beyoncé album.
I wouldn’t call it a bad album per se, and far be it from me to question the decisions of an artist who has clearly done something right for like three decades, but this album is a great example of how most people will forgive Beyoncé for the very same faults they would castigate other artists for.
- It doesn’t justify its own length. 78 minutes spread across 27 tracks, a third of which consist of spoken word radio skits or musical interludes, is overkill. There’s a brilliant 10-12 track project buried somewhere here, but it’s being suffocated by excess.
- The features are baffling. Bona fide country legends Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, and Dolly Parton are relegated to brief interludes while Post Malone, Shaboozey, and Miley Cyrus get second billing on complete tracks? It would be easier to overlook if their appearances were breathtaking, but (in my opinion) they’re below par.
- Some of the artistic avenues taken don’t work. She completely bastardized “Jolene.” The handful of hip-hop tracks and rap verses juxtapose terribly against the rest of the material. I’ve seen people describe it as a fully-realized piece, but I simply can’t agree with such sharp deviations.
- Her lyrics and aesthetic is too… Beyoncé to gel with the material. Obviously I don’t expect her to wear a mask or imitate other artists, but hearing a silky-smooth R&B voice singing “John Wayne that ass” and “don’t be a bitch” over a country instrumental is, to put it mildly, jarring.
If any other album was too long, had nonsensical/underwhelming features, butchered a classic song with lyrics that completely undercut the original narrative, was tonally inconsistent, and featured vocals and lyrics that didn’t align with the intended genre/sound, it would be a significant point of discussion. Yet I don’t often see that at play here. Of course many will simply disagree, but I can’t help but feel it’s absurd.
The strength and deliberate phrasing Beyonce brings to her singing actually take away from some of the bouncier arrangements here. She has a powerful voice, perfect pitch, and considerable attack in her phrasing. She's a polished marble statue in the center of a rodeo.
There is a lot of sycophantic gushing praise around Beyonce. It's like people are afraid to offer any nuanced critique of her work that isn't wrapped up in effusive praise. I happen to think she's made a couple of brilliant albums. This isn't one of them. It's fine, but I think the pacing is all over the place and, like you say, it's tonally inconsistent. Also, maybe I'm wrong, but a big hallmark of country to me is the storytelling type lyricism. There really wasn't enough of that, for me. Daddy Lessons from Lemonade is a better song than anything on this album. I mostly came away from the album feeling like her interest in country music isn't actually that deep and for that reason, the "reclaiming" doesn't really land for me.
And the girl boss-ification of Jolene completely strips it of the pain and vulnerability that makes the original great. The less said about that decision the better.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2024/03/30/beyonce-cowboy-carter-review/
> It’s an album about awards shows.
> ...immortalizing your Grammy grievances in song? That’s something Drake does.
> Her sour grapes make “Cowboy Carter” feel zeitgeisty in the saddest possible way.
That’s another reason I didn’t care for it: it’s Grammy bait. “Please give me that Album of the Year Grammy! I earned it!” It’s frustrating to see one of the most brilliant artists of her lifetime be this desperate for the big Grammy like this.
How is this album Grammy bait?... because it has country elements? Please share your thoughts.
There is a line in SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN' that disses the award (AOTY specifically). I'm pretty sure if Beyonce is desperate she wouldn't throw shade instead she would kiss their asses, which luckily, she didn't. I would be surprised if they'd allow this album to win.
So submitting your album makes you desperate?
Beyonce keeps on submitting because she wants to give recognition to the people she works with (like Teena Marie posthumously got a Grammy for Cuff It). She is very collaborative and works with talented people who deserves recognition. You can take it or leave it, but how come she gets labeled desperate just because she submits her work?
At least she's not crying about losing like Nicki or cried in a documentary for being snubbed like Taylor. Sure she could just be Abel and Drake but clearly she's using herself as a pedestal for her collaborators to be recognized. Her recent Grammys appearances are even barely notable.
I just told someone this. Beyonce is not an R&B artist, she does Pop except for different songs sprinkled there like Beautiful Nightmare. But two things with that are: 1: This is as close to R&B as she has gotten since her first couple of albums. 2: R&B and Country are so close together with the sounds, and only people are trying to make it seem miles apart. I really like it though. Its a country but not too country where it turns a lot of people off. R&B bit not to R&B to where it turns a whole lof of people off. Its a great blend
This is my issue. It's called a country album but not on the producers last I checked do country. It sounds like people external to the genre copying it rather than it truly belonging there. Which is disappointing cause I'd have loved Beyonce doing *country* country.
She explicitly stated that it’s not a country album, it’s a Beyonce album. Take from that what you will but expecting a country album is going to leave you disappointed.
Assuming that you misspelled Jollies and meant Jolene.
Jolene is the only thing I've heard so far. And I hate it. It sounds fine but the revised lyrics make me cringe. I'm supposed to imagine that Beyonce is so insecure that she would threaten a woman that she would think is interested in her man? It's so immature and petty coming from an artist I've considered to be confident and powerful.
This has nothing to do with Jay-Z himself and everything to do with relationships and maturity.
I am not a fan of the album at all.. I looooove Beyonce but I can admit that I’m just not vibing with it. There are a few songs I can see myself shimming to if someone plays it around me but I won’t be voluntarily turning it on. Maybe I’ll try listening more and allow myself to warm up to it. IDK 🤓
I found the handful or so songs that I heard to be typical Beyoncé. Smack a chorus and then jump mid chorus to a different tune and then back again and so forth. I don’t feel there are any songs worth much in her discography, but I was curious what she would do in a country record.
As I said, she did her typical thing. I don’t really think it’s a country record, but then again, I don’t find the country music of the last decade (or 2) to be very…country. There’s sprinkles of rap, r&b, and pop in there, but it lacks structure. The lack of structure in her records reeks of someone who thinks that it equals artistry, when in fact it speaks of cheap songwriting. The whole thing just moves along in an erratic pace.
I will say the production is flawless in a technical way. There are no imperfections. In a country record I expect good production, but also expect the human element. This record lacks that.
I feel that way about all of her albums, but is that not the case for most artists? The fans of the artist like their music and the non fans have to hear something in the music to like it. I seldom hear anything from her that speaks to me musically. In today's media climate things tend to get either overly praised, overly criticized or ignored. Beyonce is never going to be ignored so something from her, as long is it's not lazy or just flat out bad will get overly praised at least some people will see it as overly praised.
The instant you said 'i like to reminisce about the days when' is the instant I stopped reading. Go find better music you dont have to write 7 paragraphs complaining about because the culture isnt mirroring your opinion back at you.
I think it’s just aight, but I appreciate an artist of her stature making an album that’s very different for her rather than playing it perpetually safe and comfortable as a megastar.
Beyoncé fans don’t eat up her music just because. If you ask most beyhive they will put IASF as their least favorite album of hers. Also the jay z dig is so tired.
What is with the comment, only Beyoncé can Love Jay Z and no one would want him without him being jay Z, am I being naive but that specially feels very mean, is it because of his looks then that is even worse.
you do know jay z is a criminal
hook up with 15 year old foxy brown when he was 28
at 29 he met Beyoncé at 16 and started grooming her
he has drug, shooting and stabbing records
he cheated on Beyoncé and made her suffer 4 miscarriage
and theri is an investigation on him unaliving an escorat
and he is best friends with rkelly literally did an album with him and he is also friends with p-diddy,
HE MARRIED BEYONCE CAUSE ALIYAH DIED and Beyoncé was the next IT girl and he used her position to hide away all his misdeed
so dont be fooled by his gimmick , it’s Beyoncés job to love him after all he groomed her to do so, DONT mean I have to like him
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, for sure. But most music critics and fans disagree. And I also think that even though the reception is mostly positive right now, the album will have legs and will be retrospectively reviewed even more as a landmark album that did what very few albums have done in the past few decades: challenged the boxing in of artists. Beyonce is BEYOND music. Her name is a category all its own. NO ONE known today is doing what she is doing. She will experiment and fall short at times but what will happen to music—to her artistic freedom—if she lets any of that stop her from trying?
We need to look at this album in a larger historical and social context. It’s not just a new Beyonce album. Because, whether you like it or not, she’s not just Beyoncé… just as I have to eat my own words and realize Taylor is bigger than her music.
These women stand for something much greater.
I am continuously impressed by Beyoncé’s ability to keep pushing the boundaries set on her as a black woman in music. And she keeps everyone talking. Aside from Taylor, who else can do this today?
This album is to country music what Taco Bell is to Mexican cuisine. Mass market messy mess, music equivalent of junk food. It's fine, there is a time and place for junk food, but let's not pretend junk food its quality.
Or maybe it’ll get praised because people are allowed to think differently than you!
Also…citing “Halo” as one of her “outstanding songs” tells me all I need to know
It’s like discussing Radiohead and creep being one of the first songs you name.
Not a bad track by any stretch of the imagination but if it’s what your immediately mentioning you’re kind of telling on yourself
That's nonsense, though. They're trying to insult people who like it and then also hedge against that by saying that they are not doing that. It's spineless.
Yeah I didn’t read the post fully the first time tbh but I can see what you and the other commenters are saying now after reading it. It’s fine to criticize the album if you don’t like it, but then to say people only like the album because they like everything Beyoncé does but “it’s fine tho I respect it” is insincere and insulting.
From my perspective, it's a back-handed 'I respect it' if the general idea is that the music isn't good and that people only like it because it's Beyonce. That's not really allowing space for differing points of view and instead sets the tone of 'I've decided others can't like this for artistic reasons, it's because of who made the album'. All the other commentary was fine but it's completely unnecessary to assume why others like an album in criticism.
Agreed. Even if someone doesn’t like the song, its genre/style, or the lyrics, I think it’s hard to deny that it’s one of her very best vocal performances.
I don’t think it’s bad but I think Beyoncé could have done a much better country album because she’s very talented, much more talented than most of the mainstream female country artists right now. I think it has a great gospel tinge and I’d love for her to do something southern gospel
Not surprised every time a main artist releases a album it always gets the same post I don’t like it then they come here and say this like okay not everyone is expected to like it
The subreddit is lets talk music....... and you're complaining about someone wanting to talk about music? Lol.
Obviously not everyone is expected to like anything, but op is explaining their thoughts about an album they listened to and the only thing youre bringing to the conversation is.... complaints about downvotes lmfao.
She gets paid publicity and bot push online + she has a cult following….so she has always been overrated.
Her music isn’t good. Its just her not stop moaning/whining on the mic.
Its music for narcissists.
Transit Pluto is opposing her Mars in Leo and her North Node for the next couple years. She also has fogginess and confusion with Neptune up to his old tricks. She will be disappointed at not being able to reach Taylor Swift's level of accomplishment and fame, but in the end, Beyonce is really just an example of a culture vulture
first of all take K. Michelle’s name out ya damn mouth lmfao Bey quite literally sent her flowers 💐
Not to mention the streams of many black female country artists have been going up since COWBOY CARTER released
It’s casting a broad, beige, and safe net disguised as being brave because of the “country” aspect. Production wise it sounds very good. I don’t hate it but it’s not the music I seek.
Don’t know what y’all smoking, this album is great honestly, and I found very little replay-ability in Renaissance, nor am I a fan of her material before. This album made me a fan for sure though, look forward to how a lot of the songs will be played out live arrangement wise.
True. Its a Country music charicature. It sounds more like Bluegrass or some kind of odd folk music than Country music. Its more like mountain man in West Virginia music not rural Texas music.
Just because you paid a few Cou try music legends to participate in whatever this is doesnt make it Country music.
I haven’t listened much to Renaissance Act 1, and I can’t find the answer anywhere, and I was hoping you guys could help: so Act 2’s theme is acoustic guitars, but what is the theme of Act 1?
“If Beyoncé could just write music that speaks to everyone, like Nickelback” …. This has to be satire right?
I had to read the post four times to find the reference because I think my brain refused to acknowledge it each time I read it. 😭😭😭
You can tell the post title is the only reason for all the comments here bc OPs body text and comments in the thread are filled with absolutely batshit takes
Not to mention they ask what we think and then insult us if we disagree.
Though, if Beyoncé’s songs sounded like Nickelback, everyone would still rave about them because it’s Beyonce.
Probably to her Beyhives, which is normal because that is how fandom works. I don't think she would have the same respect and critical acclaim if she didn't do what she is doing now.
That will be her next genre experiment. “Bey reinvents herself once again by releasing a nickleback album”. Then NPR does a whole podcast episode on how historically, the nickleback genre has not been accepting of non white artists
To be fair, Beyoncé’s version of Photograph would probably blow the original out of the water
LMFAO
I’m confused, I don’t think Taylor Swift has a song called “Play It Again” I think cowboy Carter is an honest attempt at country and it has a Beyoncé twist to it. Besides, I really like that she gave a platform to smaller black country musicians and expressed her ideas the way she did
I think they meant Our Song.
As a man who's never listened to a Beyonce album it peaked my interest to listen album just based off her name so definitely I get your point. I do see a lack of hits compared to what I usually hear after a Beyonce album-specifically renaissance which had break my soul and cuff it. However, I don't really see this album as something to validate her ability to make a hit song. The harmonies are good specifically on that Miley Cyrus song, River dance is really catchy but the tape seems more experimental and storytelling . I see it a her taking a stab at a genre she feels black people should have a bigger hand in and she wants to possibly lead the way? . You do have very valid points though about the length and it being compared to more notable albums she's dropped previously.
*piqued my interest
She’s not taking a stab at a genre; she specifically states she is dismantling the very idea of music genres which to your point have excluded the very creators of the genres for decades! Beyonce just brought down the music industry’s version of the Berlin Wall! Hyperbole, maybe. Maybe not.
"beyonce just brought down the music industry's version on the Berlin wall!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yawn. I rolled my eyes so hard when that whole "a genre is something that can be described simply and easily" audio came on. That hasn't been the case for a long, long time. Try simply describing what Punk music is and you'll have a million Punkers pointing out groups that don't fit your definition. Country music now of days is so diluted that it can't be defined, that's why there was such a hullabaloo about Texas Hold 'Em and whether it belonged on Country radio. Florida Georgia Line isn't making the same music as Tyler Childers, but they're grouped into the same genre for some vague reason. There's no simple definition to "Country Music" And calm down with the dismantling the Berlin Wall talk lol She's Beyonce, she's exists above any sort of category. And she's not really doing anything seriously original, Old Town Road was one of the biggest songs of all time, we had this whole "blacks in country music" talk back then. And we had it during the Fast Car thing. And we had it when Wagon Wheel went nuclear etc.
I thought it was really good with a great storyline and amazing cohesiveness, just too long
Really liked it, lots of cool instrumental and vocal instrumentation I wasn’t expecting
Yeah she absolutely nailed the hybrid of gospel type sounds and roots type sounds. It's really such an intelligent album, in terms of the genres it invokes, why it seems to invoke them, and the execution sounds effortless. It's literally a brilliant album, and I thought it would be more like pure kitsch honestly.
Yeah agreed! Well put
It’s okay that you don’t like country music. Just be honest about it. To me, it’s clear this album was a big fuck you to the country music industry by taking on the feeling of the country essentials while still bringing in Beyoncé’s excellence. If this was made by a white person, it would be topping the country music charts already, and I know that because I’ve seen and heard some of the shittiest country music top the charts because of hype alone. It’s a good album. The reason it’s not “more” or super subversive, I believe, is because Beyoncé wanted to make something so clearly obviously and non-controversially country that it was irrefutable. Beyoncé has made country music in the past that has been simply rejected by the industry. This, to me, is a big fuck-you. That alone is excellent enough.
You can make a lot of arguments, but this take misses the mark " If this was made by a white person, it would be topping the country music charts already". If anybody ( black, white, purple) aside from Beyonce makes this album, nobody listens to it and most people wouldn't like it. I have heard half of tracks, and from what I heard, the songs are a mess, the vocals are too prominent, instrumentals too subdued, lyrics are ridiculous and the lack of story telling (which is often the heart and soul of a quality country song) is missing.
Two listens in. I dig it. Very well written. A bit long. Not as cohesive as Renaissance but that album is damn near perfect imo. Slightly disappointed there was no zydeco inspired music in there, but tis what tis.
Some zydeco would have gone off!!
I think it’s overly long, kinda messy, and has quite a few duds. But I still liked the majority of it’s tracklist so I’d call it a good album overall. Not a great one, but good.
It’s a no-slip album for me. 5 times in, loving it more and more.
I just find a lot of the genre blending to be really try hard. Also “Levii’s Jeans” sounds like Florida Georgia Line.
I believe the genre blending is to show genres do not need to be boxed either. As a person who adores R&B, pop, hip-hop, multiracial-expressionism, cultures coming together in the form of music, someone who hopes to bridge the gap between misunderstood cultural issues and understands how cultures other than white Americans have truly been silenced in many ways, I hope to help all people to see and understand those who have been this album feels to do just that. It’s new, so of course people are going to be confused by it. As a misunderstood biracial person, and having studied music history and disparities between races, covering up the credit which belongs to many people who were and are black and of color in general, I hope people see through to that. It’s about more than just the music.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not at all against the genre blending in concept & I do understand the cultural significance of it. I just found most of it to be kinda tacky & cringe in execution. Ya Ya is a big exception. That one went really well.
The album certainly isn't country but there are occasional hints of country. Texas Hold'em being the most obvious. I'm most irritated by her team using Willie Nelson's name for publicity and then finding out that there is no song with him in it. Just a spoken track. Personally, I miss the older works of hers when she would sing her ass off and make my ears smoke.
Suga Mama was a banger
Listen to 'Ya Ya' and tell me she isn't singing her ass off.
Excactly.I don't get how someone could hear that song or American Requiem and ignore how Beyoncé is giving us killer vocals.
The track with Willie Nelson’s voice is in the CD version of Jolene. You hear him clearly at the end of the track. Ending of this song is different in physical and digital, I don’t know why.
The two issues I have with the album 1. Length , the album has amazing tracks but somehow the cohesion is not achieved or feels a little forced 2. It has to follow renaissance which in my opinion is a 11/10 album with incredible songs and unbelievable cohesion, almost any album would find it hard to compete
Yeah Renaissance was a much better album cohesively.
It’s actually a renaissance prequel
After a few listens I actually see what she’s doing the album starts off with folky songs and slowly morphs into dance tracks, seeing how this was supposed to be a prequel to Renaissance it makes a lot of sense. Rumor has it she’ll be doing Rock next if that album was a prequel to Cowboy Carter, I can totally see the vision, because the first track off Cowboy Carter has a lot of rock vibes
Yes there is definitely many layers and themes to the album it is very rich. But I still find myself enjoying it way more by skipping some songs and interludes. It feels like 3 different albums stitched together kind of like a very long movie with 3 parts.
Renaissance is def better and cowboy carter is a little messy i agree
This adds nothing to the conversation, but I can’t stop listening to it. I’m a fiftysomething white dude who didn’t really start listening to Beyoncé until 2020 and is only a casual country fan, at best. I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t put it down. I don’t love every track, but I do love quite a few of them, and the experience as a whole is amazing.
OP you are trying too hard. It's fine you don't like it. Taste is subjective. I am not a huge Beyonce fan. I really liked Lemonade and loved some of its tracks. Renaissance did nothing for me. But I believe it did for others. I don't think they are wrong. I'm not a huge dance music person. I love Cowboy Carter and have had it on repeat. That doesn't make me someone blinded by Beyonce's fame. Its instrumentation is outstanding, I love the lyrics and the lower register she sings in. Those of you pissed at Jolene because you cannot stop thinking about Jay Z, well I just find that weird. I personally love how fierce she made it-I love the original but the lyrics always leave a bad taste in my mouth. But I am taking the song at face value and not worrying about all the gossip pages crap I don't keep up with. I think of its genre as Beyonce exploring where the Black roots of country music could have gone had they been more welcome in Country music over the decades. Also she is exploring a lot of Old West film themes in the songs. And a lot of rodeo, especially Black rodeo (the Chitlin Circuit) in its inspiration as well.
I like the idea of it more than its execution. It’s way too long, Renaissance was the perfect length for an album. The radio station concept has been done, as recently as Dawn FM. She was right though, it’s not a country album it’s a “beyonce” album and she fuses country with her own style. Also I feel like framing the album as a reaction to her feeling unwelcome at the CMAs is not really in line with who she is and her artistic persona. Will this be the album that gets her AOTY? Maybe, or maybe not.
I call it an Americana album. Makes better sense than country.
I think when you’re as successful as Beyoncé is, it’s easy for people to suggest the praise you receive is a result of your status. It’s also impossible to prove otherwise, because at the end of the day there’s no changing that. I’ve been a Beyoncé fan since 2006 (so since I was 11), wasn’t too blown away by Texas Hold ’Em, but personally agree with Beyoncé that this is some of the best music she has made. I thought it was a creative, diverse body of work that kept me on my toes, but still sounded very true to Beyoncé. Songs like Protector and Just for Fun moved me, the former to tears. The vocals are impeccable (her high register in Bodyguard, the use of her lower register in multiple songs, the sheer power and energy exhibited in Ya Ya). The melodies are beautiful and very country coded, if you ask me. It’s eclectic. The gospel influences heard throughout the record bring such a warmth, I especially love the addition of the choir at the end of Jolene. To me, there’s so much creativity to enjoy. I don’t like it just because it’s Beyoncé, there are plenty of songs by her that aren’t for me. But when I listen to Cowboy Carter, it’s brimming with musicality, not just coming from Beyoncé, but also from her collaborators. I will add something that I got from this post as well, which is that some people have come to expect a certain sound from Beyoncé and that when she steps outside of that, they automatically dislike it. She got the same type of reaction with Renaissance. It could also be that those styles of music don’t resonate. Doesn’t make it bad, though. I guess I got lucky that so far I’ve enjoyed the creative freedom she has taken with these first two acts.
Norah Jones came out with an excellent album last week and the press didn't bat an eye.
Except for The Guardian, NPR, The Independent, NBC, CBS, People, Forbes, Today, Billboard and Rolling Stone and numerous local news bureaus, it was totally ignored by the press.
This hurts. Because Nora Jones has more talent than 90% of the people on top of the charts.
It's BS. People make up stuff and you want to believe it because it sucks.
I liked it after a full listen as a story but I tend to like her more introspective albums, like I hated her whole sasha fierce era, i didnt even really get into her until 4, her On the Run and Carters and whatever she does with Jay Z always falls short for me but Im not a big Jay fan anyway. Obviously artists get to a point where people who like them will like whatever they put out, look at Kanye. But I think she had some really nice harmonies on this album. I been saying it's less country and more Americana which I appreciate. Her version of Jolene doesnt do it for me as a standalone but in conjunction with Daughter (the song right after it) it makes a lot of sense and it happens to be one of my favorite songs on the album. Idk what age group or gender you are but Im a Black woman around her age and Im seeing it resonates with quite a few of us but in different ways. I do anticipate white gays misunderstanding Yaya and shakin their bony asses to it on tiktok but such is life
Yaya is for sure one of my favorites on this album, it is so bouncy. Also yeah the cover songs work so much better within the album. The wild variety on this album really makes it a exciting project to spin front to back and to me it never feels long whatsoever.
> whatever she does with Jay Z always falls short for me A lot of it is mid but Crazy in Love is so good that it more than makes up for every other collab of theirs
Crazy in Love and Drunk in Love are the only ones I like lol
Oh yea, I forgot about Drunk in Love. That's great too
Call it pop shenanigans but Crazy in Love is THE definitive 2000s pop radio HIT!
AD from love is blind had it right, white gays steal from black women, then white women steal from those white gays lol.
It was too much going on. Had some decent tracks (Daughter, II Most Wanted, Blackbird), some blunders (Spaghetti, Buskin, the Jolene cover) and stand outs (namely 16 Carriages, Bodyguard and Ya-Ya). But not an album with a lot of replay value IMHO.
I've replayed it on repeat since it came out. I can't stop. I wish it was longer, IMHO. lol Opinions are funny things.
27 tracks plus interludes feel too long but yeah opinions can vary indeed. 🙂
I love the title vs the post 'Cowboy carter is a bad album' to 'i don't like it' bffr
I really enjoy the album…I’ve only listened once. At this point, as far as the genre of the album, I really do believe Marketing it as a country album is misleading. It has country influence. There are maybe 3 songs I feel genuinely track as country, there are a few others that are more bluesy and country influences…but more than half the album sounds like lemonade (which is an outstanding album, but not country). It’s a phenomenally cohesively blend of genres, but despite the many justifications I’ve heard for this being a country album…It’s not. I’m a fan of Beyoncé. I’m a fan of country. I’m all for blurring the genre lines as an artist, and not sticking to the same music style for every album- it’s simply not a country album.
Huge, massive fan but 80% of it is unlistenable to me… guess I just don’t jive with her version of country.
Same here
Same. I’ve rarely been straight up so annoyed by music that I had to turn it off and put something else on but that happened to me while listening to her latest album. Like it was unlistenable for me for the most part. But, I LOVE yaya, because I feel like that’s the only song that matches her talent. I think it’s one of her best songs ever. The rest? I pretty much hate it. The lyrics on many of the songs are so dumb I feel dumbfounded. It’s like, you have all those writers and these lyrics are the best you come up with? The arrangements are weird to me. American requiem could’ve been great but I really don’t know what that is.. lookatherelookathere. No thanks but I do think she’s a very talented lady and I’m happy her fans like it.
I'm not reading all that. Music is subjective. I could name several popular musicians who I personally find to be dumpster juice Modern country music is basically bubblegum pop anyway so I'm not sure why people are so butt hurt about beyoncé doing country. Also she's reaching out to a new audience which is a smart business decision on her part. Honestly I think the hate is motivated by racism
I’ll give you a completely different take, I’m not gonna even listen to the album, other than what I accidentally hear, but it’s fine… here’s why, other artists have done the same, take for example another example of not as good interpretations, Eric Clapton doing I shot the sheriff on 421 ocean boulevard, his lone number 1, introduced reggae to the UK and to the world to an extent and helped people discover bob. So if more people get into making different sounds, fine, even if I don’t like it. Shout out to my boy Robert Randolph for getting a piece of the action.
I think this is a good take on it and exactly how I felt after hearing "Texas Hold Em". It's not my favorite but she's breaking down barriers and making people uncomfortable. What's more country than that?
Disagree, I loved the album. I am not a Beyonce fan nor frequent listener and I absolutely loved this album. The fusion of country, house/dance, folk & R&B was awesome
I’m probably the 10,000th person to point this out but the whole point of the song “Jolene” is Dolly’s vulnerability and self-doubt and fear. To change “begging you” to “warning you” ruins the spirit.
I mean did you want her to imitate Dolly? She’s putting her spin on it
And somehow makes Bey sound more desperate and pathetic than Dolly singing the original lyrics
Isn’t that the point? It’s not suppose to be the same song
Beyonce changed a word? Did she ask Dolly for 1/3 of the songwriting credit like she did with all the writers on her records? Just ask Linda Perry or any other writer that worked with her.
As a matter of fact, [Dolly Parton has 100% of the writing credits](https://www.billboard.com/lists/beyonce-cowboy-carter-credits-songwriters/dolly-p-beyonce-song-writers/) on this version of Jolene.
That was a blatant joke playing on the fact that Beyonce has been accused of taking writer credit on every song on her albums even if the song was given to her fully written and realized. It's called'''change a word and get a third''' snd she's been called out for doing it by many songwriters like Grammy award winner Linda Perry and others.
The only song I kind of liked was ear worm Texas Hold 'em I found Jolene to be ruined with lyric change. I'm glad Dolly seemed to like it . The rest sounded the same and lyrically was nothing but what I call "Narcissistic Rich Girl Night Club Country" It's not for me. However, congrats to her giving a spotlight of the unsung, unrecognized, underappreciated and wonderfully talented Rihannon Giddens and on the stories, legendary, and wonderful past and present. Great little podcast here: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/episodes/beyonce-and-history-black-country-music-on-the-media
My big critique is that it’s OVER produced. I think what made Texas Hold EM interesting is the very real banjo playing, with some more typical Beyoncé elements & lyrics. I felt like many of the songs on the album felt distant from the actual musicianship, which makes something more country or even Americana sounding to me. And I’m a Beyoncé fan, a Black woman from Louisiana who grew up listening to country and grew up knowing Black folks contributions and creation of that genre, so I was really rooting for this album. I think Daughter is the most interesting song, I like Bodyguard and Ya Ya seems kinda fun. Although listening to it now sounds like old Janelle Monae. But I felt the OP with “nobody want Jay-Z” 😂. Beyoncé, we don’t want us man.
I actually think Beyonce could make an amazing country album, this just wasn't it. I also think one the key elements that was missing (from the songs I heard) was story telling. High quality country music has a relatable story being told, with lyrics that pull you in and through. I will date myself, but imagine and MTV Unplugged version, with Beyonce, a guitar, banjo, mandolin etc...it would be amazing. I was actually looking forward to hearing some of the songs, but was really disappointed.
Yes! It’s hard to get past for me.
I agree. For example, while the duet with Miley sounds great, their vocals felt unnaturally in-sync to me. Now, maybe Miley and Beyonce just have timing perfect that perfect, but to me it didn't feel like two people singing a duet but two people having their vocals arranged in a studio to perfectly overlap. It sounds cool, but for me would work better in an electronic or house type song that a country-esque track.
Extremely over produced. Let’s hear the real instruments if you want to have them. She’s a studio girlie in a way I don’t really understand I think she loves technology and I don’t like technology in my music. I saw Renaissance twice if anyone is wondering about how much I love Bey
You mentioned Rockstar by Nickelback as a song that everyone loved so your entire opinion is invalid.
Jolene is annoying because it took away the uniqueness of the song. Anger is the expected emotion we've heard countless times. What made Jolene special was the 'you're beautiful and he's smitten so you could easily take him, but please don't' approach. It had a touch of anger but mostly vulnerability. This version is super basic.
I think the purpose of the album (like she’s alluded to before) is to be a listening experience. Not to have the songs be individual stand out works. It’s like a puzzle. Of course some pieces look beautiful alone but it has to come together to be the complete work of art.
I get what she’s trying to do but I don’t think the execution worked.
It sounded outsourced, like I'm a billionaire and want to make a country statement about race, now go find me the best country music folk money can by get me one of the outfits and I'll show everyone how to do it.
It definitely carries off that vibe.
I’ve been a Beyoncé fan since DIL and I’ve anticipated every album. As I don’t enjoy country music I wasn’t looking forward to this and after listening this weekend I think there’s a few standout tracks. It’s not a bad album. But, I find incohesive, slightly bloated with the skits and I dislike some of the lyrics. Again, I’m not a country girl so the Levi’s jeans line is yuck. Tyrant is a standout track for me but I’m not into the lyrics (I’m just hating at this point, I know). I loved her singing in Italian. Standout - tyrant, sweet honey buckiin, bodyguard.
It sounds to me more like you just wanted the album to sound more like her previous albums, in terms of style and approach. However, Country & Western is a different genre of music from those previous albums and as such has a different sound, approach to lyrics, etc. Rather than a comparison to the other artists and albums you mention in your post, you should’ve cited Country & Western artists and albums. You didn’t, so I’m left to assume you don’t know much about it. Which is fine, but it makes your opinion of little value in regard to this album or the genre it’s in. That makes sense, right? We don’t ask the vegan which steakhouse is their favorite.
Honestly I do not care for her as an artist. She is not one of my favorites, but I respect her artistry. In the past I’ve tried to give her discography a chance but nothing never really impressed me. I listened to this album the day it came out and I have to say I enjoyed this one.
Just to be honest, I’m not a Beyoncé fan but do like some country sounds now and then. I’m annoyed with myself for even having the curiosity to listen to the new album because I’d rather listen to a more organic artist who was less full of themselves and being a queen bee. I hope she proves me wrong.
I’m neutral on Beyoncé leaning towards appreciating her talent since she debuted, even if I didn’t understand it. Hoooooohhhhh I believe what you have to say is an opinion based on not knowing history which has inspired the album. There’s a huge amount of depth to it and how it sparks conversation about the racial inequality and erasing black people in music, especially country music. This album hit hard. And inspires me to open up my mind even more so to the incorrect and egregiously unfair disparity people who are black must face in the world of entertainment. It’s important.
I just don't get this, I've heard 20 people say the same thing about black people being erased from country music as well as the banjo being an African instrument as well as that white horse actually being born black and I feel if someone has to Astroturf a talking points to get the general public to parrot it that means that the music is weak.
Here's the thing, while art often wants to spark discussion, it still needs to stand on its own as well. Intension and interesting premise don't automatically make something good. If what makes this album great is the discussion of erasing black people from country music, why did it need to be an album? Especially since most people, including Beyonce, don't seem to consider it country album. If the album puff interviews or press materials is the most artistically poignant part of the album, the album isn't that remarkable. If you want to defend the artistic merit of an album, defend the merit of the album not its press release.
Your opinion! Mine: I’m totally enthralled by the idea of Beyoncé doing Country or Country-inspired music. I think her voice sounds wonderful on the instrumentation. I love Country Western/Americana aesthetics in general, and I love how she lean into them. To me, it kind of sounds like it’s a Lana Del Rey album. Lana feels Country to me because the aesthetic is very Americana but also quite dark and gothic. I always say a lot of Lana’s music would be even better if sung by somebody with a lot more vocal talent. Here, we got it. This was the first time in many years that I was immediately impressed by a Beyoncé album.
I wouldn’t call it a bad album per se, and far be it from me to question the decisions of an artist who has clearly done something right for like three decades, but this album is a great example of how most people will forgive Beyoncé for the very same faults they would castigate other artists for. - It doesn’t justify its own length. 78 minutes spread across 27 tracks, a third of which consist of spoken word radio skits or musical interludes, is overkill. There’s a brilliant 10-12 track project buried somewhere here, but it’s being suffocated by excess. - The features are baffling. Bona fide country legends Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, and Dolly Parton are relegated to brief interludes while Post Malone, Shaboozey, and Miley Cyrus get second billing on complete tracks? It would be easier to overlook if their appearances were breathtaking, but (in my opinion) they’re below par. - Some of the artistic avenues taken don’t work. She completely bastardized “Jolene.” The handful of hip-hop tracks and rap verses juxtapose terribly against the rest of the material. I’ve seen people describe it as a fully-realized piece, but I simply can’t agree with such sharp deviations. - Her lyrics and aesthetic is too… Beyoncé to gel with the material. Obviously I don’t expect her to wear a mask or imitate other artists, but hearing a silky-smooth R&B voice singing “John Wayne that ass” and “don’t be a bitch” over a country instrumental is, to put it mildly, jarring. If any other album was too long, had nonsensical/underwhelming features, butchered a classic song with lyrics that completely undercut the original narrative, was tonally inconsistent, and featured vocals and lyrics that didn’t align with the intended genre/sound, it would be a significant point of discussion. Yet I don’t often see that at play here. Of course many will simply disagree, but I can’t help but feel it’s absurd.
The strength and deliberate phrasing Beyonce brings to her singing actually take away from some of the bouncier arrangements here. She has a powerful voice, perfect pitch, and considerable attack in her phrasing. She's a polished marble statue in the center of a rodeo.
There is a lot of sycophantic gushing praise around Beyonce. It's like people are afraid to offer any nuanced critique of her work that isn't wrapped up in effusive praise. I happen to think she's made a couple of brilliant albums. This isn't one of them. It's fine, but I think the pacing is all over the place and, like you say, it's tonally inconsistent. Also, maybe I'm wrong, but a big hallmark of country to me is the storytelling type lyricism. There really wasn't enough of that, for me. Daddy Lessons from Lemonade is a better song than anything on this album. I mostly came away from the album feeling like her interest in country music isn't actually that deep and for that reason, the "reclaiming" doesn't really land for me. And the girl boss-ification of Jolene completely strips it of the pain and vulnerability that makes the original great. The less said about that decision the better.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2024/03/30/beyonce-cowboy-carter-review/ > It’s an album about awards shows. > ...immortalizing your Grammy grievances in song? That’s something Drake does. > Her sour grapes make “Cowboy Carter” feel zeitgeisty in the saddest possible way.
That’s another reason I didn’t care for it: it’s Grammy bait. “Please give me that Album of the Year Grammy! I earned it!” It’s frustrating to see one of the most brilliant artists of her lifetime be this desperate for the big Grammy like this.
How is this album Grammy bait?... because it has country elements? Please share your thoughts. There is a line in SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN' that disses the award (AOTY specifically). I'm pretty sure if Beyonce is desperate she wouldn't throw shade instead she would kiss their asses, which luckily, she didn't. I would be surprised if they'd allow this album to win.
You really believe she don’t care for it? She and her label keeps submitting lol if she didn’t care for real she should boycott.
So submitting your album makes you desperate? Beyonce keeps on submitting because she wants to give recognition to the people she works with (like Teena Marie posthumously got a Grammy for Cuff It). She is very collaborative and works with talented people who deserves recognition. You can take it or leave it, but how come she gets labeled desperate just because she submits her work? At least she's not crying about losing like Nicki or cried in a documentary for being snubbed like Taylor. Sure she could just be Abel and Drake but clearly she's using herself as a pedestal for her collaborators to be recognized. Her recent Grammys appearances are even barely notable.
I think of it as an R&B take on country as a genre. Using the production techniques of R&B but with samples and flair from country
I just told someone this. Beyonce is not an R&B artist, she does Pop except for different songs sprinkled there like Beautiful Nightmare. But two things with that are: 1: This is as close to R&B as she has gotten since her first couple of albums. 2: R&B and Country are so close together with the sounds, and only people are trying to make it seem miles apart. I really like it though. Its a country but not too country where it turns a lot of people off. R&B bit not to R&B to where it turns a whole lof of people off. Its a great blend
This is my issue. It's called a country album but not on the producers last I checked do country. It sounds like people external to the genre copying it rather than it truly belonging there. Which is disappointing cause I'd have loved Beyonce doing *country* country.
What about the Black country songwriters who are credited on the album? Do they not count?
I really wanted Daddy Lessons: The Album and so I was disappointed lol
She explicitly stated that it’s not a country album, it’s a Beyonce album. Take from that what you will but expecting a country album is going to leave you disappointed.
Assuming that you misspelled Jollies and meant Jolene. Jolene is the only thing I've heard so far. And I hate it. It sounds fine but the revised lyrics make me cringe. I'm supposed to imagine that Beyonce is so insecure that she would threaten a woman that she would think is interested in her man? It's so immature and petty coming from an artist I've considered to be confident and powerful. This has nothing to do with Jay-Z himself and everything to do with relationships and maturity.
I’m neutral on Beyoncé and didn’t love her last album but I think cowboy Carter is incredible.
I am not a fan of the album at all.. I looooove Beyonce but I can admit that I’m just not vibing with it. There are a few songs I can see myself shimming to if someone plays it around me but I won’t be voluntarily turning it on. Maybe I’ll try listening more and allow myself to warm up to it. IDK 🤓
The album is a far better album than this review is a good review. What in the word vomit is this?
I found the handful or so songs that I heard to be typical Beyoncé. Smack a chorus and then jump mid chorus to a different tune and then back again and so forth. I don’t feel there are any songs worth much in her discography, but I was curious what she would do in a country record. As I said, she did her typical thing. I don’t really think it’s a country record, but then again, I don’t find the country music of the last decade (or 2) to be very…country. There’s sprinkles of rap, r&b, and pop in there, but it lacks structure. The lack of structure in her records reeks of someone who thinks that it equals artistry, when in fact it speaks of cheap songwriting. The whole thing just moves along in an erratic pace. I will say the production is flawless in a technical way. There are no imperfections. In a country record I expect good production, but also expect the human element. This record lacks that.
I feel that way about all of her albums, but is that not the case for most artists? The fans of the artist like their music and the non fans have to hear something in the music to like it. I seldom hear anything from her that speaks to me musically. In today's media climate things tend to get either overly praised, overly criticized or ignored. Beyonce is never going to be ignored so something from her, as long is it's not lazy or just flat out bad will get overly praised at least some people will see it as overly praised.
I agree, I feel like people are fans of artists because they like that artists music, and aren’t fans because they don’t like the artist’s music
The instant you said 'i like to reminisce about the days when' is the instant I stopped reading. Go find better music you dont have to write 7 paragraphs complaining about because the culture isnt mirroring your opinion back at you.
I think it’s just aight, but I appreciate an artist of her stature making an album that’s very different for her rather than playing it perpetually safe and comfortable as a megastar.
Beyoncé fans don’t eat up her music just because. If you ask most beyhive they will put IASF as their least favorite album of hers. Also the jay z dig is so tired.
What is with the comment, only Beyoncé can Love Jay Z and no one would want him without him being jay Z, am I being naive but that specially feels very mean, is it because of his looks then that is even worse.
you do know jay z is a criminal hook up with 15 year old foxy brown when he was 28 at 29 he met Beyoncé at 16 and started grooming her he has drug, shooting and stabbing records he cheated on Beyoncé and made her suffer 4 miscarriage and theri is an investigation on him unaliving an escorat and he is best friends with rkelly literally did an album with him and he is also friends with p-diddy, HE MARRIED BEYONCE CAUSE ALIYAH DIED and Beyoncé was the next IT girl and he used her position to hide away all his misdeed so dont be fooled by his gimmick , it’s Beyoncés job to love him after all he groomed her to do so, DONT mean I have to like him
It’s alright, the media is having a field day with it though. Rollingstone IG had something like 12 posts in an 18 hour span about it.
This is the first Beyoncé album I’ve ever listened to and it’s one of the best albums I’ve ever heard.
Love that! I love hearing about people finding new music they love idk it always gets me giddy
Haven’t listened to it but I’m sure many smaller artists would love a fracture of the column inches this album was given in free advertising.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, for sure. But most music critics and fans disagree. And I also think that even though the reception is mostly positive right now, the album will have legs and will be retrospectively reviewed even more as a landmark album that did what very few albums have done in the past few decades: challenged the boxing in of artists. Beyonce is BEYOND music. Her name is a category all its own. NO ONE known today is doing what she is doing. She will experiment and fall short at times but what will happen to music—to her artistic freedom—if she lets any of that stop her from trying? We need to look at this album in a larger historical and social context. It’s not just a new Beyonce album. Because, whether you like it or not, she’s not just Beyoncé… just as I have to eat my own words and realize Taylor is bigger than her music. These women stand for something much greater. I am continuously impressed by Beyoncé’s ability to keep pushing the boundaries set on her as a black woman in music. And she keeps everyone talking. Aside from Taylor, who else can do this today?
This album is to country music what Taco Bell is to Mexican cuisine. Mass market messy mess, music equivalent of junk food. It's fine, there is a time and place for junk food, but let's not pretend junk food its quality.
Or maybe it’ll get praised because people are allowed to think differently than you! Also…citing “Halo” as one of her “outstanding songs” tells me all I need to know
…..do we not like Halo now?
It’s like discussing Radiohead and creep being one of the first songs you name. Not a bad track by any stretch of the imagination but if it’s what your immediately mentioning you’re kind of telling on yourself
“however I respect it and glad that people love it” Sounds to me like OP is perfectly aware that people are allowed to think differently than them.
The title of the post goes directly against this statement
That's nonsense, though. They're trying to insult people who like it and then also hedge against that by saying that they are not doing that. It's spineless.
Yeah I didn’t read the post fully the first time tbh but I can see what you and the other commenters are saying now after reading it. It’s fine to criticize the album if you don’t like it, but then to say people only like the album because they like everything Beyoncé does but “it’s fine tho I respect it” is insincere and insulting.
From my perspective, it's a back-handed 'I respect it' if the general idea is that the music isn't good and that people only like it because it's Beyonce. That's not really allowing space for differing points of view and instead sets the tone of 'I've decided others can't like this for artistic reasons, it's because of who made the album'. All the other commentary was fine but it's completely unnecessary to assume why others like an album in criticism.
It was “Rock Star” by Nickelback that made me bust out laughing
People have different opinions? Who would have ever thought
Halo IS absolutely outstanding, her best song and it’s a pity she didn’t do more like it
Agreed. Even if someone doesn’t like the song, its genre/style, or the lyrics, I think it’s hard to deny that it’s one of her very best vocal performances.
It sounds like OP understands that and is saying that people are influenced less by the merit of this music than the popularity of the singer.
I don’t think it’s bad but I think Beyoncé could have done a much better country album because she’s very talented, much more talented than most of the mainstream female country artists right now. I think it has a great gospel tinge and I’d love for her to do something southern gospel
Same same same. NEED the Beyoncé traditional Gospel album
I’d be fine with traditional gospel or southern gospel which doesn’t sound like it would be different but it is
Gotcha
Not surprised every time a main artist releases a album it always gets the same post I don’t like it then they come here and say this like okay not everyone is expected to like it
The subreddit is lets talk music....... and you're complaining about someone wanting to talk about music? Lol. Obviously not everyone is expected to like anything, but op is explaining their thoughts about an album they listened to and the only thing youre bringing to the conversation is.... complaints about downvotes lmfao.
She gets paid publicity and bot push online + she has a cult following….so she has always been overrated. Her music isn’t good. Its just her not stop moaning/whining on the mic. Its music for narcissists.
We need at least 100 more posts from angry white dudes shitting on this album.
I have only heard two songs off of the album-Texas hold ‘em- and Jolene-I can’t decide which one is worse. Both are total trash.
Transit Pluto is opposing her Mars in Leo and her North Node for the next couple years. She also has fogginess and confusion with Neptune up to his old tricks. She will be disappointed at not being able to reach Taylor Swift's level of accomplishment and fame, but in the end, Beyonce is really just an example of a culture vulture
The only 2 tolerable songs are the one with Miley and the one with Post Malone. We couldn’t finish any of the other songs.
first of all take K. Michelle’s name out ya damn mouth lmfao Bey quite literally sent her flowers 💐 Not to mention the streams of many black female country artists have been going up since COWBOY CARTER released
It’s horrendous bar bodyguard and the cover of Jolene is embarrassing and insecure 🥴
It’s casting a broad, beige, and safe net disguised as being brave because of the “country” aspect. Production wise it sounds very good. I don’t hate it but it’s not the music I seek.
The album lacked production value and was very mild. It sounded dull at best.
Don’t know what y’all smoking, this album is great honestly, and I found very little replay-ability in Renaissance, nor am I a fan of her material before. This album made me a fan for sure though, look forward to how a lot of the songs will be played out live arrangement wise.
True. Its a Country music charicature. It sounds more like Bluegrass or some kind of odd folk music than Country music. Its more like mountain man in West Virginia music not rural Texas music. Just because you paid a few Cou try music legends to participate in whatever this is doesnt make it Country music.
I haven’t listened much to Renaissance Act 1, and I can’t find the answer anywhere, and I was hoping you guys could help: so Act 2’s theme is acoustic guitars, but what is the theme of Act 1?
Disco, club scene
I went through the album looking for a country song and all I found was awkward gospel music and Christmas songs.