Beyoncé says “Cowboy Carter” was born out of experience where she did not 'feel welcomed' in country genre

Jessica Wang
·3 min read
16

The alien superstar also teases some surprises in the new album, including collaborations with "some brilliant artists who I deeply respect."

Cowboy Carter is not a country album — it's a Beyoncé album, according to Mrs. Knowles-Carter herself.

With just 10 days to go before the release of Act II of Renaissance, Beyoncé shared the official album art on Instagram and revealed that Cowboy Carter was born out of an experience she had years ago when she did not "feel welcomed" in the country genre. "And it was very clear that I wasn’t," she wrote in the caption, revealing that the album has been five years in the making.

"But because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archive," she continued. "It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history."

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"The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. Act II is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work," Beyoncé said, teasing "a few surprises on the album," including collaborations with "some brilliant artists who I deeply respect."

"I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound," she said, later adding, "This ain’t a country album. This is a Beyoncé album . . . and I am proud to share it with y’all!"

Beyoncé also said she was "honored" to be the first Black woman to top Billboard's country chart with "Texas Hold 'Em," one of the two singles from the upcoming album. "That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you," she said. "My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant."

<p>Kevin Mazur/Getty </p> Beyonce

Kevin Mazur/Getty

Beyonce

Her second single, "16 Carriages," also debuted in the Top 10 following the tracks' surprise release during the Super Bowl last month.

Beyoncé's foray into the genre has drawn some criticism from country fans who've clearly never yeehawed to the banger "Daddy Lessons," but country icon Dolly Parton recently defended the artist — and even teased a possible "Jolene" cover on Cowboy Carter. "A lot of people don't realize Beyoncé is a country girl," Parton told Knox News. "She's from Texas. I think we belong wherever we can do good, and her song is number one across every chart in the whole world, I think. So, I mean, who can argue with that?” Of that "Jolene" cover, Parton said she "heard" and "thinks" and "hopes" that Beyoncé has covered her 1973 hit.

Cowboy Carter rides onto the frontier on March 29.

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