Beyoncé says there will be a 'few surprises' on upcoming album ‘Cowboy Carter’

It's official. The next installment of Beyoncé's "Renaissance" is coming, and she's taking a turn into country music.

On March 19, the "Break My Soul" singer started the "10-day countdown" until the release of her new album, "Cowboy Carter."

To commemorate the moment, she shared a photo of herself riding a white horse while holding the American flag and wearing cowboy attire. In the snap, Beyoncé also wears a sash that says "Cowboy Carter."

In the caption, she thanked her fans who helped her become the "first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart."

"That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you," she said of her achievement on Instagram. "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."

Beyonce added that her album has been "over five years in the making," and it all started when she had an unwelcoming experience years ago. Due to that experience, she "did a deeper dive into the history of Country music" and chose to come out with an album.

"I have a few surprises on the album, and have collaborated with some brilliant artists who I deeply respect," she said. "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."

"This ain’t a Country album," she added. "This is a “Beyoncé” album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!"

Read on for more details about Beyoncé's album "Cowboy Carter."

Beyoncé first announced the album at the Super Bowl

During the 2024 Super Bowl, Beyoncé indicated that new music was on the way via her Super Bowl ad for Verizon.

In the ad, as part of an effort to crash Verizon’s service, Beyoncé enacts a variety of publicity stunts, eventually challenging herself to become the first artist to perform in space. Nothing can stop the stable service, though.

In one final effort, Beyoncé says, “OK, they ready. Drop the new music.” And then — she did, by releasing new music and long-awaited album news.

What's the meaning of the album's name?

On March 12, the “Cuff It” singer announced that her new album will be called “Cowboy Carter.”

She shared a photo on her Instagram story of a brown and silver saddle, which had a sash on it that read “Cowboy Carter.”

Above the pic, she included a link to her website, where fans can buy merch and preorder the album.

Until that moment, the album was referred to as "Renaissance Act II," since it seemed to be the second installment in Beyoncé's planned three-part project.

However, the name "Cowboy Carter" references Beyoncé's married name. Beyoncé’s full name is Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. She married Jay-Z, or Shawn Carter, in 2008.

She’s previously invoked her married name in her music career, on the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in 2013. The start of “Partition” starts with Beyoncé telling a crowd, “Let me hear you say, 'Hey, Miss Carter.'”

When does the new album come out?

A short video posted to Beyoncé's Instagram following the Super Bowl gives some details — and a mood board.

In the video, the singer drives a taxi cab through Texas, where she is originally from. Then, a group of people look up at a billboard.

As the camera pans back, the giant ad shows Beyoncé waving in a cowboy hat as a country twang plays in the background, featuring her own vocals.

As she's pictured driving away, a black screen with writing reveals that "Act II" of her "Renaissance" album drops March 29.

You can already listen to 2 singles

Following the album announcement, two singles were released to stream on new platforms: "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages."

Beyoncé teased her turn toward country music at the Grammys

Members of the BeyHive likely weren’t too shocked at Beyoncé's announcement of a country album.

The singer's decision to wear a cowboy hat to the Grammy Awards the weekend before the Super Bowl sparked rumors of country music.

Another agreed with the theory and cheered, “Beyoncé wearing a cowboy hat to the Grammys…. ACT TWO ANNOUNCEMENT.”

Though she's never dropped a fully country album, Beyoncé has dipped her toes into the genre with the release of “Daddy Lessons,” from her 2016 album, “Lemonade,” which featured The Chicks.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com