“Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they?”, Linda Martell’s voice establishes the overarching theme for Beyonce’s 8th studio album, Cowboy Carter. Throughout each of the 27 tracks, the renowned singer exposes and challenges the limitations of genres on an artist’s craft. Yet, in spite of recent rejections from country radio stations and listeners, the album proves Beyonce knows no limits to her musical creativity.
She crafts the album to include several historical elements that highlight Black contributions in country—a historically white-dominated genre. The cover depicts the singer, front-faced, with an American flag in hand and colors worn– symbolizing the original Black cowboys of the American West. She uses the art as a representation of the progressive and regressive beliefs seen in the country genre, as well as America today.
Still, the art, along with the music itself, include several references to iconic country stars, including Dolly Parton, Linda Martell, and Willie Nelson. For many, it was their collaborations with the singer that drew them to the album. This was the case for junior Leah Miragliotta, who says, “Cowboy Carter was like a breath of fresh air. It sounds nothing like most of the country you would expect to hear today. But hearing her take on the genre, with Dolly and Willie supporting her, made it all so much more meaningful.”
The album is presented as Act II of a trilogy, sitting beside her house-inspired album, Renaissance. Fans have speculated that Cowboy Carter is divided into 3 parts: traditional, modern, and Beyonce’s spin on country. She manages to challenge the racist roots and historical inaccuracies of country music by recreating some of the genre’s most well-known songs—including “Jolene,” “Blackbird,” and “Oh Louisiana.”
Beyonce also utilizes talents from Post Malone and Miley Cyrus in a new light to create fan-favorites, “Levii’s Jeans” and “II Most Wanted.” For Lady-Zuriel Ayebah, it was seeing these names besides big country names that caught her eye. She recalls how “originally, I didn’t like country music but after listening to the album, I might give country a chance. All the songs differed from each other so beautifully.”
But Lady isn’t the only person falling in love with the genre. What fans are calling The Beyonce Effect, is the massive increase in streams for artists and producers featured in her work. For Black country artists, including Shaboozey and Brittney Spencer, being a part of the album has drawn more listeners to their individual releases. Her impact on streaming patterns has given these underground artists a new platform to create in a genre with no boundaries.
In a recent interview, Beyonce reveals her inspiration behind Cowboy Carter was her largely-criticized performance at the 2016 Country Music Awards. The first song in the album, American Requiem, addresses the audience excluding her from the genre, saying, “used to say I spoke too country, and the rejection came, said I wasn’t country [enough]”. But following the project’s release, Cowboy Carter has broken records, immediately becoming the most streamed album in a single day in 2024 so far. Even further, Rumi Carter, Beyonce’s daughter featured on “My Rose,” has made history as the youngest female artist to debut on the Billboard Hot 100.
Cowboy Carter has made a name for itself in history, galvanizing people into reshaping the social framework in country music today. The Texan has left the world in a deafening silence, with no one, not even the Beyhive, knowing what her music will evolve next.
