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The cover art for Beyoncé‘s upcoming album Cowboy Carter has stirred up some interesting discussions, most recently and notably from Harlem rapper Azealia Banks. The opinionated MC took to Instagram Stories on Tuesday to give us all a little lesson in cultural criticism.
First, Banks takes aim at the album’s title, writing, “Wow we didn’t even try to put even a little effort into a more artistic title?” Now, to be fair, we don’t know what Beyonce‘s thinking is as it pertains to the title. Some fans believe it’s a play on words. Obviously, Carter is her last name through marriage to rapper/businessman Sean Carter, aka Jay-Z, but it’s also the last name of the family widely seen as the first family of country music. It could be anything or nothing at all. The only person who knows is Cowboy Carter herself.
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Banks then takes issue with the cover’s overall aesthetic, asking, “how u switch from baobab trees and black parade to this literal pick me stuff,” referring to the Grammy Award-winning single from The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack Beyoncé executive produced back in 2019. It seems all the Americana imagery is too on the nose for Banks and misses the mark, as she accuses Beyonce of being in “white woman cosplay” and “reinforcing the false rhetoric that country music is a post civil war white art form. And subsequently reinforcing the idea that there is no racism, segregation, slavery, violence, theft, massacres, plagues, manifest destiny craziness that form the bedrock of epithets like ‘proud to be an American,’ or ‘god bless the usa.’”
As if that weren’t enough, Banks also brought up the 2016 CMA Awards performance Beyoncé did with The Chicks (then called The Dixie Chicks), writing, “u do lame stuff like bring out some black listed white women (Dixie Chicks) at the country music awards and they would never ever do the same for you.”
It’s all…a lot. You can check out all of what she wrote below. But it’s interesting to see Banks read so much into the album title and cover when Beyoncé herself took to Instagram on Tuesday to explain to fans why she decided to make Cowboy Carter.
Beyoncé didn’t mention the 2016 CMA Awards specifically, but she did write that the album “was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed.” And while Banks believes Beyoncé is unaware of the genre’s history, Bey explained that after the experience of not feeling welcomed she did “a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive.” Similar to 2022’s Renaissance, on which she worked to reclaim Dance music, many feel she will be doing the same with country on this project. But hey, like she said in her IG post, “This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”
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Beyoncé has captured the attention of the masses once more with the earlier announcement of her upcoming eighth studio album, Act II: Cowboy Carter. Taking to Instagram, the Houston superstar shared the backstory of the creation of the project and what inspired the new creative direction.
On Tuesday (March 19), Beyoncé froze the world in its tracks and issued a massive statement concerning Act II: Cowboy Carter, the followup to 2022’s Act I: Renaissance. The entertainer says that the album was five years in the making and was inspired by a negative moment she experienced.
From Instagram:
Today marks the 10-day countdown until the release of act ii. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES. I feel honored to be 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. 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.
This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. 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.
Queen Bey goes on to add, “I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE…I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop.”
As it stands, the ending sentence is perhaps what got the Beyhive most excited.
“This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all,” she wrote.
Act II: Cowboy Carter drops on March 29.
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Beyoncé debuted the title and artwork for her upcoming country music album, bringing joy to her legion of fans on social media.On Tuesday (March 12), Beyoncé revealed the name of her highly anticipated album project, Cowboy Carter on her website. The site’s homepage features a photo of a horse saddle with burnished silver, with a red, white, and blue sash draped over it with Cowboy Carter emblazoned on the sash. The country music album is the “Act II” of her Renaissance album from 2022.
The superstar is already seeing the demand for the album grow by the day, fueled by the release of two singles from the album – “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em”. “Texas Hold Em” is currently leading on the Hot 100 charts and made Beyoncé the first Black woman to have a single debut at number one on the country music charts. Even adding more fuel to the frenzy was a recent statement by country music legend Dolly Parton about her iconic hit “Jolene”. “Well, I think she has! I think she’s recorded ‘Jolene’ and I think it’s probably gonna be on her country album, which I’m very excited about that,” Parton said to Knox News, adding: “I love her! She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.” She also defended her against critics, saying: 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?”
The website’s merchandise section also featured a series of limited edition CDs with alternative cover photos that showed half of Beyoncé’s face, and four vinyl variant releases in black, red, white, and blue. A box set edition boasts a bonus track and t-shirts with the album title design on its chest. The news got her legion of fans known as the BeyHive in a frenzy, especially on social media platforms such as X, formerly known as Twitter. Cowboy Carter will be officially released on March 29.
We’ve gathered together some of the more striking responses to the album title below.
1. Strong Black Lead
2. TV_Jessica
3. Brock Lee Florets
4. Bounce To The Next
6. Brandon B
7. Beythoven
8. Chef Brigette
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Remember last month, when Beyoncé released a pair country music songs, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” and white country music fans across America had a collective Caucasian conniption over it? After she dropped the two songs, people immediately started debating whether or not the Rennasainse singer was really cut from the country cloth, country music stations initially refused to play her new songs, and none of that prevented her from becoming the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
Well, one person who has had Bey’s back through all of it is country legend Dolly Parton, and that hasn’t changed now that folks are wondering if Beyoncé will cover Parton’s iconic hit “Jolene” on her upcoming album Act II, which drops on March 29.
In fact, last week, Parton all but confirmed that a Beyoncé cover of her 1973 smash hit does, in fact, exist, although she didn’t reveal whether or not it would appear on the new album.
“Well, I think she has! I think she’s recorded ‘Jolene’ and I think it’s probably gonna be on her country album, which I’m very excited about that,” Parton told the Knoxville News Sentinel.
“I love her!” Parton said of the “Church Girl” artist. “She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.”
From Knox News:
But Parton said she has always wanted Beyoncé to cover that song, and that the two artists have been in contact over the years. “We’ve kind of sent messages back and forth through the years. And she and her mother were like fans, and I was always touched that they were fans, and I always thought she was great.”
Parton praised Beyoncé when “Texas Hold ‘Em” became a No. 1 country song. “I’m a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she’s done a country album,” Parton wrote in a statement on Instagram. “So, congratulations on your Billboard Hot Country number one single.”
Of course, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Parton is excited about the possibility of Beyoncé covering “Jolene” since the 78-year-old also reacted positively when Lil Nas X covered the same song.
It’s just wonderful to see that when haters seem to be the loudest in the room, Parton refuses to let her voice be added to that particular echo chamber, and, instead, she serves as a beacon of support and positivity for those artists.
Anyway, fans are still just going to have to wait and see if Beyoncé’s “Jolene” cover makes it onto her new album. Either way, the Hive is ready. See y’all on March 23.
While a country smash from Beyoncé came as a surprise, for Grammy Award-winning producer Hit-Boy, the success of “Texas Hold ’Em” is a testament to the singularity of Beyoncé’s ear and vision. “She would be the only person that would think to bring Hit-Boy in on some country music,” he says. Although Beyoncé released the […]
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If we’ve learned anything about Jay-Z over the years it’s that he isn’t one to play about his family whether it be immediate or business related. So when Stephen A. Smith threw a tad bit of shade at Rihanna’s Super Bowl Performance, Hova had a little something to say.
Recently, during a sit-down interview on the Connect The Dots podcast, the sports journalist icon revealed that when he implied that Rihanna’s 2023 Super Bowl Halftime performance couldn’t measure up to that of Beyoncé’s in 2016, not only did some celebrities take issue with his comments, but Jay himself chimed in when the two spoke on the phone.
Saying “people who will remain nameless” and “Hollywood stars,” Smith said people were so mad at him that they never spoke to him again. And it had him wondering what was so taboo about his opinion. Ultimately, things came to a head when Stephen A. spoke to the GOAT himself, Jay-Z.
Recalling a conversation the two had some time later, Smith said, “Months later, Hov and I were on the phone. Hov was like – simple and plain, ‘My dawg, you family, that’s family. That’s too close to say that.’ I said, ‘I didn’t know.’ He said, ‘I know.’ Done! In other words, it’s a business, it’s a part of it, you don’t know how she’ll receive it, etc. etc. etc. That’s all he had to say. I appreciated that.”
We don’t know much, but what we do know is that you do not want Jay-Z in your ear telling you how you F’d up. Either personally or in a business sense. Good thing he didn’t say the opposite and imply that Rihanna was superior to Beyoncé. Things could’ve gotten hella ugly. Just sayin’.
Check out Stephen A. Smith tell his side of the story below, and let us know your thoughts on the situation in the comments section.
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Beyoncé may not be what some country music fans are used to witnessing within the genre, but it is clear that she is coming to show and prove that she belongs in the arena. The Houston superstar saw her new single “Texas Hold ‘Em” reach No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart and it appears she’s made history along the way.
Beyoncé became the first Black woman to ever go No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” a single from her upcoming album, tentatively titled Act II which will be a followup to 2022’s Act I: Renaissance. Along with the Hot Country Songs honors, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and another Act II single, “16 Carriages,” debuted at No. 2 and No. 38 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100.
Viewers of Super Bowl LVIII were treated to the announcement of the singles and musical direction of Queen Bey by way of a Verizon commercial, so many knew what to expect. However, the shift in sound is evidently a welcome one and part of a growing trend in country music of Black creators getting their shine within a space that normally was not one many felt included in.
Adding to this, Beyoncé going No. 1 with “Texas Hold ‘Em” places her in rare air as she once sat at the top of seven of Billboard’s song charts in the soloist capacity which include Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Hot Gospel Songs, Hot Latin Songs, Hot R&B Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Further, Beyoncé made history yet again by becoming the first woman to top the Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, joining the likes of Justin Bieber, Ray Charles, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Morgan Wallen.
Act II is slated for a March 29 release.
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A country radio station in Oklahoma is finding out exactly why you don’t play with the Bey Hive after going viral for refusing to play Beyonce’s new country release, “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
The backlash occurred after a fan took to social media to share the response from SCORE following his online request to radio station KYKC, which read: “We do not play Beyoncé on KYKC as we are a country music station.” The small country music station in Ada, Oklahoma received an onslaught of complaints for the refusal to play Beyoncé’s debut tracks from Act II and was forced to change its tune fans called out the station for playing a role in keeping Black artists excluded from the genre.
KYKC-FM confirmed that they added the song to its country playlist, noting that it was also included in the playlists of two other stations it oversees, KCFC-FM and KADA-FM.
Roger Harris, a general manager for South Central Oklahoma Radio Enterprises, stated that the reply was a “standard reply” since KYKC doesn’t [usually] play her music — noting that two of its other stations do. In addition, Harris said KYKC wasn’t aware of the two new country songs and didn’t “even have the song” at the time of backlash, but after emails, calls, and more requests flooded the station about the song, Harris said they made an effort to track it down, listened to it, and agreed that it sounded “country.”
“While Beyonce’ has long been prominent on our playlists for SCORE radio stations KADA and KXFC, she has not been traditionally considered a country music artist,” Harris wrote. “While we were briefly unaware of the rapid success of her recently released country music offerings, her new country music offerings were added to our KYKC playlist this morning.”
Beyoncé isn’t the first artist with an R&B, Hip-Hop, and Pop background to step into country music. Back in 2019, Lil Nas X’s viral hit “Old Town Road” was disqualified from the Billboard country charts for “not embracing enough elements of today’s country music”, despite going on to make history as the highest-certified song in history.
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Sunday night’s (Feb. 11) Super Bowl was one for the ages and while much of the world was fixated on seeing Taylor Swift cheer her man on during the big game, Beyoncé took the opportunity to not only star in a new commercial for Verizon, but also dropped two new tracks much to the surprise of even the Beyhive.
For a few days prior to the Super Bowl, Verizon had been dropping hints that they might’ve had something in the works with the “Irreplaceable” singer and last night confirmed that Beyoncé was indeed down with Verizon as they dropped a comedic commercial showcasing Bey’s many talents. From singing to playing the saxophone to launching off into space, Beyoncé is confident that there is nothing she can’t do… as long as she has her Verizon connect backing her?
Following the commercial spot, Bey dropped two new tracks in “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and “16 Carriages” which will be featured on her next project, Act II which is set to release on March 29. Did we mention that it’s a Country album?
Check out the two new cuts below and let us know if you’re feeling what Beyoncé dropped in the comments section below.
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Jay-Z doesn’t make many public appearances where he speaks these days, but that shifted majorly over the weekend. During his acceptance speech at the annual Grammy Awards ceremony for the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, Jay-Z took a slight shot at the Recording Academy and mentioned that his wife, Beyoncé, has a leading 32 Grammy Awards but has never won the coveted Album of The Year trophy.
Flanked by his daughter Blue Ivy, Jay-Z took to the stage but humbly thanked Dr. Dre, the man for whom the award is named. In a loose moment for both men, Hov is heard lavishing praise upon the veteran producer, who bashfully tried to keep the moment focused on the man on the stage.
From there, the rapper born Shawn Carter launched into a freewheeling speech where he mentioned Beyoncé, who looked on with a beaming smile, stating that he doesn’t understand how the Academy hasn’t voted for her to win the AOTY Grammy.
Jay then spoke about the nature of the award show itself, mentioning the historic win for DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince and their 1989 boycott of the ceremony. The Brooklyn bomber then made mention of how the pair went on to watch the Grammys anyway. He then turned the moment on himself after he boycotted the Grammys in 1998 for snubbing the last DMX, who had a monster year with two top-charting and acclaimed albums.
It didn’t end there as Jay continued to shoot from the hip, saying that some nominees will feel like they were robbed and that some might actually get robbed before wrapping it up and saying that some people probably didn’t deserve to be nominated.
Check out the speech from Jay-Z below. Keep scrolling for reactions from X, formerly Twitter.
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