Country

29 Mar 2024

The BeyHive Is Loving Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’

Fans are parking their Lexuses and throwing their keys up ever sing Beyoncé’s highly anticipated country-tinged album, Cowboy Carter, arrived on Friday (March 29).

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The Grammy winner first introduced her Cowboy Carter era with a pair of country singles — “16 Carriages” and Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Texas Hold ‘Em” — released during the 2024 Super Bowl. The 27-track album features a whopping list of star-studded collaborators, including Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, Tanner Adell, Willie Jones, Raphael Saadiq, The-Dream, Shaboozey and more.

Although Beyoncé crafted Cowboy Carter as “a continuation of” Renaissance, she did note that the album was inspired by a difficult event several years ago — which is seemingly referring to her controversial performance of “Daddy Lessons” alongside The Chicks at the 2016 CMA Awards.

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“This album has been over five years in the making,” Bey wrote on Instagram earlier this month. “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.”

The BeyHive is loving this era of Sheriff Bey, as they flooded X (previously known as Twitter) with excitement over the album, naming their favorite tracks and preparing to go on a Southern-themed shopping spree to pick up cowboy hats and boots just in case a potential tour is on the horizon. See some of the best fan reactions below.

29 Mar 2024

Linda Martell Is ‘Proud’ of Beyoncé for ‘Exploring Her Country Music Roots’ on ‘Cowboy Carter’

Linda Martell is passing the torch. Shortly after the release of Beyoncé‘s new album Cowboy Carter Friday (March 29) — on which the living legend is featured twice — she shared a touching message praising the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer’s decision to embrace country music through the project.

Regarded as the first Black woman to become commercially successful as a country soloist, Martell lent her voice to two tracks on Cowboy Carter: “Spaghetti” and “The Linda Martell Show.” Sharing a screenshot of the latter track, the musician wrote on Instagram Friday morning, “I am proud that @beyonce is exploring her country music roots.”

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“What she is doing is beautiful, and I’m honored to be a part of it,” she continued. “It’s Beyoncé, after all!”

On “Spaghetti,” Martell introduces the song — which also features Virginia country star Shaboozey — with a voice note touching on Bey’s experimentation with musical styles on Cowboy Carter. “Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they?” she says. “In theory, they have a simple definition that’s easy to understand, but in practice, well, some may feel confined.”

Released as the second act to 2022’s Renaissance, the Ivy Park founder’s new album also features cameos from Dolly Parton — whose classic hit “Jolene” Bey reimagines on the album — Willie Nelson, Post Malone, Miley Cyrus and Willie Jones. On a haunting rendition of The Beatles “Blackbird,” the 32-time Grammy winner invited a handful of modern Black female country stars — Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts — to sing harmonies.

Cyrus posted her own thank-you note to Beyoncé Friday morning in celebration of their Cowboy Carter duet, titled “II Most Wanted.”

“I’ve loved Beyonce since long before I had the opportunity to meet & work with her,” the “Flowers” singer wrote. “My admiration runs so much deeper now that I’ve created along side of her. Thank you Beyonce. You’re everything & more.”

See Martell’s post about Cowboy Carter below.

29 Mar 2024

Beyoncé’s ‘Ameriican Requiem’ Slams Haters Who Say She’s Not ‘Country Enough’

Beyoncé is officially in her country era — and she doesn’t care what you think about it.

The superstar opened her freshly released Cowboy Carter album on Friday (March 29) with “Ameriican Requiem,” a half-spoken word declaration of her intentions with the country-tinged project. “Looka there, looka in my hand / The grandbaby of a moonshine man / Gadsden, Alabama / Got folk down in Galveston, rooted in Louisiana / Used to say I spoke, ‘Too country’ / And the rejection came, said ‘I wasn’t country ‘nough,” she sings on the tracks second verse. “Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but / If that ain’t country, tell me what is? / Plant my bare feet on solid ground for years / They don’t, don’t know how hard I had to fight for this / When I sang my song.”

The lyrics are seemingly in response to criticism the Texas native has faced when trying to dabble in country music throughout her career, especially after the release of “Daddy Lessons” from her 2016 album Lemonade. Half a year later, she performed it at the 2016 Country Music Association Awards alongside The Chicks. A pre-show announcement teasing her performance sparked calls for a CMAs boycott on social media, with some people blasting the awards show for including Bey, whose tribute to the Black Panther Party during her performance of “Formation” at the 2016 Super Bowl had also earned pushback.

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“This album has been over five years in the making,” Bey wrote on Instagram earlier this month. “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.”

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She continued, “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.”

29 Mar 2024

Chayce Beckham Tops Country Airplay Chart With Self-Written ’23’

Chayce Beckham’s “23” flies from No. 6 to No. 1 on Billboard’sCountry Airplay chart (dated April 6), becoming his first leader on the list. The single gained by 22% to 28.2 million audience impressions during the March 22-28 tracking week, according to Luminate.

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“I’m so grateful for my family, my team and all the country music fans around the world who made this possible,” Beckham tells Billboard. “Thank you to country radio for embracing this song and making this all a dream come true for me.”

“23” makes the biggest jump to the Country Airplay summit since Thomas Rhett’s “Angels Don’t Always Have Wings” also soared 6-1 last September.   

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Plus, as “23” hits No. 1 in its 60th week, it completes the longest trip to the pinnacle since Dylan Scott’s “Can’t Have Mine” did so in its 62nd frame last December.

“23” (not the same composition as Sam Hunt’s song of the same name that topped Country Airplay for a week in April 2022) is Beckham’s second entry on the chart. His Lindsay Ell duet “Can’t Do Without Me” hit No. 46 in June 2022.

The 27-year-old Beckham, from Apple Valley, Calif., was crowned the winner of ABC’s American Idol in 2021 and performed “23” – which he solely penned – live on air during that season. He had written “23” a year before and became the first hopeful to win the competition performing an original song.

Beckham is the fourth Idol winner to top Country Airplay, joining Carrie Underwood (16 No. 1s, after she won in 2005), Scotty McCreery (five; 2011) and Kelly Clarkson (one; the inaugural winner in 2002).

Meanwhile, “23” is the first Country Airplay No. 1 written by a single person since Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s self-authored “Fast Car” ruled for five weeks beginning last July. The only other leaders written by one person in the last 10 years: Garth Brooks’ “Ask Me How I Know,” written by Mitch Rossell (No. 1 on Dec. 16, 2017); LANCO’s “Greatest Love Story” (frontman Brandon Lancaster; Dec. 2, 2017); Little Big Town’s “Better Man” (Taylor Swift; March 4, 2017); and Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind” (Lori McKenna; June 25, 2016). Of the 327 leaders in that span, only six – or 2% – have been solo-written.

Meanwhile, prior to “23,” the last Country Airplay No. 1 solely written by the soloist who also recorded it? Swift’s “Ours,” on the chart dated March 31, 2012.

‘Solo’ Hit

Scotty McCreery, meanwhile, posts his ninth Country Airplay top 10 as “Cab in a Solo” pushes 11-10 (19.1 million, up 5%). The song, which he co-penned, follows “It Matters to Her,” which hit No. 3 last June and “Damn Strait,” which became his fifth leader in July 2022.

McCreery’s latest single introduces his LP Rise & Fall, due May 10.

29 Mar 2024

Which Song on Beyoncé’s New Album ‘Cowboy Carter’ Is Your Favorite? Vote!

Beyoncé is continuing to change the game with Cowboy Carter, an expansive, genre-mixing exploration of the singer’s upbringing, heritage and musical influences that arrived promptly at midnight Friday (March 29).

With a whopping 27 tracks, the project gives listeners a lot to sink their teeth into. Featuring voice note interludes from an array of country legends such as Willie Nelson and Linda Martell, epic takes of iconic tracks by Dolly Parton and The Beatles, as well as collaborations with Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Shaboozey, Willie Jones, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts, choosing just one favorite track on Cowboy Carter is definitely a tall order. (Billboard knows this first hand — see our ranking here.)

The staggering LP was preceded by two singles, both released on the day of the 2024 Super Bowl in February — “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, and “16 Carriages,” which debuted at No. 38 on the chart. The songs set the tone immediately for Bey’s foray into country music with Cowboy Carter, although the 32-time Grammy winner cautioned fans ahead of its release not to put the album in a box.

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“This ain’t a Country album,” she wrote in a March 19 Instagram post, sharing the Cowboy Carter cover artwork for the first time. “This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”

Spanning nods to a vast collection of sounds, styles, time periods and influences, the songs on Cowboy Carter are some of Beyoncé’s most diverse and boundary-pushing yet. Vote for your favorite one below.

29 Mar 2024

Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’: 10 Best Covers

Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” with its pleading-to-the-other-woman cries of “please don’t take my man,” has endured over the past half-century. Hundreds of artists have offered up their own renditions of the song— the most recent being musical powerhouse Beyoncé, who included a more steely-eyed, daring reimagination of the song, with revamped lyrics, on her new album Act II: Cowboy Carter.

Parton previously recounted how she came up with the song’s titular name, telling NPR, “One night, I was on stage, and there was this beautiful little girl — she was probably 8 years old at the time,” Parton said. “And she had this beautiful red hair, this beautiful skin, these beautiful green eyes, and she was looking up at me, holding, you know, for an autograph. I said, ‘Well, you’re the prettiest little thing I ever saw. So what is your name?’ And she said, ‘Jolene.’ And I said, ‘Jolene. Jolene. Jolene. Jolene.’ I said, ‘That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I’m going to write a song about that.’”

While the title came from a fan, the song’s lyrics came from Parton’s own heartbreak, spurred by a redheaded bank teller who had shown interest in Parton’s husband.

“She got this terrible crush on my husband,” Parton said. “And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kinda like a running joke between us — when I was saying, ‘Hell, you’re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don’t believe we’ve got that kind of money.’ So it’s really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one.”

“Jolene,” which the prolific singer-songwriter Parton wrote solo, debuted on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in 1973 and peaked atop the chart in February 1974. The song became one of Parton’s most iconic songs and “Jolene” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014. Last month, the album Jolene, which contains Parton’s iconic song, reached its 50th anniversary.

From faithful country-tinged renderings, full-on rock anthems and complete re-envisionings of the song, we look at 10 of the top covers of Parton’s “Jolene.”

29 Mar 2024

Miley Cyrus Thanks Beyoncé Following ‘Cowboy Carter’ Collaboration: ‘You’re Everything & More’

Beyoncé‘s new album Cowboy Carter arrived Friday (March 29), bringing with it a number of surprises — including an unanticipated but gorgeous Miley Cyrus collaboration on the track “II Most Wanted.”

Shortly after the 27-track LP dropped, the “Flowers” singer shared her gratitude for her place on the project, which also features country legends Dolly Parton — who just so happens to be Cyrus’ godmother — Willie Nelson and Linda Martell. “I’ve loved Beyonce since long before I had the opportunity to meet & work with her,” Cyrus wrote on Instagram, posting a photo of the Cowboy Carter album cover.

“My admiration runs so much deeper now that I’ve created along side of her,” she continued. “Thank you Beyonce. You’re everything & more. Love you. To everyone who spent time making this song so special thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

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Cyrus and the 32-time Grammy winner’s voices intertwine on the mid-tracklist duet, on which they sing, “I’ll be your shotgun rider ’til the day I die/ Smoke out the window, flyin’ down the 405/ I’ll be your backseat baby, drivin’ you crazy.”

Also featured on Bey’s new post-Renaissance record is Post Malone, who sings with the Ivy Park founder on the sultry “Levii’s Jeans.” After the song dropped, he wrote on Instagram Stories, “thank you @beyonce congrats this album is beautiful!”

Plus, Cowboy Carter featured a cover of The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” for which Bey was joined by Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts. “I cannot believe it. God is so good. I’m on a @Beyonce record,” Kennedy tweeted Friday morning. “And not on one but TWO songs. You can catch me on those harms on Tyrant too!”

“I am so thankful!” wrote Roberts on Instagram Stories. “You’ve always bene my biggest inspiration. I’m in awe of you forever and always @beyonce.”

See Cyrus’ post below.

29 Mar 2024

Fans Think Taylor Swift Is on Beyoncé’s New Album ‘Cowboy Carter’ — But Is She Really?

In the lead-up to Beyoncé‘s new album Cowboy Carter, rumors swirled that a certain country-turned-pop star may be a featured collaborator on the project. When it finally dropped at midnight Friday (March 29), however, Taylor Swift‘s name was nowhere in sight on the credits.

But wait. Who’s that singing in the background on track eight?

After listening, many fans were immediately convinced that Swift actually did have a cameo, albeit a small one, on Bey’s Renaissance sequel, potentially providing a few complementary vocals for the song “Bodyguard.” (The person behind those repeating “Ahh” counter melodies does sound remarkably like the “Anti-Hero” artist.)

“THAT IS 100% TAYLOR SWIFT ON BODYGUARD BY BEYONCÉ NOW GIVE ME A FULL COLLAB,” one Swiftie tweeted shortly after Cowboy Carter dropped.

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“wait i can really hear taylor singing the ahhs in bodyguard…,” wrote another person, while a third fan added, “IS TAYLOR DOING THE BACKGROUND VOCALS FOR BODYGUARD OR NOT SOMEONE TELL ME.”

But no, Swift’s voice is not included in “Bodyguard.”

That may be a disappointing fact for fans of the two women, who have been in each other’s corners since Bey supported Swift at the 2009 VMAs after Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) interrupted the “Karma” musician during her best female video acceptance speech. Last year, the Ivy Park founder attended the premiere of Swift’s Eras Tour concert film premiere, soon after which the Pennsylvania-born pop star showed up to the Houston native’s Renaissance movie debut in London.

“I’m so glad I’ll never know what my life would’ve been like without @beyonce‘s influence,” Swift wrote of Bey on Instagram after the Eras event. “The way she’s taught me and every artist out here to break rules and defy industry norms. Her generosity of spirit. Her resilience and versatility. She’s been a guiding light throughout my career and the fact that she showed up tonight was like an actual fairytale. ???”

See tweets from fans theorizing about Bey, Tay and “Bodyguard” below.

29 Mar 2024

Rumi Carter, Beyoncé’s Youngest Daughter, Makes Musical Debut on ‘Cowboy Carter’

Rumi Carter, first of her name, younger sister of Blue Ivy, niece of Solange and granddaughter of Tina Knowles, has officially made her debut as a recording artist.

Beyoncé‘s youngest daughter, who is 6, scored a featured artist credit on “Protector,” the fourth track on Cowboy Carter — the second act in Queen Bey’s sprawling Renaissance trilogy. A tender, guitar-plucked ballad, “Protector” finds Beyoncé singing of the challenges that come with shifting your approach to parenthood as your children get older. “And I will lead you down that road if you lose your way/ Born to be a protector/ Even though I know someday you’re gonna shine on your own / I will be your projector,” she croons.

Rumi’s appearance occurs at the very beginning of the track when she adorably asks, “Mom, can I hear the lullaby? Please?”

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Her contributions to the track echo the earliest of Blue Ivy’s appearances on her parents’ music. Back in 2012, Jay-Z included Blue’s cries — she was just 10 days old when the song dropped — on “Glory,” which reached No. 23 on Hot Rap Songs, making the eldest Carter child the youngest person in history to have a charted song on any Billboard tally.

Of course, “Glory” kicked off what has become a Grammy-winning career for Blue Ivy, who is now 12. She won her first Grammy for best music video thanks to her contributions to her mom’s The Lion King: The Gift single “Brown Skin Girl” (with Wizkid and SAINt JHN), picking up honors at the BET Awards, Soul Train Music Awards and NAACP Image Awards in the process. That song also became Blue’s very first Billboard Hot 100 hit, peaking at No. 76. Blue has also appeared on several other songs, including Beyoncé’s “Blue” (2013), “Daddy Lessons” (2016), “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing (Blue’s Version)” (2019), Jay-Z’s “Blue’s Freestyle / We Family” (2017) and Coldplay‘s “Up&Up” (2016). On her parents’ 2018 joint album Everything Is Love, Blue appears on “Boss” and “Salud,” on which she shouts out her younger twin siblings, Rumi and Sir Carter.

Time will tell if Rumi continues to appear in the studio, but for now, she can enjoy her official musical debut on one of the most buzzed-about albums of the year.

Listen to “Protector” below.

29 Mar 2024

Breaking Down Every Featured Artist on Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’: Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus & More

Queen Bey dropped her highly anticipated sequel to Renaissance March 29.

Beyoncé

Beyoncé performs onstage during the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Aug. 11, 2023 in Atlanta.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood

Beyoncé‘s pivot to country — starting with the Billboard Hot 100-topping “Texas Hold ‘Em” and fellow lead single “16 Carriages” followed by the announcement of her latest album Cowboy Carter — shocked many listeners. But the the surprises didn’t stop there.

After the record dropped at midnight Friday (March 29), marking the beginning of the second act to Bey’s 2022 album Renaissance, fans were elated to see that the tracklist was packed with featured artists. The guest roster features legendary country pioneers — including a Dolly Parton-introduced new spin on Parton’s classic “Jolene” — as well as a handful of modern stars holding down the genre in 2024, plus a couple fellow pop titans who’ve also dabbled in the world of cowboy boots and fiddles. (Spoiler alert: That description includes, but isn’t limited to, a certain “Hoedown Throwdown” singer.)

The level of involvement each collaborator has on Cowboy Carter ranges from clever voice notes modeled after on-air disc-jockey transitions — in service of Bey’s KNTRY Radio concept — to full-on duets. It’s probably best to get one thing out of the way now, though: Neither Lady Gaga nor Taylor Swift are official contributors to the LP, though both of them were highly rumored to be. Sorry, “‘Telephone’ Pt. 2” truthers, as well as fans who loved seeing Beyoncé and Taylor show up to each other’s concert film premieres last year. Maybe next time.

From Dolly P to Miley C, keep reading to see a breakdown of all the artists Honey B included on her staggering new body of work, listed in alphabetical order below.