Beyoncé Redefines the Concept of Genres With “COWBOY CARTER”

The album cover for Beyoncé's new album COWBOY CARTER. Blair Caldwell via Wikimedia Commons

Beyoncé enters unprecedented musical territory following the release of her country fusion album “COWBOY CARTER.” Serving as Act II to her 2022 dance album “RENAISSANCE,” Beyoncé continues to curate her ambitious album trilogy with this most recent installment.

Calling the album “genre-bending,” The New York Times encapsulates the groundbreaking boundaries the album pushes. Often associated with the genres of pop and R&B, Beyoncé experiments with elements of several genres, including hip-hop, gospel, rock and of course, country. 

In an Instagram post, Beyoncé herself said that this “ain’t a country album. This is a Beyoncé album,” setting the record straight that she is not subjecting herself to the dichotomies that genres can often create. 

“I remember in the ‘RENAISSANCE’ movie, she [Beyoncé] said that ‘RENAISSANCE’ is about a ‘rebirth’ and starting new and becoming a new you and being yourself, and I think that that is such a good message to push,” said Beyoncé fan Alyssa Puentes ‘26. “And then having ‘COWBOY CARTER’ to follow up with that, where she sent the message of ‘be who you are’ with ‘RENAISSANCE,’ now it’s like, ‘this is me, I can also be country.’”

The album opens with the beautiful and harmonic “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” which sends a message to the listener as to what “COWBOY CARTER” will be about. The song features layers of Beyoncé’s vocals, accompanied by a twangy guitar to build a strong and bold opener for the album. On the track, Beyoncé states, “They used to say I spoke, ‘Too Country’/And the rejection came, said I wasn’t, ‘Country ‘nough’/Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but if that ain't country, tell me what is?” Here, Beyoncé scrutinizes her critics, points out their hypocrisy and essentially questions what characterizes the genre of country music.

In addition to defying genres, “COWBOY CARTER” creates an inclusive image of American country music and explores its roots in Black American culture. On the record, Beyoncé features Linda Martell on several tracks, including the hip hop-driven “SPAGHETTII” and the interlude “THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW.” Martell was the first successful Black female country artist and pioneered the genre for many artists of color. Beyoncé’s incorporation of Martell onto the album emphasizes the presence and impact that Black Americans have had and continue to have on country music today.

On the album, Beyoncé also highlights a new generation of artists, while simultaneously blending genres. In one of the album’s standouts, a cover of the Paul McCartney-penned Beatles civil rights anthem “Blackbird,” Beyoncé features the Black female country singers Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts and Brittney Spencer. In the song, these four women and Beyoncé create a melodic track of vocal euphoria, complimented with a soft guitar that is reminiscent of McCartney. The track showcases the talent of these young female artists, while also proving that country is a genre that has no set characteristics bound to it.

“I just love that she incorporates so many elements of rap, pop, R&B, and she still has a lot of dance tracks on there. I think that her doing a cover of ‘Blackbird’ by the Beatles is so fitting, especially with all the history behind that, with Paul McCartney writing it for young Black girls after he visited America and saw what was going on with the civil rights movement,” Puentes said.

One standout from the album includes Beyoncé’s rendition of Dolly Parton’s country classic, “Jolene,” which includes an interlude from Parton herself. Beyoncé reinterprets the track, and rather than “begging” Jolene for her man, she sends an explicit message and warns Jolene to not come for her man.

In addition to country icon Parton being featured on the album, outlaw country pioneer Willie Nelson also appears on “COWBOY CARTER.” Appearing on the interlude tracks “SMOKE HOUR” and “SMOKE HOUR II,” Nelson serves as the host of KNTRY Radio Texas, the designated radio station of “COWBOY CARTER.”

The features from Parton and Nelson on “COWBOY CARTER” are indicative of the new heights that the genre of country is reaching with Beyoncé’s innovative record.

Some other standouts include the high energy “YA YA,” where Beyoncé samples both Nancy Sinatra and The Beach Boys, the exquisite vocal showcase featuring Miley Cyrus on “II MOST WANTED” and the sweet, stripped-down “PROTECTOR,” which features Beyoncé’s daughter Rumi.

“COWBOY CARTER” is an impressive feat in music and culture, as it prompts listeners to reevaluate the idea of genres and what makes them categorically different. How Beyoncé blends musical elements, redefines culture and starts conversations with her art solidifies her status as a legend within the industry.

“The beauty of music is that it is meant to be played around with and be creative and try new things, and I feel like she is constantly doing that and pushing so many different boundaries and breaking down barriers, and I just think that is some of the beauty behind her as an artist,” said Puentes.