BACK TO THE RODEO: Beyoncé’s bold take on country pushes the genre forward. Photo: Klaudia Lech / VG
Beyoncé embraces her roots in country music – and renews the tradition in the same vein.
Friday 29 March at 19:39
Where its predecessor “Renaissance” (2022) was a grand, escapist and sexy celebration of black dance music, from disco and house to various electronic club sounds, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has turned to another part of her musical soil on the sequel with the self-explanatory title “Cowboy Carter”.
The stylistic twist should not come as a bombshell to an alert listener – the connection lines between soul, r&b and country have, after all, been obvious since the beginning of the 60s.
Growing up in Houston, Texas, a lifelong passion for rodeo events and a grandfather with generous doses of horse jazz in his record collection, it’s not the least bit surprising that Beyoncé, at the age of 42, is more than sniffing at this part of her identity.
It must nevertheless be emphasized that the music on “Cowboy Carter” takes place at the fringes of the genre. That is perhaps why it feels fresh and natural.
Loading this project with 27 songs – spread over almost 80 minutes – immediately appears as a poorly thought-out invention on Beyoncé’s part. But “Cowboy Carter” will quickly prove to defend the playing time and scope. At least almost.
The highlights are crowded together throughout the album, from the epic opening track “American Requiem” to the sacred gospel ending “Amen”. Between these extremes, she effortlessly balances cool West Coast pop (“Bodyguard”), hard rap (“Spaghetti”), blockbuster balladry (the Miley Cyrus duet “II Most Wanted”) and hazy Thundercat psychedelia (“Desert Eagle”).
On the equal parts feisty and playful funk rocker “Ya Ya”, both Nancy Sinatra and the Beach Boys are sampled, while “Riverdance” and the Underworld-paraphrasing(!) “II Hands II Heaven” lean towards folk and electronica in a wonderful way.
A little tidbit: Covers of The Beatles’ “Blackbird” and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” are not seen as essential in this context, even though the latter has received a lyrical overhaul. And 27 songs is and will be too many.
With a third of the material weeded out, “Cowboy Carter” would have been a masterpiece. In its actual form, it is simply a very good album – which pushes both the protagonist and the country genre several notches further.
BEST SONG: «II Hands II Heaven»