Cowboy Carter
Cowboy Carter (also referred to as Act II: Cowboy Carter) is the eighth studio album by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé, released on March 29, 2024, via Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. A concept album, Cowboy Carter is the second of a planned trilogy of albums, following Renaissance (2022). Beyoncé conceived Cowboy Carter as a journey through a reinvention of Americana, spotlighting the overlooked contributions of Black pioneers to American musical and cultural history.
Cowboy Carter
March 29, 2024
- Los Angeles (APG, Dezert Flower, Electric Feel, Kings Landing West, Parkwood West, Record Plant, The Sound Factory, The Village, Westlake)
- Nashville (The Cave, East Iris, The Library)
- East Hampton, New York (The Trailer)
- Dolly P's Studio
78:21
English, Italian
- 070 Shake
- BAH
- Jon Batiste
- Beyoncé
- Cadenza
- Cam
- Miley Cyrus
- D.A. Got That Dope
- Derek Dixie
- Dixson
- Ian Fitchuk
- Harry Edwards
- Shawn Everett
- Nathan Ferraro
- Ink
- Tyler Johnson
- Paul McCartney
- No I.D.
- Nova Wav
- Dave Hamelin
- Killa B
- Nick Kobe
- Mamii
- Simon Mårtensson
- Pharrell Williams
- Jack Ro
- Raphael Saadiq
- Sean Solymar
- Sounwave
- Swizz Beatz
- The-Dream
- Khirye Tyler
Although many have labeled it a country album, Cowboy Carter blends diverse musical genres including pop, hip hop, trap, psychedelic funk, blues, soul, rock, rock and roll, opera, "Irish" jig, and folk music. Conceptually, the album is presented as a radio broadcast by a fictitious station called "KNTRY Radio Texas", with country singers Dolly Parton, Linda Martell, and Willie Nelson acting as disc jockeys. The album's songs feature lesser-known Black country artists such as Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, Shaboozey, and Willie Jones. The music is driven by a range of acoustic instruments played by musicians including Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Nile Rodgers, Jon Batiste, Gary Clark Jr., and Rhiannon Giddens.
Cowboy Carter was met with universal acclaim upon release; critics felt that the album's genre experimentation, expansive scope, and eclectic references aided an ambitious reimagining of Americana and country through the lens of their Black roots. The album ignited discussions on Black musicians' place within country music, boosted the listenership of Black country artists and country radio in general, and increased the popularity of Western wear and culture.
Cowboy Carter debuted at number one in several countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, and broke several chart and streaming records. In the United States, Cowboy Carter became Beyoncé's eighth consecutive number-one album on the Billboard 200 and the first album by a black woman to top the Top Country Albums chart. Two co-lead singles — "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages" — supported the album, with the former becoming Beyoncé's ninth number one single in the United States and the first country song by a Black woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts. The Miley Cyrus-duet, "II Most Wanted", was released as the third single.
Impact
Cowboy Carter had a significant cultural impact, with Stevie Wonder and Variety's Chris Willman suggesting it may be the most-discussed album of the 21st century.[130][131][132][133] Cowboy Carter was widely discussed in the media following its release, with ABC News, PBS NewsHour, KXAS-TV, KFMB-TV and KRIV all broadcasting features exploring the impact of the album.[134][135][136][137][138] An episode of Nightline focused on the album and its impact on the country music space, while a documentary titled Call Me Country featuring Brothers Osborne and Rhiannon Giddens was available on Max.[139][140]
Cowboy Carter increased public interest in country music and made it more accessible to new audiences, with publications describing the album as "a cultural shift", "a watershed moment" and "a tipping point" in the genre's history.[141][142][143][144] The album was said to redefine what it means to be a country artist, with BBC News commenting that it will "open the floodgates" for other country musicians.[144][145] Cowboy Carter sparked discourse on the boundaries of the country music genre and its roots within Black music, igniting discussions on the inclusion of Black artists within the genre.[146][147][131][148][149][141][142][143] Publications reported that the album aided a reclamation of country identity and western culture by black people.[149][150]
Linda Martell, who was the first commercially successful Black female country artist, saw a 127,430 percent increase in streams of her music after featuring on the album.[151] Other Black female country musicians also saw a significant increase in streams due to the album, such as Reyna Roberts (250%), Rissi Palmer (110%), Tanner Adell (188%) and K. Michelle (185%),[152] while Adia Victoria, Amira Unplugged, Brittney Spencer, Mickey Guyton, Rhiannon Giddens, and Sacha Visagie also saw increases in their music sales. Black-led country organizations such as the Black Opry also received a significant increase in followers.[153] According to NPR's Amanda Marie Martínez writes, the album revealed the "strong demand" for country music made by Black artists and a "growing community" of Black country fans.[145] In The Tennessean, Andrea Williams opined that Beyoncé opened the door for others in country music, proving Black songwriters, producers, and musicians belong in the genre.[154]
Cowboy Carter received extensive praise from musicians.[155] Stevie Wonder declared Cowboy Carter a "masterpiece" that is "changing music and culture".[156] Paul McCartney, Nancy Sinatra and Martell all praised the album and shared their pride of receiving the "honor" of contributing to the album.[157][155][158] Jon Batiste characterized the album as "a work of such unimaginable impact and artistic firepower by a once in a generation artist" and thanked Beyoncé for allowing him to be a part of it. Batiste described the album as the moment "where we dismantle the genre machine", adding: "When many leading artists see a similar vision at the same time, that's when you know a major shift is happening. A new era, long time coming. Let's liberate ourselves from genre and break the barriers that marginalize who we are and the art that we create."[159] Country musicians such as Dolly Parton,[160][161] Reba McEntire,[162] Brandi Carlile,[163] Melissa Etheridge,[164] Luke Bryan,[165] Jelly Roll,[166] Darius Rucker,[167] Lainey Wilson,[168] Maren Morris,[169] Mickey Guyton,[170] and Sugarland[171] all praised the album and Beyoncé's venture into country music. Country singer-songwriter Carlene Carter, daughter of June Carter Cash, released a statement praising Cowboy Carter and describing Beyoncé as part of the Carter Family, writing: "In my book, she's one of us Carter women and we have always pushed the boundaries by trying whatever music we felt in our hearts and taking spirit-driven risks... I am here to let Beyoncé and all those nay-sayers know that I admire and love her and all she does."[172] Smokey Robinson praised Beyoncé for writing country music and described her as "one of the most talented people to come along in a long, long, long, long time".[173] Multiple celebrities, such as Kerry Washington, Kevin Bacon and Salma Hayek, expressed their anticipation and excitement for the album through social media.[174][175][176]
Cowboy Carter also received praise from political figures. Former First Lady Michelle Obama posted on social media about Cowboy Carter, writing that the album has "changed the game" by "helping redefine a music genre and transform our culture".[177] Vice President Kamala Harris also praised the album on social media, writing: "Thank you for reminding us to never feel confined to other people's perspective of what our lane is. You have redefined a genre and reclaimed country music's Black roots. Your music continues to inspire us all."[178] Martin Luther King III expressed his gratitude for Cowboy Carter and described it as "joyous, positive and reaffirming", while his wife Arndrea Waters King called Beyoncé "courageous" for stepping into the country scene and sparking conversation on the origins of country music in the black community.[179] Other politicians who praised the album include Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and Texas Congressman Colin Allred.[180]
Beyoncé's embrace of country music and culture further ignited fashion trends and boosted sales of Western wear.[181][182][183][184][185] Google searches for "bolo tie", "cowboy hat", and "cowboy boots" surged following the announcement of the album.[186][187] Units sold of boots jumped by 45 percent in the US due to the album.[188] In the UK, a national survey found that 60% of respondents have started listening to country music following the release of Cowboy Carter, while 25% of respondents have taken up line dancing and 40% have started wearing Western clothing.[189]
In reference to the 17th track of the album, "Levii's Jeans", the American clothing company Levi Strauss & Co. (Levi's) added a second letter i to its name and logo on Instagram.[190][191] The company reported a 20% boost on their stock price and saw an additional 1.5 billion impressions following the release of the album.[192][193] Levi's also noted a 20% rise in footfall at US stores after the release of the album, while British retailer John Lewis & Partners reported that searches for "women's Levi's jeans" were up 263% since the record was announced.[194] Levi Strauss CFO Harmit Singh described Beyoncé as "the center of culture, the cultural czar", adding: "We are humbled and honored that she chose us to talk about our brand."[193]
Following the release of Cowboy Carter, ridesharing company Uber offered 16% off to riders who use the code "16CARRIAGES", a reference to a song on the album.[195] In response, Lyft offered its riders 50% off with the code "SPAGHETTI24", another reference to a song on the album.[196] Lyft also changed images of cars on its map to white horses as a reference to the Cowboy Carter album cover.[197][174]