Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter

Apr 1

Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter

Is this a country album? Well, sometimes it is, for sure. Jolene is a country song pretty much no matter how you sing it. But, if we’re being sticklers, this is really more of a pop and R&B album (or to put it more succinctly: a Beyoncé album) that dabbles in the aesthetics and themes of country. But then again, what is a genre if not a set of aesthetics and themes? And that question is what this whole album is about.

So, yeah, even though she’s only occasionally going full-bore on what we would all think of as the sound of country, she’s claiming it anyway. And she’s making a point about genre itself. And, y’know what? That’s great and all, but if it sounds this good, I don’t really care what you call it.

Perfect pop songs. Super fun, super consistent. Even the interstitials feel essential here. She’s been producing very good to great albums since 4, but this and Renaissance have made me a real Beyoncé fan.

I can’t wait for act three of this trilogy.

Streaming below via YouTube.

Highlights: Bodyguard • Levii’s Jeans • Ya Ya