On March 29, Queen Bey released the second album of her three act project that began with her R&B/soul Renaissance album and was followed by the controversial country album, Cowboy Carter. The album runs at 1 hour and 18 minutes with 27 tracks that vastly range between styles yet all have elements of classic country. 

Let’s take a dive into some of my personal favorite tracks!

Tracks

1. AMERIICAN REQUIEM
   1. This track jumps all around the place. There are some elements of country, yet there is also rock. On top of those, the beginning starts off slow with harmonized singing. The track addresses the barriers that Beyoncé was placed in and the criticism she received over performing at the CMA’s in 2016. The track jumps between slow beats and harmonies to fast paced melodies. Honestly, this track felt like Taylor Swift’s reputation album combined into 5 minutes. This was a perfect introduction to the album!
2. BLACKBIIRD
   1. The second track on the Cowboy Carter album is a cover of the song “Blackbird” by The Beatles and Queen Bey did this perfectly. It maintains a consistent but quieter beat throughout the whole song, highlighting Beyoncé’s vocals. Although not completely slow, the song is the perfect transition song into the rest of the album.
3. 16 CARRIAGES
   1. The second single to be released, “16 Carriages” supposedly describes Beyoncé’s rise to stardom at a very young age. Although a slower tune with an emotional message, this song has some fun beat drops right before the chorus.
4. MY ROSE
   1. This is another song that is more focussed on highlighting Beyoncé’s vocals over a beat. It is the shortest song on the album and almost acts like an interlude, but I found that I really enjoyed these harmonies.
5. TEXAS HOLD ‘EM
   1. Of all the songs on the album, this was definitely the best to release as a single. Interestingly, Rhiannon Giddens, a frequent performer in Charleston’s Spoleto festival, plays the banjo in this track, bringing awareness to the African influence on country music. It is one of the most classic country songs on the album and is overall just a high energy tune that makes listeners want to line dance, or at least makes me want to line dance. I think that the switch of styles and beat at the end of the track did diminish my dancing energy, but it is still a banger to be blasted.
6. BODYGUARD
   1. Definitely in my top 5 of this album! It is a mix between pop and country that continues to accentuate Beyoncé’s vocals. I think this track could’ve been released as a single along with “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” seeing as there is a similar, happy energy between the 2 songs.
7. DOLLY P
   1. Dolly Parton’s interlude and collaboration on this album was a complete shock. What followed her interlude was even more shocking.
8. JOLENE
   1. The cover of “Jolene” was done in true Beyoncé fashion and modernized the 1973 song that was originally written and recorded by Dolly Parton. I thoroughly enjoyed this rendition of the song which feels more like rock than country.
9. SPAGHETTII
   1. This is probably my favorite track on the album. “SPAGHETTII” is one of the most out of place songs on the album due to its lack of country style components. Instead, this track is a rap song that discusses how constraining genres can be. Due to the style of this song, many people believe that the third act of Beyoncé’s project will be a rap album. I am extremely hopeful that this is the case because my ears were not blessed with enough of Beyoncé rapping!
10. ALLIIGATOR TEARS
    1. Some parts of this song screamed Fleetwood Mac to me. The inflictions in certain lines are interesting and form a melody of their own, yet they sound high pitched and a little whiny. This was not my favorite track, but certainly not the worst. A perfect medium!
11. II MOST WANTED
    1. There’s Willie Nelson, then Dolly Parton, and now Miley Cyrus! Beyoncé recruited some of the most classic and popular country singers for her album and none of these tracks disappointed. This is one of the most predominantly country tracks on the album and, although it is a slower beat, I can’t help but love the simple guitar melody and harmonies between Beyoncé and Miley.
12. LEVII’S JEANS
    1. Immediately after the Miley collaboration, listeners are hit with a fun and more upbeat song featuring Post Malone. This is another song in the top 5 for me! I’m a sucker for her upbeat country songs, and I normally don’t enjoy the country genre.
13. FLAMENCO
    1. Another slower track that doesn’t have much of a beat and yet again emphasizes the vocals. Most of the beat is a clapping melody over top of an acoustic guitar tune.
14. YA YA
    1. Less country and more “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” energy and I absolutely love this change of tune! Another fun tune following a steady beat that one can easily clap along to. This track’s fast pace and inclusion of various styles make the song sound very chaotic but it is one of the best ones to dance along to.
15. II HANDS II HEAVEN
    1. Another song that sounds more pop or R&B than country…Nevertheless, I do really enjoy this song. Her voice seems to carry the melody of the song more than the beat does. Although, upon listening to the song again, I felt that it continues for slightly longer than necessary.
16. TYRANT
    1. At long last the collaboration between Dolly Parton and Beyoncé has occurred! Definitely not what I was expecting, but I find myself intrigued. Quite different from a Dolly Parton song with the techno style and electronic beat drops. Unfortunately, when I listened to the whole track, I was thoroughly disappointed to discover that Dolly Parton was only audible at the beginning of the song as a form of introduction to the song.

 I noticed that a lot of the songs on the album maintained a relatively consistent beat, allowing the vocals to carry the song. This album has created a whole new style of country, you could even call it Country (Beyoncé’s Version). I’m excited to see what part 3 of this project will entail!