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It’s not even halfway into 2024, and several prominent artists have dropped new albums for their fans to enjoy and talk about. Many notable examples are Vultures by Kanye West, American Dream by 21 Savage and Saviors by Green Day, just to name a few. Along with these artists, Beyoncé dropped her own album, Cowboy Carter, on March 29 this year. Her last album came out in 2022, so many fans were eagerly anticipating its release. The last album was act one of a trilogy of albums that she has announced, with Cowboy Carter being the second act to come out.
As the name implies, this album saw Beyoncé focusing on country music and exploring a new way to incorporate her sound into the genre. Since she’s originally from Texas, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that she’d be into country and be able to write songs that use the same style. Overall, the album combines a country backbone with some pop and R&B tones to make a unique and captivating sound. That being said, the album is quite varied, with songs like “Texas Hold ‘Em” that feel very classic country and others like “Ya Ya” that incorporate a more modern sound.
While all of the songs have unique appeals, some songs are always better than others, and I wanted to go over my personal favorites. “Ya Ya,” as I already mentioned, feels a lot less country than some other songs, but it’s still amazing to listen to. It samples Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys and creates a melody more similar to her previous music, which is always a plus. “Daughter” is another amazing piece that fits right at home with other somber country ballads and even features a verse from the famous Italian aria “Caro Mio Ben,” which as you may have guessed is sung entirely in Italian. “II Most Wanted” features a duet with Miley Cyrus, in which they alternate lines throughout the entire piece instead of just alternating verses as a lot of other featured songs do. While they might not be my favorite songs on the album, two other tracks feature country legends in the form of Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton, who add to the authenticity and country sound of the album.
Cowboy Carter is Beyoncé’s eighth studio album and the second part of a trilogy currently in the making. It’s full of really fun songs to listen to but also has a few heavy tracks for any mood you could be in. If you haven’t listened to it yet, you definitely should.
