After five weeks of movie posts, I’m ready to get back to music. It turns out a lot of new songs have been released over the past couple of months, and I’ll dedicate the next two weeks to catching up with some of them.
I have to start with Beyoncé, who used a Super Bowl Verizon ad to announce her upcoming album. Act II (full title to come) is a follow-up to 2022’s Act I: Renaissance, and the second installment of a planned trilogy. While Renaissance paid tribute to the Black Queer house and disco music of the 70s, this one is a country album, paying tribute to the “overlooked history of the American Black cowboy.”
This is Queen Bey’s first foray into the country genre since the great song ‘Daddy Lessons’ on 2016’s Lemonade. I love when non-country artists dip their toe into these waters, so I’m very much looking forward to this album.
First single ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ is already a big hit, reaching #1 on the Hot 100 and making Beyoncé the first Black woman to score a #1 on the Country chart. It’s a fun track that fully embraces the country sound while still bearing the unmistakeable mark of its creator.
This ain’t Texas (Woo)
Ain’t no hold ’em (Hey)
So lay your cards down, down, down, down
So park your Lexus (Woo)
And throw your keys up (Hey)
Stick around, ’round, ’round, ’round, ’round (Stick around)
And I’ll be damned if I can’t slow-dance with you
Come pour some sugar on me, honey too
It’s a real-life boogie and a real-life hoedown
Don’t be a bitch, come take it to the floor now, woo, ha (Woo)
[Verse 1]
There’s a tornado (There’s a tornado)
In my city (In my city)
Hit the basement (Hit the basement)
That shit ain’t pretty (That shit ain’t pretty)
Rugged whiskey (Rugged whiskey)
‘Cause we survivin’ (‘Cause we survivin’)
Off red-cup kisses, sweet redemption, passin’ time, yeah
[Pre-Chorus]
Ooh, one step to the right
We headed to the dive bar we always thought was nice
Ooh, run me to the left
Then spin me in the middle, boy, I can’t read your mind
[Chorus]
This ain’t Texas (Woo)
Ain’t no hold ’em (Hey)
So lay your cards down, down, down, down
So park your Lexus (Woo)
And throw your keys up (Hey)
And stick around, ’round, ’round, ’round, ’round (Stick around)
And I’ll be damned if I can’t slow-dance with you
Come pour some sugar on me, honey too
It’s a real-life boogie and a real-life hoedown
Don’t be a bitch, come take it to the floor now, woo
And I’ll be damned if I cannot dance with you
Come pour some liquor on me, honey too
It’s a real-life boogie and a real-life hoedown
Don’t be a bitch, come take it to the floor now, woo
[Verse 2]
There’s a heatwave (There’s a heatwave)
Comin’ at us (Comin’ at us)
Too hot to think straight (Too hot to think straight)
Too cold to panic (Cold to panic)
All of the problems
Just feel dramatic (Just feel dramatic)
And now we’re runnin’ to the first bar that we find, yeah
[Pre-Chorus]
Ooh, one step to the right
We headed to the dive bar we always thought was nice
Ooh, you run to the left
Just work me in the middle boy, I can’t read your mind
[Chorus]
This ain’t Texas (Woo)
Ain’t no hold ’em (Hey)
So lay your cards down, down, down, down, oh
So park your Lexus (Hey)
And throw your keys up (Hey)
And stick around,’ round, ’round, ’round, ’round (Stick around)
And I’ll be damned if I cannot dance with you
Come pour some sugar on me, honey too
It’s a real-life boogie and a real-life hoedown
Don’t be a bitch, come take it to the floor now (Woo)
And I’ll be damned if I cannot dance with you
Come pour some liquor on me, honey too
It’s a real-life boogie and a real-life hoedown
Don’t be a—, come take it to the floor now, ooh
[Outro]
Take it to the floor now, ooh
Hoops, spurs, boots
To the floor now, ooh
Tuck, back, oops (Ooh, ooh, ooh)
Shoot
Come take it to the floor now, ooh
And I’ll be damned if I cannot dance with you
Baby, pour that sugar and liquor on me, too
Furs, spurs, boots
Solargenic, photogenic, shoot
Meet Me In Montauk 
Glad to see this still made it to number 1 on the country charts despite radio stations not playing the song because it was not considered real country music coming from a black pop artist.
I’m not sure I’m here for the sexualizing of gun violence the video leans into, but, the, it’s decidedly not meant for me.
This is the first time I’m hearing the whole song, which, on first listen, is… fine. Still, happy to see artists as successful as Beyoncé continue to break down barriers between genres.
she sounds real country to me. Good for her. Do you think the video helped propel this to number One 😉