Continuing my countdown of the songs on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter…
#10. ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’
Cowboy Carter‘s lead single is its most overtly country song, and one that set listeners up to have their expectations upended by an album that travels well outside those genre boundaries. It was a clever marketing strategy, but this is also a great song — proof that if Beyoncé had just stuck to the country basics, she still would have delivered a memorable record.
Continuing my countdown of the songs on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter…
#13. ‘II Hands II Heaven’
I’ve seen this track listed as a favorite of a lot of fans and critics, and I totally get it. It’s expansive and emotional, a sultry blend of traditional R&B with electronic flavors. It slips a few slots on my personal list because, at just under six minutes, it wears out its welcome a bit. But at this point I’m nitpicking.
Continuing my countdown of the songs on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter…
#16. ‘Desert Eagle’
A sick bass line drives this minute-long track, layered with sweet harmonies. To say it leaves you wanting more is an understatement.
#15. ‘Blackbiird’
The more successful of the album’s two classic covers, this one finds Beyoncé delivering a faithful version of The Beatles’ masterpiece (so faithful that the vocals are laid over Paul McCartney’s original instrumental track). Beyoncé showcases a quartet of female Black country artists — Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, and Brittney Spencer — using her platform to elevate others.
Continuing my countdown of the songs on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter…
#19. ‘Jolene’
A Beyoncé cover of one of country’s most iconic songs — Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ — should be a reason to celebrate. And this one is certainly a fun listen.
I do wish Queen Bey had delivered a faithful interpretation, though, rather than rewrite it as a rebuke to the woman trying to split up a marriage. The vulnerability, jealousy, and insecurity of the original is refreshingly, relateably human. This is a song that should have no room for bravado.
Or maybe flipping the script in that way is just the thought-provoking exercise an album this adventurous needs. I can see both arguments.
Saddle up for two weeks of Cowboy Carter! Over the next ten weekdays, I’ll count down my favorite tracks from Beyoncé’s latest opus, the second act of a planned trilogy.
While Act I, 2022’s Renaissance, explored 1970’s Black disco and house music, this chapter has been marketed as the pop star’s “country” album. It is that, to a degree, but it’s a lot of other things as well. Cowboy Carter finds Beyoncé at her most adventurous and playful when it comes to exploring different genres.
Meet Me In Montauk 