Tag Archives: Beyonce

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Song of the Day #5,764: ‘Jolene’ – Beyoncé

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.

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Song of the Day #5,763: ‘Protector’ – Beyoncé

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.

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Song of the Day #5,728: ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ – Beyoncé

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.”

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Song of the Day #5,713: ‘Me, Myself and I’ – Beyoncé

The week of February 21, 2004, saw a few repeats at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart: ‘Slow Jamz,’ by Twista feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx; ‘Yeah!‘ by Usher feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris; and ‘The Way You Move‘ by Outkast.

In the fourth spot that week was a rising star named Beyoncé, with the third single from her debut album Dangerously in Love. While the first two singles (‘Crazy in Love’ and ‘Baby Boy’) reached #1, ‘Me, Myself and I’ stalled at #4.

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Song of the Day #5,565: ‘Baby Boy’ – Beyoncé feat. Sean Paul

Throwing back to the week of September 27, 2003, we find Nelly, P. Diddy and Murphy Lee hanging on to the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Shake Ya Tailfeather,’ covered on the blog three weeks ago.

In second place is a song that was on its way to a nine-week run at #1 — Beyoncé’s ‘Baby Boy.’ This collaboration with Jamaican rapper Sean Paul was the second single from Bey’s debut solo album, Dangerously in Love. Her first solo single, ‘Crazy in Love,’ also made it to the top spot.

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