American R&B and pop star Beyoncé recently waded into new waters with the release of her new album, “Cowboy Carter”. The release has not only taken over radios across the U.S., but it has also made significant history.
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, more famously known as Beyoncé or Queen-Bey, has been one of America’s more influential music artists for the past two decades. After releasing her first album “Dangerously in Love” in 2003, she specialized in the Pop, R&B and Soul genres with hits such as “Halo” in 2009 and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” in 2011.
Her newest album, “Cowboy Carter” brings her to even greater heights, entering the Pop and Soul icon into the world of Country music.
Ashley Jarrell, a music professor at the University of North Georgia, said that Queen-Bey was able to branch into the new territory successfully because of how skilled and accomplished she is as an artist. She also credits the interconnectedness of American music.
“Traditionally R&B has a shared connection with other American ‘roots music’ which includes country, jazz and folk music, so it doesn’t really come as a surprise that she had no difficulty with the transition.” -Ashley Jarrell, UNG Music Professor
Her hit song “Texas Hold Em” is a semblance of the album’s rapid success. The ballad debuted as the number one hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 Country Songs chart shortly after its release, making Beyoncé the first black woman in history to open so high on the list. It is still number one today.
Jarrell said the track was able to gain such a fast start due to its unique mix of country-based instruments such as the guitar and banjo as well as an old school techno groove. “This format is probably familiar and appealing to country fans as well as her massive fan base,” she said.
Karen Ibarra, a journalism major at UNG and avid Beyoncé fan, said that the meaning behind the ballad is a bit deeper than its tone. She said that along with the intriguing sound the song brings, it stands as an unexpected response to backlash she faced over her performance with the Chicks during the 2016 Country Music Awards.
Although the reception to Queen-Bey’s cameo that year seemed positive through a television screen, responses online told a different story. Throngs of social media comments denounced her presence in the celebration, naming her a cop hater and calling for protests against the award show entirely.
In a March 19 Instagram post, Beyoncé said the album and its tracks including “Texas Hold Em” was five years in the making and stemmed from an experience she had years prior where she “did not feel welcomed” and it was “very clear” she wasn’t. It didn’t take long for fans to make the connection to the 2016 CMA’s.
Ibarra said the response came as unanticipated to her fanbase. “People generally like for singers to stick to specific genres, and that wasn’t necessarily the genre people associated her with,” she said.
Regardless, Jarrell said if nothing else, the creation of her own country album proves Queen Bey’s talent and ability further to her listeners. “Great musicians often play or sing in multiple styles,” she said.
Ibarra says the R&B big name’s venture shows the possibility for more inclusion not just in country music, but in any other genre on top of it.
“There can always be more representation for people of color.”- Karen Ibarra, UNG Journalism Major
Additionally, she said that the transition acts as an avenue for her fans to explore a genre they traditionally wouldn’t.
With the success Beyoncé has had in her short time in the country genre, Jarrell said it’s hard to tell if she will touch the classification again. However, it wouldn’t surprise her if she did try to blur the lines further and release another album in another style.
Ibarra said while she wasn’t sure if it would happen, she hoped Queen-Bey decides to tap into country music further. “There are so many layers and aspects to this album that are really important socially, somatically, and culturally,” she said, “and you know there’s so much more that she can write about.”
