NEW YORK.- Fans and critics are praising Cowboy Carterthe new album flooded with the spirit country of Beyonc, a work that is already climbing the charts after the long-awaited launch this Friday. It’s about a tribute broad spectrum to his Southern heritage, and the 27-song second act of his trilogy Renaissance.
A triumph that disrupts the genre and shows off African-American country culture.
“No one will confuse this sprawling set with following a straight path or having a remotely boring moment,” wrote the critic for entertainment publication Variety.
“It’s almost as if Beyonc has been looking at some of the evolutionary leaps and setbacks the country has experienced as it redefines its boundaries – as music always has – and said, ‘Hold my Armand de Brignac. I can do it.'”
“But it’s not just about what Beyonc can do for country music; it’s what her concept of country can do for it, expanding her musical empire and even her already well-sculpted sense of self. It’s a lot,” adds the publication.
It’s too early to say how far it will go Cowboy Carter and its enormous track list, but it is certain that the album has enormous commercial potential.
The 42-year-old Houston-born artist pioneered surprise album releases online, but for the first two acts of Renaissance has turned to a more traditional marketing strategy, with thoughtful promotions and luxury physical editions for sale.
His ode to dance Renaissance shot it to Billboard’s number one spot when it was released in 2022, and Cowboy Carter He seems ready to repeat the feat. Not to mention a successful tour like the one in the first act.
A mosaic of stars
Cowboy Carter It is a palpable example of how much music can become green when it leaves the dusty restrictions of the genre.
Beyonc skillfully dodges the critics: some gatekeepers of Nashville country music who have long tried to promote a rigid idea of the genre within an overwhelmingly white and male dimension, both lyrically and musically.
The megastar guides listeners through the evolution of country, on a journey from African American spiritual sounds and violin notes to its pioneering women, as in the Linda Martell collaboration, and then projects a vision for the future.
While it offers a history lesson, Cowboy Carter It is in essence a manifesto that leans towards the freedom of letting go.
Amid the frenzy, Beyonc offers moving portraits of motherhood, celebrations of sex and love, and even a fantasy of revenge murder.
He also selected a mosaic of young stars (including Miley Cyrus, Post Malone and Tanner Adell) and old guard icons like Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. Nothing less.
“Female and African American pride”
The elders appear in the form of announcers of a fictitious radio broadcast. Nelson tells listeners, “Now, for the next song, I want everyone to sit down, breathe in, and go to that good place where your mind likes to wander.” Parton presents the album version of Jolene; and in Ya Yaa boisterous, psychedelic mix of soul dance, Beyonc samples These Boots Are Made For Walkin‘ de Nancy Sinatra.
“My family lived and died in the United States,” he says. “All that red and then white and blue/History can’t be erased.”
While in Sweet Honey Buckiin‘ incorporates hip-hop and house to honor the first act of Renaissance, which celebrated African American origins and evolution in electronics.
Simply put, the album is peak, fresh and, potentially, revealing.
“With this endlessly entertaining project, she becomes a warrior of women’s and African-American pride, and a radio sweetheart,” says Variety.
“Because being Beyonc means never having to pretend you’re just one thing.”
FUENTE: AFP
