Beyoncé at the 2024 Grammys in Los Angeles in February 2024.Photo:Kevin Mazur/Getty
Kevin Mazur/Getty
Giddy on up, BeyHive!
On Tuesday,Beyoncéannounced the title of her forthcoming,countryalbum. Having previously teased that she was going to release acountry music projectand thenext phase of her acclaimed 2022 albumRenaissanceon March 29, she officially revealed that it’s calledAct II: Cowboy Carter.
In the image, it’s as if the metallic, disco-esque saddle that Queen Bey rides on the cover ofRenaissanceis transforming into a western one — signaling her artistic transition.
Beyoncé announces ‘Act II: Cowboy Carter’ on her Instagram Story.Beyonce/Instagram
Beyonce/Instagram
The image is also displayed front and center on Beyoncé’swebsite. TheShopsection of her site where fans can pre-order merchandise and the new record also reveals alternate artwork to feature close-up photos of the Grammy winner’s face as she wears ablack cowboy hat, has awhite snake over her eyeand her hair done up in ablonde, feathered cutandbraids.
Thanks to the BeyHive’s efforts inrequesting “Texas Hold ‘Em” on country radio, the song officially became serviced to the genre’s stations in mid-February and eventually hitNo. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
By reaching the peak position, Beyoncé has made history as the first Black female artist to ever reach the top spot on the chart.
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Few details are known aboutCowboy Carter, which arrives in just a few weeks on March 29. Although, it’s possible that a cover ofDolly Parton’s classic“Jolene” is included in the tracklist. The country icon, 78, shared in an interview withKnox Newsthat she heard the hitmaker had recorded a rendition of her beloved song for the album.
Beyoncé performing on the ‘Renaissance’ World Tour in June 2023 in Warsaw, Poland.Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Since announcingCowboy Carter, Beyoncé’s motherTina Knowleshas spoken out about how her daughter’s country album is a natural progression.
Resharing a series of old magazine covers of her daughter dressed in cowboy attireon Instagram, Knowles, 70, wrote in the caption, “I just came across this video on my IG feed! We have always celebrated Cowboy Culture growing up in Texas.”
She continued, “We also always understood that it was not just about it belonging to White culture only. In Texas there is a huge black cowboy culture. Why do you think that my kids have integrated it into their fashion and art since the beginning.”
The note concluded, “When people ask why is Beyoncé wearing cowboy hats? It’s really funny, I actually laugh because it’s been there since she was a kid, we went to rodeos every year and my whole family dressed in western fashion.Solangedid a whole brilliant Album and Project based on Black Cowboy Culture. It definitely was a part of our culture growing up."
source: people.com
