Mariah's Album Reviews: The Act II Of Beyoncé's Renaissance : Cowboy Carter
Metacritic Score
91%
Genre for Cowboy Carter
Country
My Review and Interpretations
Beyonce's Cowboy Carter starts powerfully with the beautiful and harmonic blends of "American Requiem". It was Beyonce's way of reclaiming the country music genre. The beautiful country blend then bleeds into "Blackbird". The classic cover of this Beatles song gives the original its flowers and still adds the same Beyonce flare. Something that I liked about this cover was that it didn't stray too far from the original song. What I also liked is that other black female country singers had a chance to shine. This song features Tanner Adell, Brittany Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts. Their voices all worked well together and that was a nice touch to the cover. Transitioning over to '16 Carriages', which was one of the first singles of the album was still very impactful. The song is a career commentary about the trials and tribulations of Beyonce's career. The lyrics were emotional and the instruments were gorgeous.
The subject of Beyonce's career switches to Beyonce's life as a mother. 'Protector' illustrates her passion as a mother through her child, Rumi. After Blue Ivy performed with Beyonce during her Renaissance tour, it was pleasant to see another one of her children get the spotlight. The song even features little soundbites of Rumi's voice. The song was almost like a sweet lullaby to her youngest child. The first interlude comes after 'Protector' and it's called 'My Rose'. It is just a way to show off her vocals before transitioning to another interlude called 'Smoke Hour' ft Willie Nelson. I believe this was a way to give Willie Nelson his flowers and show the world that Beyonce was serious about this being a country album
The other single that was released before the album was next on the list/ 'Texas Hold'Em' is an upbeat jam. Beyonce shows love to her hometown of Texas some love in this song. The beat is catchy and very danceable. The dance-boppy vibe slows down a little and becomes sultry with 'Bodyguard'. Beyonce gives a bit of attitude in this song as the sultry country voice jumps out. Dolly Parton makes an appearance with a funny interlude comparing 'Beck With the Good Hair' to a girl with auburn hair, Jolene. 'The Dolly P' interlude leads to the long-awaited 'Jolene' cover on the album. The cover was similar to the original, with minor lyric tweaks. Either way, Jolene is someone that I would not like to be right now.
Beyonce's reflection on her life was a theme that I heard a lot of with this album. After discussing motherhood, she goes on to discuss daughterhood. The slow-down tempo of 'Daughter' amplified the emotional weight of being a good daughter. What made the experience even more significant was the surprise opera singing at the end. This proves that Beyonce's voice is versatile and she can do anything. The tempo completely changes with the Linda Martell and Shaboozey feature, 'Spaghetti.' The song remarks on the genre over a trap beat. The song switches from country to more of a rap, which could be a shout-out to the haters. Beyonce has never been afraid to be direct and this song is just an example of it. The unapologetic anger continues on 'Alligator Tears'. The song chronicles the feelings of being manipulated yet still having forgiveness in your heart. In my perspective, the setting of this song is a bar on the bayou. It evokes a certain aura of togetherness. and ranting to a small group of people about your feelings.
Yet another Willie Nelson interlude gives a nice break from the production and well-roundedness of the album. Beyonce swapped Willie Nelson with Willie Jones for their 'Just for Fun' ballad. Willie Jones was on X Factor USA in 2012, with his audition even going viral for his impressive voice. In 2024, he was featured on a Beyonce song, I thought that was a beautiful full-circle moment. 'Just for Fun' focuses on the creative independence of artists. It also deals with hard work as an artist and how artists, specifically black ones, should never have to settle for less. Back-to-back features as a Miley Cyrus feature are escorted into the album. 'II Most Wanted' expresses Milry's mature voice alongside Beyonce's. Cyrus is on a roll after coming off of first-time Grammy wins at this year's ceremony. Her momentum exhilarates this duet with includes good harmonies from the duo. The song is about being loyal to the ones that they love.
As I said earlier, the features on this album just keep rolling! Post Malone makes a quick stop for 'Levii's Jeans.' His voice is smooth and silky over such a calm beat. The sexy lyrics were a complete contrast to the duo's voices. Beyonce gives another break with the 'Flamenco' interlude and an interlude by Linda Martell entitled 'The Linda Martell Show'. 'Ya Ya' quickly stops that break. It sounds like the song samples 'These Boots Are Made for Walking' by Nancy Sinatra. The rodeo-like performance was fun and dance-filled and the funky tune of 'Oh Louisiana' and 'Desert Eagle' precedes 'Ya Ya' and the three go hand-in-hand. The album goes from funky country to a 'disco country' with 'Riiverdance'. The song is a real head-bopper with themes of first love and love in general.
'II Hands II Heaven' was one of the best songs, production-wise and sonically. The son focuses on dancing like no one else is watching and being yourself. The first half and second half of the song sound different, however, the transition are smooth with each other.
Disco Country then goes into trap country with 'Tyrant'. Tyrant is a rebellious anthem about jealousy, rage, and power! The sexual innuendos in the songs are what give this song that extra 'spice'. The clubby anthem of 'Sweet-Honey- Buckin ft. Shaboozey') paired nicely with its predecessor. The vocals were beautiful, however, the beat was fast-paced and uptempo. The song legit sounds like it could belong in a club. From my interpretation, the song is about finding a home where you feel like you do not belong. The album ends exquisitely with 'Amen'. In the song, Beyonce is praying for forgiveness and mercy. However, another interpretation that I have is that Beyonce is singing from the perspective of God and is begging humans for forgiveness. Beyonce does this clever thing when 'Amen' loops back to the first track of the album. The creativity of this album was amazing. Overall, this was a well-crafted and well-thought-out album. Even 27 years into the industry, Beyonce is still finding ways to push the envelope.
My Rating for Country Carter
97%
My Top Songs
Levii Jean's
Sweet- Honey- Buckin
Alligator Tears
II Most Wanted
What did you think about the album review? Do you agree with my rating? How would you rate the album? Let me know in the comments below!
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