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Beyoncé stirred anticipation for “surprises” and collaborations on her highly-anticipated country-themed album in the days ahead of its release.
The global megastar noted, however, that act ii COWBOY CARTER “ain’t a Country album. It's “a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”
Beyoncé shared a statement about the soon-to-debut project in an Instagram post on Tuesday (March 19). The photo shows the Houston, Texas-born artist seated side-saddle on a galloping horse, donning a cowboy hat and holding an American flag as she marked the 10-day countdown to act ii COWBOY CARTER’s release. Beyoncé opened her statement expressing her gratitude for the support for the first two singles she released — “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” — and making history as the first Black woman to release a single that reached No. 1 on country charts.
“That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you,” she said. “My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant.”
Beyoncé said her upcoming album has ben a years-long process, beginning five years ago in 2019. It all started because of “an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.
“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” she continued. “act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”
Beyoncé hinted at “a few surprises” on COWBOY CARTER, including collaborations with “some brilliant artists who I deeply respect. I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound. I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE [Beyoncé’s studio album that released in July 2022]…I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop.”
Beyoncé’s statement quickly garnered thousands of comments, including from country artists Maren Morris, Brittney Spencer and others. Beyoncé revealed plans for her country-themed RENAISSANCE follow-up after Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime Show last month. Since then, country singer-songwriters have embraced the Grammy Award-winning powerhouse in the genre, including reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson and the legendary Dolly Parton. Parton recently said in an interview she believes Beyoncé covered “Jolene” on her upcoming album, and gushed, “I love her! She's a beautiful girl and a great singer.”
“This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album,” Beyoncé said. “This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”
COWBOY CARTER is set to release on March 29.