Cowboy Carter

A journey through a reinvention of Americana that spotlights the overlooked contributions of Black pioneers to American musical history.

Cowboy Carter is the eighth studio album by Beyoncé, released on March 29, 2024, under Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Serving as Act II of a trilogy following Renaissance (2022), it functions as a concept album presented as a radio broadcast. The project reimagines Americana by spotlighting the overlooked contributions of Black pioneers to American musical history. Influenced by Beyoncé's Texas upbringing, the record blends country with eclectic Southern styles including zydeco, blues, and gospel. It features disc jockeys Dolly Parton, Linda Martell, and Willie Nelson, alongside rising Black country artists like Shaboozey, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, and Willie Jones.

Quick Facts

Artist

Beyoncé

Language

English; Italian

Released

29 March 2024

Genre

Country
country pop
outlaw country
pop
Americana
western
country-soul
blues
hip-hop
R&B

Length

78:21

Label

Parkwood; Columbia

Lore & Background

The album's foundation lies in Beyoncé’s discovery that historically half of cowboys were Black, prompting her to research the genre's African-American roots. This realization stemmed from her upbringing in Houston, where she attended the Livestock Show and Rodeo annually and listened to country music taught by her paternal grandfather. The concept emerged after the 2016 backlash to her performance of "Daddy Lessons" at the CMA Awards, an event that highlighted her exclusion from the genre space despite critical praise.

Rather than retreating, she spent five years developing this project starting in 2019, recording during the pandemic as a creative response to critics claiming she did not belong. Collaborator Rhiannon Giddens noted Beyoncé intended to explore family roots rather than create a typical crossover album. The narrative arc redefines Americana boundaries by fusing Western film references like "Five Fingers for Marseilles" and "The Harder They Fall" with organic sounds such as wind, snaps, birds, and chickens.

Reader's Guide

Fans can navigate this era by recognizing its three official singles: "Texas Hold 'Em," "16 Carriages," and "II Most Wanted." The lead single, "Texas Hold 'Em," made history as Beyoncé's ninth US number-one single and the first country song by a Black woman to top both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts. In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and became her first to top the Top Country Albums chart, selling 407,000 album-equivalent units. The project drove significant cultural shifts, increasing country music listenership and boosting Western wear popularity. To support these releases, Beyoncé embarked on the Cowboy Carter Tour from April 28 to July 26, 2025. Critics praised the genre experimentation and expansive scope, noting how it aided an ambitious reimagining of country through Black roots.

Did You Know?

Cowboy Carter was over five years in the making, with Beyoncé beginning to write it in 2019.
Beyoncé recorded around 100 songs for the album, each serving as a reimagined version of a specific Western film.
The album's final note loops seamlessly into the beginning of the first track in the same manner as James Joyce's Finnegans Wake.