Beyoncé Knowles-Carter released her new album, Cowboy Carter, on Friday, officially making her international debut.
The Houston native's eighth album features 27 tracks and features guest appearances from some of country music's biggest stars, including Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton, including his 1973 hit “Jolene.” ” is one of two covers included.
“I don't think this music is what anyone expects, so people will be surprised,” Beyoncé said in a statement Friday. “But this is the best music I've ever made,” said the 42-year-old, who is considered one of the highest-grossing music artists of all time.
Upon release, “Cowboy Carter” shot to No. 2 on Apple Music.Excitement over the long-awaited release has made some celebrities post Post Western-themed photos of yourself on social media.
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The album's lead single, “Texas Hold'em,” also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the country music category, making Beyoncé the first black woman to top the country music chart.
Nancy Sinatra and Dolly Parton gave their consent to Beyoncé's use of their songs in two social media posts late Friday.
“It means a lot to me to have a small part of my record used in a Beyoncé song because I love her,” Sinatra said of the sample used on “Ya Ya.” Told. “She represents what's great about music today and I'm happy to be a part of it. This might be the best 'Boots' sample ever! And the beat continues .”
And perhaps one of the most anticipated songs on the album, Beyoncé's remake of Dolly Parton's “Jolene” has earned the queen of country's love.
“Wow, I just heard about Jolene. Beyoncé is giving that girl a hard time and she deserves it!” Parton said on social media.
The big buzz about the new album started last month with the debut of “Texas Hold'em” during Super Bowl 15. Soon after, this country single of his reached number one in both the US and UK, making it his first time since 2003 with Beyoncé to top the charts in both countries at the same time.
The cover art for “Cowboy Carter,” which rose to second place on Apple Music. The lead single from the album “Texas Hold'em” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the country music category.blair caldwell
Beyoncé said the album was inspired in part by growing up in Texas and watching her perform at the Houston Rodeo. She said it took her five years to complete Cowboy Carter, and given that much of the music being produced these days is computer-heavy, she prefers the songs on the entire album to sound more earthy. She said she wanted to do that.
“I wanted to go back to real instruments because there was artificial intelligence and digital filters and programming, so I was using very old instruments,” Beyoncé said. “All the sounds were very organic and human, everyday sounds like the wind and snaps and even the sounds of birds and roosters, sounds of nature.”
It will be several weeks before record labels Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records are able to announce album sales figures. Beyoncé's previous album, Renaissance, sold more than 1 million copies, including downloads and streaming, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
“Texas Hold'em” was at the center of an uproar last month when an Oklahoma country music station refused to play the song, with some Beyoncé fans accusing the station of racism.
I requested Texas Hold'em on my local country radio station (KYKC). After requesting, I received the following email from the radio station. “We're a country music station, so we won't be playing Beyoncé on KYKC.” Morimori pic.twitter.com/eQksQemk6m
— Justin🫧 (@jussatto) February 13, 2024
After a flurry of emails, phone calls, and more requests for the song, the station agreed to add the single to its playlist. The station's general manager, Roger Harris, said staff heard the song and agreed it sounded “country-sounding.”
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