So long disco balls and platform shoes, hello square dancing and cowboy boots. Beyoncé officially ushered in a new era with the Friday, March 29 release of Cowboy Carter, her eighth album and a changing of the guard following 2022’s critically acclaimed Renaissance.
Born out of an experience Bey had “years ago where [she] did not feel welcomed,” Cowboy Carter finds the superstar embracing the musical roots of her Southern heritage while paying homage to many of the country greats who came before her — from Willie Nelson to Linda Martell, each of whom recorded voice messages introducing different genre-warping tracks on the album. The project also includes a reinvigorated, Beyoncé-fied version of Dolly Parton‘s “Jolene,” preceded by an interlude recorded by the icon herself.
The LP also sees the Houston native uplifting modern country stars, with Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts (all Black women in country) joining her for a poignant cover of The Beatles‘ “Blackbird,” while Shaboozey and Willie Jones add their own flavor to “Spaghettii” and “Just for Fun,” respectively. Plus, Miley Cyrus blends her voice with Bey’s on the heartfelt “II Most Wanted,” and Post Malone doubles the Texas representation on “Levii’s Jeans.”
The Cowboy Carter tapestry also includes by fascinating samples and interpolations. Case in point? Nancy Sinatra‘s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” and the Beach Boys‘ “Good Vibrations” are somehow both seamlessly fused into just one track, “Ya Ya.”
See which songwriters Beyoncé collaborated with on each of the 27 tracks on Cowboy Carter below, per Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia.
