Entertainment
‘Cowboy Carter’ — Everything You Need to Know About Beyonce’s New Album
When Beyoncé announced her 2022 album Renaissance, she made it clear that it was merely the first installment of a multi-act body of work.And now,…
When Beyoncé announced her 2022 album Renaissance, she made it clear that it was merely the first installment of a multi-act body of work.
And now, after over two years of waiting, the singer has revealed that Act II is on the way — Cowboy Carter. Cowboy Carter, also known as Act II: Cowboy Carter or just Act II, is Beyoncé’s eighth studio album, set to be released on March 29, 2024, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records.
It is the second chapter of Beyoncé’s trilogy project, developed during the COVID-19 epidemic, and follows Renaissance (2022).
The then-untitled album was first announced on February 11, 2024, during Super Bowl LVIII, when Verizon Communications aired a Super Bowl commercial, titled ‘Can’t B Broken,’ in which Beyoncé tried to ‘break the Internet’ by doing increasingly outlandish means — from releasing a jazz saxophone record and performing on top of the Las Vegas Sphere to building an AI version of herself and launching a “Barbey” doll collection.
After all of the ideas failed, Beyoncé closed the advertisement by saying, “Okay, they ready. Drop the new music.” Following the broadcast, the singer shared a preview video for Act II on Instagram.
The video paid tribute to the 1984 movie, Paris, Texas, which mentions border blasters, and incorporates Chuck Berry’s 1955 song ‘Maybellene.’ The singer’s official website was updated the same day, announcing her eighth studio album, Act II, which would be released on March 29, 2024.
The album’s two main singles, ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ and ‘16 Carriages,’ were then made available for digital download and streaming. On March 12, 2024, Beyoncé stated that the album would be called Cowboy Carter via a teaser poster with a western saddle and sash.
She released the album cover on Instagram on March 19, 2024, and teased surprises and collaborations on the album. On March 20, 2024, she unveiled a limited edition unique cover featuring a ribbon that says “act ii BEYINCÉ,” referring to a generational family surname.
On March 27, 2024, she unveiled the album’s tracklist via a themed poster. She shared a graphic on Instagram of the album’s tracklist, which was inspired by classic Chitlin’ Circuit posters.
Cover of Beyoncé’s eighth studio album, ‘Cowboy Carter.’ (Source: Instagram)
It includes the titles “Dolly P” and “Smoke Hour Willie Nelson,” implying possible collaborations with Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. Similarly, ‘Jolene,’ was written on the poster, which netizens believe is a cover or reinterpretation of the Parton’s song of the same name.
‘The Linda Martell Show,’ has also been mentioned on the poster, possibly referring to the first Black woman to achieve commercial success in the country genre.
The themed poster revealing the album’s tracklist has been confusing a lot of netizens. The following things have been mentioned on the poster, so possibly, these are the songs on the album.
They are — ‘Texas Hold ‘Em,’ ‘16 Carriages,’ ‘Ameriican Requiem,’ ‘Blackbiird,’ ‘Protector,’ ‘My Rose,’ ‘Bodyguard,’ ‘Daughter,’ ‘Spaghettii,’ ‘Alliigator Tears,’ ‘Smoke Hour Willie Nelson,’ ‘Smoke Hour II,’ ‘Just for Fun,’ ‘II Most Wanted,’ ‘Levii’s Jeans,’ ‘Flamenco,’ ‘Ya Ya,’ ‘Oh Louisiana,’ ‘Desert Eagle,’ ‘Riiverdance,’ ‘Tyrant,’ ‘II Hands II Heaven,’ ‘Sweet Honey Buckin’,’ ‘Amen,’ ‘Jolene,’ and ‘The Linda Martell Show.’
It looks like we will only get to know the collaborations and tracklist of Cowboy Carter after its release on March 29, 2024.