Beyincé (referred to as Act II or Act II: Beyincé) is speculated to be the original version of Beyoncé's eighth studio album Cowboy Carter[1] and is a digitally unreleased album by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. The album was released on March 29, 2024, on physical releases, through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records.[2] The album was only available on limited edition vinyls and limited edition CDs on Beyoncé's webstore.[2] The album consists of an 22 tracks from Cowboy Carter, compiled into 19 tracks on the vinyl and 23 tracks on the CD, with the album omitting 5 tracks on vinyl and 4 tracks on CD from the Cowboy Carter track listing.[3]
Background[]
- Main article: Cowboy_Carter#First_Physical_Release_Controversy
Prior to the release of Cowboy Carter, CDs and Vinyls were available for preorder from shop.beyonce.com. These website exclusives lacked detailed descriptions or tracklists and featured alternate cover art.[2] On March 29th, 2024, fans who had received their pre-orders began to report on Twitter that the CD and Vinyl versions of Cowboy Carter were different to the streaming version. Fans noted that the title "Cowboy Carter" was nowhere on the physical releases, and instead, there was a printed title of "Beyincé Act II". The releases contained no booklets, no credits, and no tracklist.[4]
After listen-throughs, fans reported that the CD version contained 23 tracks from Cowboy Carter and the vinyl contained 22 tracks Cowboy Carter. The missing vinyl tracks included “Spaghettii,” “Flamenco,” “The Linda Martell Show,” “Ya Ya,” and “Oh Louisiana”; and the CD was the same, with the exception of “Flamenco," which was the "Bonus Track."[3] Aside from the name, artwork and tracklist differences, fans also reported other discrepancies in the music. The physical versions hosted different versions and mixes of songs, some of which even contained other artists.The list includes: "Protector" which lacked the Rumi & Sir outro, "My Rose" titled as "Mr. Sir", "Jolene" featuring Willie Jones, "Levii's Jeans" containing a cut transition, "Flamenco" running a second longer, "Desert Eagle" missing the hawk sound effect at the start, "Riiverdance" containing longer refrains and choruses, "II Hands II Heaven" and "Tyrant" having longer outros, and "Sweet ★ Honey ★ Buckiin'" missing the "Honey" intro.[4]
Beyoncé has not confirmed the theory, but fans speculated that the vinyls and CDs were pressings of the original version of Cowboy Carter, Beyincé. This was because of no mention of Cowboy Carter on the vinyls and CDs, and spines on the vinyl jacket that had the album title listed as "Beyincé" instead of "Cowboy Carter".[4] The track listing can be founded on Beyoncé's website, displayed as the "limited edition tracklist". The link can be accessed by scanning a QR code found in the physical releases, or by typing the link https://limitededition.beyonce.com/.[3] The problem gained high attention from news outlets such as London Evening Standard, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Variety, TODAY, Business Insider, Euronews.com, US Weekly, NME, Yahoo, Daily Mail, The Independent, FOX News, and Complex.
Track listing[]
| Vinyl Edition | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "AMERIICAN REQUIEM" | Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter · Jonathan Batiste · Ernest Wilson · Darius Scott · Tyler Johnson · Shawn Carter · Stephen Stills · Raphael Saadiq · Derek Dixie · Dan Walsh · Atia Boggs · Camaron Ochs | Knowles-Carter · Batiste · No I.D. · DIXSON · Johnson · Khirye Tyler | 5:25 | ||||||
| 2. | "BLACKBIIRD" (with Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell and Tiera Kennedy) | John Lennon · Paul McCartney | Knowles-Carter · Paul McCartney · Tyler | 2:11 | ||||||
| 3. | "16 CARRIAGES" | Knowles-Carter · Boggs · Dave Hamelin · Saadiq | Knowles-Carter · Hamelin · Ink · Saadiq · Stuart White | 3:47 | ||||||
| 4. | "PROTECTOR" (with Rumi Carter) | Knowles-Carter · Ochs · Jack Rochan · Ryan Beatty | Knowles-Carter · Jack Ro | 2:59 | ||||||
| 5. | "MY ROSE" | Beyoncé · Shawntoni Nichols | Knowles-Carter · Mamii | 0:53 | ||||||
| 6. | "SMOKE HOUR ★ WILLIE NELSON / TEXAS HOLD 'EM" (with Willie Nelson) | Knowles-Carter · Charles Anderson · Charles Berry · Jesse Stone · Leah Takele · Sister Rosetta Tharpe · Edward House Jr. Elizabeth Lowell Boland · Megan Bülow · Brian Bates · Nathan Ferraro · Saadiq | Knowles-Carter · Saadiq · Ferraro · Killah B · Hit-Boy · White · Mariel Gomerez | 4:43 | ||||||
| 7. | "BODYGUARD" | Knowles-Carter · Saadiq · Beatty · Nichols · Boland · Leven Kali | Saadiq | 4:00 | ||||||
| 8. | "DOLLY P / JOLENE" (with Dolly Parton) | Knowles-Carter · Dolly Parton | Knowles-Carter · Tyler · NOVA WAV · Jack Ro | 3:31 | ||||||
| 9. | "DAUGHTER" | Knowles-Carter · Ochs · Dixie · Carter · Simon Mårtensson · Terius Gesteelde-Diamant | Knowles-Carter · Cam · Dixie · Mårtensson | 3:23 | ||||||
| 10. | "ALLIIGATOR TEARS" | Knowles-Carter · Tyler · Gesteelde-Diamant | Knowles-Carter · Tyler · The-Dream | 2:59 | ||||||
| 11. | "SMOKE HOUR II / JUST FOR FUN" (with Willie Nelson and Willie Jones) | Knowles-Carter · Hamelin · Jeff Gitelman · Takele · Beatty | Knowles-Carter · Hamelin | 3:53 | ||||||
| 12. | "II MOST WANTED" (with Miley Cyrus) | Knowles-Carter · Miley Cyrus · Ryan Tedder · Michael Pollack | Knowles-Carter · Cyrus · Shawn Everett · Pollack · Jonathan Rado | 3:28 | ||||||
| 13. | "LEVII'S JEANS" (with Post Malone) | Knowles-Carter · Austin Post · Gesteelde-Diamant · Carter · Nile Rodgers | Knowles-Carter · The-Dream | 4:17 | ||||||
| 14. | "DESERT EAGLE" | Knowles-Carter · Jabbar Stevens · Miranda Johnson · Marcus Reddick | Knowles-Carter · BAH | 1:12 | ||||||
| 15. | "RIIVERDANCE" | Knowles-Carter · Rachel Keen · Gesteelde-Diamant · Nick Kobe · Mark Spears | Knowles-Carter · The-Dream | 4:11 | ||||||
| 16. | "II HANDS II HEAVEN" | Knowles-Carter · Spears · Rochan · Beatty · Gesteelde-Diamant · Hamelin | Sounwave · Hamelin · Jack Ro | 5:41 | ||||||
| 17. | "TYRANT" (with Dolly Parton) | Knowles-Carter · David Doman · Ochs · Dominic Redenczki · Kobe · Ezemdi Chikwendu · Gesteelde-Diamant | d.a. got that dope · Hamelin · Tyler | 4:10 | ||||||
| 18. | "SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN'" (with Shaboozey) | Knowles-Carter · Chikwendu · Hank Cochran · Harlan Howard · Pharrell Williams · Carter · Gesteelde-Diamant · Kobe | Knowles-Carter · Williams · Kobe | 4:56 | ||||||
| 19. | "AMEN" | Knowles-Carter · Scott · Danielle Balbuena · Darius Dixon · Hamelin · Dixie · Ian Fitchuk · Johnson · Ochs | Knowles-Carter · Dixie · 070 Shake · Hamelin · Fitchuk · Sean Solymar · Johnson | 2:25 | ||||||
Total length: |
67:46 | |||||||||
| CD Edition | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "AMERIICAN REQUIEM" | Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter · Jonathan Batiste · Ernest Wilson · Darius Scott · Tyler Johnson · Shawn Carter · Stephen Stills · Raphael Saadiq · Derek Dixie · Dan Walsh · Atia Boggs · Camaron Ochs | Knowles-Carter · Batiste · No I.D. · DIXSON · Johnson · Khirye Tyler | 5:25 | ||||||
| 2. | "BLACKBIIRD" (with Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell and Tiera Kennedy) | John Lennon · Paul McCartney | Knowles-Carter · Paul McCartney · Tyler | 2:11 | ||||||
| 3. | "16 CARRIAGES" | Knowles-Carter · Boggs · Dave Hamelin · Saadiq | Knowles-Carter · Hamelin · Ink · Saadiq · Stuart White | 3:47 | ||||||
| 4. | "PROTECTOR" (with Rumi Carter) | Knowles-Carter · Ochs · Jack Rochan · Ryan Beatty | Knowles-Carter · Jack Ro | 3:04 | ||||||
| 5. | "MY SIR" | Beyoncé · Shawntoni Nichols | Knowles-Carter · Mamii | 0:53 | ||||||
| 6. | "SMOKE HOUR ★ WILLIE NELSON" (with Willie Nelson) | Knowles-Carter · Charles Anderson · Charles Berry · Jesse Stone · Leah Takele · Sister Rosetta Tharpe · Edward House Jr. | Knowles-Carter | 0:50 | ||||||
| 7. | "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" | Knowles-Carter · Elizabeth Lowell Boland · Megan Bülow · Brian Bates · Nathan Ferraro · Saadiq | Knowles-Carter · Saadiq · Ferraro · Killah B · Hit-Boy · White · Mariel Gomerez | 3:53 | ||||||
| 8. | "BODYGUARD" | Knowles-Carter · Saadiq · Beatty · Nichols · Boland · Leven Kali | Saadiq | 4:00 | ||||||
| 9. | "DOLLY P" (with Dolly Parton) | Knowles-Carter · Dolly Parton | Knowles-Carter · NOVA WAV · Jack Ro | 0:22 | ||||||
| 10. | "JOLENE" (with Willie Jones) | Parton | Knowles-Carter · Tyler · Jack Ro | 3:09 | ||||||
| 11. | "DAUGHTER" | Knowles-Carter · Ochs · Dixie · Carter · Simon Mårtensson · Terius Gesteelde-Diamant | Knowles-Carter · Cam · Dixie · Mårtensson | 3:23 | ||||||
| 12. | "ALLIIGATOR TEARS" | Knowles-Carter · Tyler · Gesteelde-Diamant | Knowles-Carter · Tyler · The-Dream | 2:59 | ||||||
| 13. | "SMOKE HOUR II" (with Willie Nelson) | Knowles-Carter · Hamelin · Jeff Gitelman · Takele | Knowles-Carter · Hamelin | 0:29 | ||||||
| 14. | "JUST FOR FUN" (with Willie Jones) | Knowles-Carter · Hamelin · Gitelman · Beatty | Knowles-Carter · Hamelin | 3:24 | ||||||
| 15. | "II MOST WANTED" (with Miley Cyrus) | Knowles-Carter · Miley Cyrus · Ryan Tedder · Michael Pollack | Knowles-Carter · Cyrus · Shawn Everett · Pollack · Jonathan Rado | 3:28 | ||||||
| 16. | "LEVII'S JEANS" (with Post Malone) | Knowles-Carter · Austin Post · Gesteelde-Diamant · Carter · Nile Rodgers | Knowles-Carter · The-Dream | 4:12 | ||||||
| 17. | "FLAMENCO" | Knowles-Carter · Nichols | Knowles-Carter · Mamii | 1:41 | ||||||
| 18. | "DESERT EAGLE" | Knowles-Carter · Jabbar Stevens · Miranda Johnson · Marcus Reddick | Knowles-Carter · BAH | 1:12 | ||||||
| 19. | "RIIVERDANCE" | Knowles-Carter · Rachel Keen · Gesteelde-Diamant · Nick Kobe · Mark Spears | Knowles-Carter · The-Dream | 4:27 | ||||||
| 20. | "II HANDS II HEAVEN" | Knowles-Carter · Spears · Rochan · Beatty · Gesteelde-Diamant · Hamelin | Sounwave · Hamelin · Jack Ro | 5:56 | ||||||
| 21. | "TYRANT" (with Dolly Parton) | Knowles-Carter · David Doman · Ochs · Dominic Redenczki · Kobe · Ezemdi Chikwendu · Gesteelde-Diamant | d.a. got that dope · Hamelin · Tyler | 4:10 | ||||||
| 22. | "SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN'" (with Shaboozey) | Knowles-Carter · Chikwendu · Hank Cochran · Harlan Howard · Pharrell Williams · Carter · Gesteelde-Diamant · Kobe | Knowles-Carter · Williams · Kobe | 4:56 | ||||||
| 23. | "AMEN" | Knowles-Carter · Scott · Danielle Balbuena · Darius Dixon · Hamelin · Dixie · Ian Fitchuk · Johnson · Ochs | Knowles-Carter · Dixie · 070 Shake · Hamelin · Fitchuk · Sean Solymar · Johnson | 2:25 | ||||||
Total length: |
69:27 | |||||||||
Physical Releases[]
- Main article: Discography/Merchandise - Physical Music#Cowboy Carter
Gallery[]
Album Cover[]
Photoshoot[]
