Cowboy Carter (stylized in all-caps; also referred to as Act II or Act II: Cowboy Carter)[1] is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter, Beyoncé, released on March 29, 2024 through Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Its announcement took place on February 11, 2024, following a teaser in a Verizon commercial aired during Super Bowl LVIII that starred the singer and actor Tony Hale. Following the airing of the commercial, Beyoncé released the two lead singles "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages", both to positive reviews.
Cowboy Carter is the second act part of a three-act project created by the singer, with the first act being the house and disco-themed album Renaissance (2022). The album musical genres includes country, rock and roll, hip hop, trap and folk. Following its release, the album was met with universal acclaim and commercial success.
Background[]
Verizon, an American multinational telecommunications company, released a short Super Bowl teaser involving American actor and comedian, Tony Hale, making lemonade referencing Beyoncé's sixth studio album, Lemonade (2016).[2] Another teaser commercial was released featuring the silver horse statue, Reneigh, from the artist's seventh studio album art cover, Renaissance (2022).[3]
Throughout the Super Bowl LVIII, a minute-long commercial was released with Tony Hale challenging the artist herself if she can break "Verizon's 5G internet service."[4] During the commercial, Beyoncé attempts to break the internet by running a lemonade stand, releasing a jazz saxophone album, launching a Barbie doll collection, announcing her president candidacy, and flying into space for a performance.[5] Shortly after the commercial aired, Beyoncé posted a video teaser on Instagram with an unidentified woman starting up a car and driving afar on an empty road.[6] The same day, the artist's official website was updated to announce her eighth studio album, Act II, scheduled for release on March 29.[7] The album's two lead singles, "16 Carriages" and "Texas Hold 'Em", were surprise released for digital download and streaming.[8][9]
March 12 saw the reveal of the album's title and pre-order.[10]
Composition[]
| “ | Today marks the 10-day countdown until the release of act ii. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES. I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart. That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant.
I have a few surprises on the album, and have collaborated with some brilliant artists who I deeply respect. I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound. I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE…I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop. This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all! |
” |
– via Instagram [11] | ||
Singles[]
- Both "16 CARRIAGES" and "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" were released as a double-single on February 11, 2024.
- "II MOST WANTED", featuring Miley Cyrus, was released as the album's third single in late April 2024.
Track listing[]
| Standard 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 ROSE" | 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" | 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. | "SPAGHETTII" (with Linda Martell and Shaboozey) | Knowles-Carter · Tyler · Collins Chibueze · DJ Dede Mandrake · Carter · Gesteelde-Diamant | Knowles-Carter · Tyler · Swizz Beatz | 2:38 | ||||||
| 13. | "ALLIIGATOR TEARS" | Knowles-Carter · Tyler · Gesteelde-Diamant | Knowles-Carter · Tyler · The-Dream | 2:59 | ||||||
| 14. | "SMOKE HOUR II" (with Willie Nelson) | Knowles-Carter · Hamelin · Jeff Gitelman · Takele | Knowles-Carter · Hamelin | 0:29 | ||||||
| 15. | "JUST FOR FUN" (with Willie Jones) | Knowles-Carter · Hamelin · Gitelman · Beatty | Knowles-Carter · Hamelin | 3:24 | ||||||
| 16. | "II MOST WANTED" (with Miley Cyrus) | Knowles-Carter · Miley Cyrus · Ryan Tedder · Michael Pollack | Knowles-Carter · Cyrus · Shawn Everett · Pollack · Jonathan Rado | 3:28 | ||||||
| 17. | "LEVII'S JEANS" (with Post Malone) | Knowles-Carter · Austin Post · Gesteelde-Diamant · Carter · Nile Rodgers | Knowles-Carter · The-Dream | 4:17 | ||||||
| 18. | "FLAMENCO" | Knowles-Carter · Nichols | Knowles-Carter · Mamii | 1:40 | ||||||
| 19. | "THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW" (with Linda Martell) | Knowles-Carter · Takele | Knowles-Carter | 0:28 | ||||||
| 20. | "YA YA" | Knowles-Carter · Gesteelde-Diamant · Harry Edwards · Oliver Rodigan · Carter · Arlo Parks · Brian Wilson · Mike Love · Lee Hazlewood · Klara Mkhatshwa Munk-Hansen | Knowles-Carter · Tyler · The-Dream · Edwards · Cadenza | 4:34 | ||||||
| 21. | "OH LOUISIANA" | Berry | Knowles-Carter · The-Dream | 0:52 | ||||||
| 22. | "DESERT EAGLE" | Knowles-Carter · Jabbar Stevens · Miranda Johnson · Marcus Reddick | Knowles-Carter · BAH | 1:12 | ||||||
| 23. | "RIIVERDANCE" | Knowles-Carter · Rachel Keen · Gesteelde-Diamant · Nick Kobe · Mark Spears | Knowles-Carter · The-Dream | 4:11 | ||||||
| 24. | "II HANDS II HEAVEN" | Knowles-Carter · Spears · Rochan · Beatty · Gesteelde-Diamant · Hamelin | Sounwave · Hamelin · Jack Ro | 5:41 | ||||||
| 25. | "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 | ||||||
| 26. | "SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN'" (with Shaboozey) | Knowles-Carter · Chikwendu · Hank Cochran · Harlan Howard · Pharrell Williams · Carter · Gesteelde-Diamant · Kobe | Knowles-Carter · Williams · Kobe | 4:56 | ||||||
| 27. | "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: |
78:21 | |||||||||
Notes[]
- "BLACKBIIRD" is a cover of Beatles' "Blackbird".[12]
- "SMOKE HOUR ★ WILLIE NELSON" features snippets of "Grinnin' in Your Face" by Son House, "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry, "Don’t Let Go" by Roy Hamilton and "Down by the River Side" by Rosetta Tharpe.[13]
- "JOLENE" is a cover of Dolly Parton's song of the same name. However, it features significant lyric changes.[12][13]
- "DAUGHTER" interpolates "Caro Mio Ben", written and composed by Tommaso Giordani.[14][15]
- "SPAGHETTII" includes spoken word by Linda Martell, and contains a sample of "Aquecimento – Vem Vem Vai Vai" by Dedé Mandrake.[13]
- "II MOST WANTED" interpolates "Landslide" performed by Fleetwood Mac and written by Stevie Nicks.[13]
- "YA YA" features a sample of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'", originally performed by Nancy Sinatra; it also interpolates "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys.[13]
- "OH LOUISIANA" features a sample of Chuck Berry's song of the same name.[13]
- "II HANDS II HEAVEN" contains a sample of "Born Slippy Nuxx" by Underworld.[16]
- "SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN'" interpolates "I Fall to Pieces" performed by Patsy Cline.[13]
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. 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.
After listen-throughs, fans reported that the CD version contained 23 tracks and the vinyl contained 22 tracks. 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."
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.
With all these discrepancies, fans theorized possible explanations, including last-minute album changes, production mistakes, or some combination of the two. Since "Cowboy Carter" was originally slated to be Act I, it seems most likely that a combination of album changes and production mistakes would explain these issues. Neither Beyonce nor her team has commented on the issue.
Act II - Beyincé[]
- Main article: Beyincé
"Beyincé" is speculated to be the original name of Act II, because of the physical releases differing from the normal album. On vinyl releases, Act II is called "Beyincé" on the spine, and the tracks on the physical releases are thought to be the track listing of Beyincé.
Merchandise[]
- Main article: Merchandise - Cowboy Carter#Cowboy Carter
Physical Releases[]
- Main article: Discography/Merchandise - Physical Music#Cowboy Carter
Gallery[]
Album Covers[]
Photoshoot[]
Promotional[]
Instagram[]
Signings[]
Tower Records[]
On March 29th, 2024, Beyoncé appeared at Tower Records in Shibuya, Japan, for a surprise fan signing of Cowboy Carter.[17]
Supervinyl[]
On April 12th, 2024, Beyoncé visited Supervinyl in Los Angeles, providing the store with signed copies Cowboy Carter to be sold to fans.
W Magazine[]
Videos[]
Russian Edition
References[]
- ↑ Beyoncé on Instagram
- ↑ "The Beyhive was right: Verizon's cryptic teasers led to a Beyoncé Super Bowl ad"
- ↑ "Verizon Seemingly Confirms Beyoncé Starring In Super Bowl Ad — Here's What We Know"
- ↑ "Beyoncé Confirms New Music in Verizon Super Bowl 2024 Commercial: Watch"
- ↑ "Beyoncé Is Bound to Break the Internet Again With Her Super Bowl Commercial"
- ↑ "Beyoncé Drops 2 New Songs, Unveils 'Act II' Release Date: Here's When It Arrives"
- ↑ "Beyoncé Announces New Album in Super Bowl Commercial"
- ↑ "Beyoncé Surprise Drops New Songs "Texas Hold 'Em" & "16 Carriages" Following Super Bowl Commercial"
- ↑ "Beyoncé Drops 2 New Songs, Unveils Act II Release Date: Here's When It Arrives"
- ↑ "Beyoncé Announces ‘Cowboy Carter’ Album: Here’s When It Arrives".
- ↑ "Beyoncé ‘Did Not Feel Welcomed’ in Country — ‘Cowboy Carter’ Emerged From Those Limitations"
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' Features a Beatles Cover, Miley Cyrus, and Post Malone"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:2 - ↑ "Beyoncé's Country Album 'Cowboy Carter' Also Showcases Her Opera Skills"
- ↑ "√ La canzone del nuovo disco di Beyoncé cantata in italiano"
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:1 - ↑ Emergency announcement! Autograph session @ Tower Records Shibuya store will be held today! https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/Beyonce/info/562001