Beyoncé’s “COWBOY CARTER” album was something different. Clocking in at an hour and 20 minutes and featuring some of music’s top players from across a spectrum of genres, the album was clearly meant to show the world that her heritage and musical talent transcend the limitations of genre and style. But while the album clearly showed her ability to do so, it left us all asking the question: “Should she?”
To me, the album felt as though it lost structure and purpose in its quest to show diversity. While Queen Bey clearly showed her ability to thrive as a country vocalist, the transitions between songs felt haphazard and the album as a whole felt like it was meant to prove a point instead of providing the listener with the best experience possible. In the world of streaming and TikToks, this album seemed to have lost the flow and cohesion that makes a great album great.
Nothing better illustrated this point than near the beginning of the album. “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” the album’s opener, was fantastic. Mixing instruments ranging from classical organ (making the song sound true to requiem style) with southern-style rock guitar, a sitar that added a hint of psychedelia to the song and placing all of that under R&B harmonies and country rhythm, I was excited. I would argue that this song represents one of the greatest culminations of American culture to-date. I was sitting on the edge of my seat, ready to don a cowboy hat and American flag for the rest of the album.
When the next song began playing, I thought something had gone wrong with my Spotify app. After opening with a song with overpowering energy and harmony, the album abruptly transitioned to a cover of The Beatles’ “Blackbird.” As a self-professed audiophile that equally loves The Beatles and Destiny’s Child, I love that she covered the song. It fits her vocal style and she added just enough to make the cover her own while preserving the original piece, but it didn’t belong right after “AMERIICAN REQUIEM.” Something felt wrong.
This problem again illustrated itself later in the album, between “JOLENE” and “SPAGHETTII.” While “JOLENE” was a pretty cut-and-dry cover of the Dolly Parton country classic, the following song, “DAUGHTER,” took an odd turn when the singer dropped the country style halfway through the song and began singing in opera. Once again, I would totally watch an opera starring Beyoncé, and love her embracing the country style, but it doesn’t belong in the same album – let alone the same song. Following “DAUGHTER” was “SPAGHETTII,” a high-energy rap song that would feel well at home in an EARTHGANG album but did not belong anywhere near the other music in this album.
All in all, none of the music was bad. I feel bad criticizing the work because it is all very well-written and well-recorded, but it just did not belong in the same album. I loved all of it, and once again, believe that she has every right to make and master each musical style she showed off in this album, but it all felt abrasive. I hope Beyoncé continues to lean into each of the styles she showed off during the album, but I hope she does so in a way where one can listen though the album in its entirety without feeling the flow get cut off with abrupt changes.