In her eighth studio album, Beyoncé has reached a new frontier in her music as she dives into her Texan roots with her new album, “COWBOY CARTER.” The second installment in a trilogy of albums following “RENAISSANCE,” “COWBOY CARTER” holds a collective of 27 songs with over 18 features and two covers. Though late in her career and well into her success, “COWBOY CARTER” has yet again shown Beyoncé’s consistent willingness to take her skill and artistry a step further.

What sets “COWBOY CARTER” apart from Beyoncé’s other albums is its progression throughout the tracks and how it is built around the concept of a radio station called “KNTRY Radio Texas.” With radio hosts Dolly Parton, Linda Martell and Willie Nelson introducing each couple songs throughout the album, it creates an immersive country experience. Within both their individual recording tracks and within their songs, these features and cover songs pay homage to classic influential country artists throughout the album. With both a cover of “Blackbird” by The Beatles and a cover of “Jolene” by Dolly Parton — with a slight twist, Beyoncé yet again bridges the gap between classic and inventive within her music. Providing her take on these classics touches a familiar place in people’s hearts and on the respect for history Beyoncé emphasizes within this album, yet brings us a new sound for these familiar songs and for Beyoncé herself.

One thing that makes this album so influential yet controversial is the discourse it has created over the erasure of Black artists in country music. With the release of this album, Beyoncé made history by becoming the first Black woman to ever top the Billboard Country Music charts. There has been debate within media and musicians over Beyoncé’s position in country music, especially after her performance at the 2016 Country Music Awards where she performed her country song, “Daddy Lessons,” from “Lemonade” with The Chicks and proceeded to receive backlash.

What makes this album so important is the spotlight Beyoncé provides to Black country artists within the tracks and how it sheds light on the lack of diversity found within the genre. This theme is introduced right in the first track, “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” where Beyoncé says “they don’t, don’t know how hard I had to fight for this.”

“COWBOY CARTER” takes a new approach to Beyoncé’s classic production sounds with allusions to both classic rock and country, yet still holds the heart of her sound that “RENAISSANCE” fans have come to love. “COWBOY CARTER” is a sister to “RENAISSANCE,” yet holds its own individuality. Though there is a sense of experimentation found within this album, it feels intentional as it pushes the boundary of what genres should mean for a musician.

“COWBOY CARTER” visits many themes within the lyrics throughout the album. Additionally, the covers Beyoncé sings add to the themes that remain consistent throughout her writing such as love, family, religion and finding liberation within herself and her heritage. This is done beautifully within both the lyrics and sound of each of these tracks. “COWBOY CARTER” redefines the boundaries of Beyoncé’s career and brings something heartfelt and genuine, yet new to her music, all while sustaining the sound of what makes Beyoncé’s albums distinctive and iconic.

Rating: 4.5/5