“takes country music by its plaid collar and sets it on fire”
“At this stage of her career, it’d feel pretty redundant to try and put labels on what Beyoncé Knowles-Carter can and cannot do. In the eight years since her performance with The Chicks at the Country Music Awards drew ire from critics who felt she didn’t ‘belong’, she has brought Black college culture to Coachella, showcased the African diaspora in Disney, and turned both personal and societal har”
“The second act of the trilogy of albums that began with Renaissance is a brilliant dissertation on genre, Southern culture, and her own artistic genius”
“The follow-up to Renaissance is a powerful and ambitious country album cast in the singular mold of Beyoncé. She asserts her rightful place in the genre as only a pop star of her incredible talent and influence can do.”
“Nobody puts Beyoncé in a corner — It's a lesson the gatekeepers of country music learned the hard way this past weekend. Inspired by the Houston native's cold reception at the 2016 Country Music Association Awards, COWBOY CARTER — the follow-up to 2022's dancefloor fantasia RENAISSANCE — is an epic claimstake of an album, a sprawling ode to Beyoncé's Southern roots and the vast history of Black Am”
“The superstar’s latest album might be her most ambitious to date. Though its quality is inconsistent, its inclusive vision for country music shines throughout.”
“This album is my favorite Beyoncé album and with Renaissance already being perfect, this gets me even more excited for the third act, this album is about reclaiming history and space. Cowboy Carter is Beyoncé responding to being pushed out of country music spaces and, instead of asking for permission, proving that Black artists have always been part of American roots music. The album explores Black identity, American mythology, legacy, freedom, faith, family, and survival, using country as a starting point but expanding into gospel, soul, rock, and Americana. Beyoncé is not chasing commercial success anymore. She’s focused on cohesive, intentional projects, and this album is built like one. It’s structured from beginning to end, with spoken interludes, references to radio, history, and lineage that make it feel like a full narrative instead of a hit-collection. Every track serves the concept whether it’s grief, pride, anger, joy, or resistance. The reason people argue about this album is not because it’s bad, but because it forces a conversation. It challenges who is allowed to define country music and American culture. Critics largely recognized this and praised the ambition, execution, and depth. The AOTY backlash mostly comes from genre gatekeeping and discomfort, not from flaws in the music itself. If you think this album is “just Beyoncé doing country,” you haven’t listened. This is an album about belonging, exclusion, and rewriting the rules, made by an artist who no longer needs hits to prove anything. Even if you don’t like country or Beyoncé, this is worth listening to because it explains why this music exists in the first place and does it with top-level production, vocals, and vision. That’s why it’s a 10.”
“Cowboy Carter isn’t just an album—it’s a statement. As a genuine music fan, this one hit different. Beyoncé dives headfirst into country, not to prove anything, but to reclaim space. And she does it with power, soul, and a whole lot of intention. This album isn’t your typical country project—it’s genre-blending, storytelling-heavy, and deeply personal. Tracks like “Blackbiird” and “16 Carriages” carry emotional weight, while others like “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “Spaghettii” show off her playful, experimental side. She weaves in rock, gospel, blues, and even spoken word, creating a sound that feels rooted but not restricted. What’s most impressive is how authentic it all feels. Beyoncé isn’t playing dress-up in cowboy boots—she’s digging into the roots of American music and claiming her place in it. The features are solid, the production is lush, and her voice? As commanding as ever. It might not be what everyone expected, but Cowboy Carter is proof that Beyoncé doesn’t follow lanes—she paves new ones. A powerful, genre-defying journey that feels both rebellious and right on time.”
“cowboy carter es un muy buen álbum, a pesar de ser country, tiene demasiadas influencias del rock que fácilmente podría ser una pista del acto III, tiene muchísimos bangers y una muy buena producción. su problema? demasiados interludes, que si bien complementan muchas canciones, hace que el álbum se vuelva innecesariamente largo y repetitivo, imo, hubiese sido mejor 2 o 3 interludes. en conclusión, es un álbum que vale la pena darle una escucha, a pesar de todo es un trabajo limpio y entretenido con un buen storytelling y que definitivamente da el mensaje de que el country es un género musical negro.”
“just like she said, it’s a beyonce album not a country album. and she did just that. she mixed the country genre with house beats and fun summer vibes and created one of the most underrated albums of 2024 and no one even talks about it because all she does is win, and they don’t like that. anyways, stream cowboy carter.”
