March 31st 2024.
On March 29, Beyoncé graced us with her latest musical offering, "Cowboy Carter." This country-infused album follows her 2022 release, "Renaissance," which had a heavy House influence. Fans are speculating that "Cowboy Carter" is the second installment of a trilogy of albums. But let's talk about the real highlight of this album - Beyoncé's reinvention of Dolly Parton's 1973 classic, "Jolene."
In this song, we hear a woman pleading with her lover's mistress to leave him alone. But Beyoncé's version is less of a plea and more of a pointed reminder of her "Daddy Lessons" from her 2016 album "Lemonade." Interestingly, Dolly Parton herself makes a few appearances on "Cowboy Carter," including a voicemail-style interlude that introduces "Jolene." In this interlude, Dolly remarks on how the mistress with "good hair" reminds her of someone she once knew, except this woman has "flaming locks of auburn hair." Dolly even takes to Twitter to express her support for Beyoncé's version of her song.
As reported by The Hill, Dolly's tweet reads, "Wow, I just heard Jolene. Beyoncé is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it!!! ❤️ Signed, Dolly P." It's clear that Dolly is a fan of Beyoncé's take on her classic hit.
But let's not forget who is behind this masterpiece - Parkwood Entertainment, Beyoncé's production/entertainment company and record label founded in 2010. In a press release, they explain that the album explores the concept of genre and how it may not actually exist, as pointed out by music historians. Beyoncé herself elaborates on this idea, stating, "The joy of creating music is that there are no rules. The more I see the world evolving, the more I feel a deeper connection to purity. With the rise of artificial intelligence and digital filters, I wanted to go back to using real instruments, even if they were old and outdated."
She also shares a glimpse into her creative process, saying, "My process is to experiment and allow myself the freedom to explore all aspects of the things I love. I worked on many songs for this album, probably about 100. But once that was done, I was able to see the consistencies and common themes and create a solid body of work."
It's safe to say that Beyoncé has been working on this album for quite some time. In fact, it may have all started with her 2016 performance of "Daddy Lessons" at the Country Music Awards, which she alludes to in an Instagram post before the album's release. In the post, Beyoncé writes, "This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed...and it was very clear that I wasn't." She goes on to explain how the criticism she faced in the country music genre pushed her to challenge herself and blend different genres to create this body of work.
But Beyoncé isn't the only one who has felt unwelcome in the country music industry. As reported by The 19th News Org, Black country music fans have also faced discrimination in this white-dominated genre. Holly G., creator of the Black Opry - a community for Black country and Americana artists and fans, and now a record label - shares her thoughts on how Beyoncé's album can bring attention to these underrepresented artists. "I think that Beyoncé fans have such a huge opportunity here to really come in and help boost some of these artists," she says. "I totally understand why Black people would not want to give country music a chance given the way that the industry has treated them, but I think they would really, really enjoy the music."
In conclusion, Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" is not just a country album - it's a "Beyoncé" album. It challenges the concept of genre and showcases talented artists from all backgrounds. And as we dive into this masterpiece, let's also take the opportunity to support and uplift Black country artists.
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