Beyoncé's 'act ii COWBOY CARTER' is here: Inside the icon's Country rodeo revolution

Country tops the playlist for many today as Beyoncé delivered her very first Country album to the world. Consisting of a whopping 27 tracks and running just shy of an hour and 30 minutes, with COWBOY CARTER it’s clear Bey is ready for her spot at the Country music table.

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Whether traditional Country fans deem the album “Country” or not, there’s no doubt the 32-time GRAMMY winner tapped into her deep-running Texas roots for inspiration and took a detour from her norm. One look at the tracklist and you’ll know she had the Deep South on her mind with titles like “Dolly P,” “Alligator Tears,” "Oh Louisiana,” “Sweet - Honey - Buckin” and “Levii’s Jeans,” just to name a few.

Lifelong Bey fans will be happy to know the project won’t sound fully foreign to them as the icon fills tracks with her signature harmonies, vocal runs and straight up sass — with a Country edge, of course. While song titles and the lyrical stories told definitely capture the Southern spirit, it’s the Country music history she brought to the surface that will earn the respect of any skeptical Country fan. With appearances by Dolly Parton , Willie Nelson and Linda Martell Beyoncé clearly did her history homework and came to not only leave her own Country music footprint, but highlight those that came before her.

“This album has been over five years in the making,” Beyoncé shared in a statement ahead of the album’s release. “It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed… and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.”

In addition to those that paved a way before her, Bey also dedicated a large part of the album to highlighting up and coming Black Country artists including Tanner Adell , Brittney Spencer , Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts who join forces for a show-stopping cover of The Beatles, “Blackbird.” Other featured up-and-comers of color include Willie Jones on “Just for Fun,” and Nigerian Rapper, Shaboozey on both “Spaghetti,” and “Sweet - Honey - Buckin’.” The features don’t end there. That’s right, she also enlisted fellow star Post Malone for the song “Levii’s Jeans’ and Miley Cyrus on “II Most Wanted.”

While many were unsure of what a Beyoncé Country album would sound like, and everyone had an opinion on one of the greatest vocalists of our time “departing” her genre, the greatest message of this album is so much more than Bey throwing on a disco cowgirl hat, breaking the internet, or the next biggest TikTok dance - it’s about the freedom to be who you are without feeling confined — and for Queen Bey, that meant musical freedom, which is exactly what she achieved.

Each song a masterpiece in it’s own right — some funky and fun, others deep and personal  and sure, even some Country-leaning what she really achieved is an album that is less about the genre and more about Beyoncé. We don’t call her “Queen” for no reason.

“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,” she said in a statement after showing her appreciation for becoming the first Black female artist to ever to snag a number one spot on Country charts. “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... 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!"

Celebrate Beyoncé’s groundbreaking album with nothing but Bey all day by tuning into Audacy Celebrates Beyoncé . Available for a limited time, tune in to hear nothing but Beyoncé tunes including all the tracks from COWBOY CARTER . Nowhere better to saddle up!