Hi, everyone! Welcome back to my website for my first review in a while, and it’s time for a review that’s been long in the works. I’m talking about the newest Beyoncé album, COWBOY CARTER.

I remember listening to Beyoncé’s seventh studio album RENAISSANCE back in 2022 (the year it came out), and I remember thinking it was good but felt like an album I should like more than I do. And thus I was feeling cautiously optimistic about this ‘sequel album’, which I’ve seen described as a country album, which definitely made me curious about it.

But before I listened to COWBOY CARTER, I decided to check out all of Beyoncé’s first six albums, giving them a few listens each. And while I wouldn’t say I loved any of them, there were some really strong standout tracks, and I’d call myself a casual fan. I definitely didn’t dislike any of the albums.

And on top of that, I also decided to relisten to RENAISSANCE, and I stand by my original feelings on that album. I think it’s pretty solid with a few really great tracks, but it also often feels like it’s missing something to make it fully click. But still, I can’t deny it’s an album that really pumps you up!

So, now Beyoncé has released her eighth album, and it’s nearly eighty minutes long. And I gave it about ten listens in its entirety, which is why this review is as late as it is.

“AMERICAN REQUIEM” is the first track here, and I think it works well as an intro track to this album, a lot of which shows Beyoncé trying to bring to light country music’s Black roots. And here she shows everyone that she belongs in country music, and there was clearly a lot of ambition with this track and the grand production, even though some of the singing feels like she’s maybe trying a bit too hard.

Next is “BLACKBIIRD”, a cover of a Beatles song which I’ve never really loved despite its good message about Black rights and women’s rights, and while this cover makes sense for this album as another intro track, I feel similarly about this track as the original—I like it, but I don’t love it.

“16 CARRIAGES” is the first track here that doesn’t feel like an intro, and I think it’s a great track! It seems to be telling the story of someone watching their dreams slip away from them, but persevering anyway. And I love how huge the instrumentation sounds in the chorus with the booming snare and the powerful guitar! I also think this song could be about Beyoncé trying to prove her place in country music.

And then there’s “PROTECTOR”, a song which was probably written about Beyoncé’s kids, showing a parent struggling to accept the fact that they’re not always going to be able to protect their kids like they want to. I really like the line, ‘Even though I know someday you’re gonna shine on your own, I will be your projector.’ I think it’s a song I respect way more than I like, because for whatever reason this just isn’t doing that much for me. As much as I like the lyrics, the melodies and instrumental just feel pretty boring to me.

The next full song here is “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM”, which was released with “16 CARRIAGES” as one of the two lead singles for the album. And I love this song’s energy with that stomping beat which complements the acoustic guitar really well, and the carefree attitude creates a really fun vibe! I also don’t mind the whistling here, which is rare for me to say.

“BODYGUARD” is the first real dud on the album in my opinion, with its clunky percussion, vocals that kind of sound off-pitch (probably because of the vocal layering), and a bassline that feels both overpowering and also too quiet a lot of the time, if that makes any sense. It kind of reminds me of my least favourite song from RENAISSANCE, “CUFF IT”, as it feels like it’s trying to be this fun party anthem and it just totally falls flat for me and honestly is kind of annoying.

After a short interlude from Dolly Parton, Beyoncé covers Dolly Parton’s classic song, “Jolene” (with some lyric changes), a song I’m not really a huge fan of to begin with, and this cover isn’t really doing much for me, either, but the following “DAUGHTER” is a very haunting track that I really like, with the tension in the acoustic guitar and the eerie vocal melody when paired with those strings. And I like the lyrics on “DAUGHTER” as well; they’re very open to interpretation, but there’s a lot of religious iconography, and it’s kind of hard to tell whether she’s painting herself as the villain or the victim … and I wonder if it has something to do with a revenge fantasy, although the details aren’t very clear, at least as far as I can tell. 

Then there’s “SPAGHETTII”, and while Beyoncé brings a lot of energy to this track, something feels missing which holds it back from hitting a lot harder, and I can’t quite place what that is.

“ALLIIGATOR TEARS” is another track I kind of feel like I should like more than I do, as I like the lyrics describing a toxic relationship, but sonically this just isn’t really doing a whole lot for me.

After another short interlude, there’s “JUST FOR FUN”, which has a Willie Jones feature that I’m not really a huge fan of to be totally honest. With that being said, I like the sort of clicking percussion and the slightly watery guitar timbre, even though it all creates a bit of a drab sound when put together. But the vocal melodies are really good, and Beyoncé’s singing fits really well over this instrumental. However, the lyrics seem to be aiming for this very optimistic vibe, and yet it feels way bleaker than I think was intended, and it’s a little awkward in my opinion.

“II MOST WANTED” is another highlight on the album for me. It’s a duet with Miley Cyrus, and I love the nice crisp guitar timbre and those elegant strings that really give this an old-fashioned feeling, like an old movie about two partners in crime. This honestly feels like it could be a movie soundtrack song, and I absolutely mean that as a compliment in this case. And the vocal production really fits with this style of music in my opinion. It doesn’t have the same flashiness of a country song like “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM”, but it sounds like an indie country song and it’s arguably my favourite track on the album!

“LEVII’S JEANS” seems to be getting the most negative reception of any song on this album, and I definitely get why. The goopy production with the watery bass and the mucky vocal layering lead to a vibe that just doesn’t fit at all in my opinion. And while I don’t dislike this song, it is kind of a dud in my opinion.

There are quite a few shorter tracks in the next section of the album, but a few full-length ones as well, including “YA YA” which I’m pretty sure is another song celebrating Black artists, and as much as I respect this song and the carefree attitude where she’s essentially telling you to fuck off if you don’t respect her having a place in country music, I also don’t really like the chorus all that much—it definitely doesn’t hold a candle to MUNA’s “Good News (Ya-Ya Song)”. And the “Good Vibrations” interpolation doesn’t really work for me, either.

But there’s also “RIIVERDANCE”, which might be one of the catchiest songs on the album. I really like that acoustic guitar in the background, and the keyboard complements the pulse quite well.

The biggest highlight out of the last few tracks here for me has to be “TYRANT”, a collab with Dolly Parton which has some great percussion and commanding lyrics which demand your attention. It’s a great girlboss anthem that’s gotta be among my favourite tracks here!

And I also like the kind of full-circle moment of the closing track “AMEN”, which I think ends the album really nicely and feels like a moment of triumph with the interpolation of the album opener at the end.

So, overall, I think COWBOY CARTER is a mostly enjoyable album, albeit a very long one which only really stands out to me all that much in specific moments here and there. There are only a few full tracks I would call anything less than good, but also only a handful that I would call great.

I definitely like what this album represents thematically, as a celebration of Black artists as well as self-love, and much more as well. But I just can’t say the album fully clicked for me, and I don’t think I’ll be going back to it much as a whole, despite some great standout tracks.

You can see my favourite tracks down below, and again, I think there are standout moments here … so, overall, for me this is getting a 7/10. And if you’re a fan of country music, and/or a fan of Beyoncé, you might really love this album. But even as a fan of country music myself, it’s not among the best country I’ve heard in recent years, even though I respect it a lot.

But as always, this is all just my own personal opinion. Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. I know this has been getting a lot of critical acclaim, and again, I respect the album a lot, it’s just not totally for me.

Like with most of my reviews, I wish I could have gone more in-depth here—and really, I could have. But I’ve got so many reviews I’m working on and I wanted to get this review out sooner rather than later.

And on that topic, if you’ve been wondering where I’ve been for the past few weeks … well, I’ve been spending a lot of time working on upcoming reviews. I’ve got at least three more individual album reviews planned, and I’m hoping I’ll be able to get them all out in May. And I’ve also got a bunch of mini reviews as well.

But for now, thanks for reading this review, and I’ll be back soon with more! 

Final Thoughts
Rating: 7/10
Favourite Tracks: “16 CARRIAGES”, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM”, “DAUGHTER”, “II MOST WANTED”, “TYRANT”, “AMEN”
Least Favourite Track: “BODYGUARD”