With her new album “Act 2: Cowboy Carter” arriving tomorrow at midnight, Beyoncé has revealed the tracklist for the album ahead of the March 29 release date.
In recent Beyoncé fashion, the singer took to Instagram to announce the tracklist. Notable inclusions are “Jolene,” which Dolly Parton previously mentioned may appear on the second installment of the “Renaissance” trifecta, as well as “The Linda Martell Show,” a reference to one of the first Black commercially successful artists in country and the first to play the Opry.
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It’s unclear if “Dolly P” and “Smoke Hour Willie Nelson” indicate that the two country titans will appear on the record. Previous reports noted that Travis Scott may make a cameo on one of the songs, though fans will have to wait until tomorrow to see the final lineup.
Beyoncé kicked up her new era in February, when she surprise-dropped a pair of singles—“Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages”—during the Super Bowl. “Act 2: Cowboy Carter” is the long-awaited follow-up to 2022’s “Renaissance,” which the singer initially revealed would be a three-part project. While the first leaned heavily on club and dance music, “Act 2” is expected to be a country album, as Beyoncé herself explained that she was inspired to dig into the genre after an incident where she did not feel “welcomed.”
She was likely referring to her 2016 performance at the Country Music Association Awards, where she duetted with the Dixie Chicks (as they were known at the time). The appearance caused controversy in the country community, particularly on social media, and some expressed displeasure at the fact that she was given such a prominent spot at the show.
In a long note posted on Instagram, Beyoncé explained that this incident inspired her to study the origins of country music. “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,” she said. “But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive.”
Work on “Act 2” began five years ago, and in addition to collaborations with Raphael Saadiq, Robert Randolph and Rhiannon Giddens, she has more surprises in store for the album.
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