The singer's new album drops at midnight on March 29.
Beyoncé's new album, Cowboy Carter, is almost here, y'all.
On Friday, the 42-year-old singer will drop her highly-anticipated eighth studio album -- a sequel to July 2022's Grammy Award-winning Act I: Renaissance -- which marks her first official full-album foray into country music, following previous collabs and singles over the years.
In anticipation of what is sure to be a soulful, bluesy and all out country-esque album, ET has rounded up answers to some of the most pressing questions when it comes to the Houston, Texas native's latest release.
When does Cowboy Carter release?
Beyoncé's album drops at midnight local time on March 29.
What kind of music does the album include?
While Queen Bey has stated, "This ain't a Country album," what is known thus far seems to refute what she is saying. Aside from her two released singles having a very distinct country sound to them, it has also been confirmed that the album contains a cover of "Jolene" and several iconic country artists. Additionally, all of the album's artwork appears to point in the direction of a sound deeply influenced by the genre.
In mid-March, the singer used her Instagram to post a lengthy message in which she addressed becoming the first Black female artist to top the Hot Country Songs chart with "Texas Hold 'Em," as well as the direction of the album. The singer's other new song, "16 Carriages," also cracked the Top 10 at No. 9.
"I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart. That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you," Beyoncé shared. "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!"
She went on to share what inspired the deviation from her traditional R&B and pop style, telling her millions of followers about the idea to explore the genre that she grew up surrounded by.
"This album has been over five years in the making. 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 wrote.
She added, "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."
While Bey did not specify what incident sparked the album, fans immediately guessed that she was referring to her performance of "Daddy Lessons" at the Country Music Awards alongside the Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) in 2016. Back then, she faced criticism from the country community, including artists who dismissed her as a pop artist.
That same year, the Associated Press reported that she opted to submit "Daddy Lessons" off the Lemonade album as a country single at the Grammy Awards. One source told the outlet that the country council dismissed Beyoncé's submission and rejected it entirely from consideration in the Best Country Song and Best Solo Performance categories.
Can I listen to any of the album now?
Beyoncé knows that the Bey-hive can be impatient, so she made sure to drop two songs ahead of the full release on March 29. "16 Carriages" and "Texas Hold 'Em" are both out now and can be streamed or played on any platform where music is available.
Where can I listen to Cowboy Carter?
The album will be available to listen to anywhere music is streaming, including Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube.
How many songs does the album have?
On Wednesday, Beyoncé dropped the full tracklist, indicating that there are 27 songs to jam out to. According to Australian listeners, the album clocks in at just over 79 minutes in full, starting with "American Requiem" and ending with "Amen."
The official list includes: "American Requiem," "Blackbird," "16 Carriages," Protector," "My Rose," "Smoke Hour," "Texas Hold 'Em," "Bodyguard," "Jolene," "Daughter," "Spaghetti," "Alligator Tears," "Smoke Hour II," "Just for Fun," "II Most Wanted," "Levii's Jeans," "Flamenco," "The Linda Martell Show," "YaYa," "Oh Louisiana," "Desert Eagle," "Riverdance," "II Hands II Heaven," "Tyrant," "Sweet Honey Buckin'," and "Amen."
"Jolene" and "Blackbird" are covers of the infamous songs by Dolly Parton and The Beatles, respectively. Parton, often considered one of the greatest country singer-songwriters of all time, addressed Bey covering her song on Wednesday, just hours before the album's drop.
"Listen to my original 'Jolene' while you wait for @Beyonce’s COWBOY CARTER - Dolly P," the 77-year-old Tennessee native wrote in a tweet. She attached pictures of the Cowboy Carter tracklist poster and her own artwork for the original 1973 single.
Parton previously teased a potential "Jolene" cover when she spoke with Knox News in early March, saying, "Well, I think she has! I think she's recorded 'Jolene' and I think it's probably gonna be on her country album, which I'm very excited about that."
Meanwhile, Paul McCartney -- a founding member of The Beatles and the credited writer of "Blackbird" -- has stated that the song is about pioneers of the Civil Rights movement in the American South in the 1960s.
Are any other artists featured?
Thanks to listeners on the other side of the world, it has been confirmed that Cowboy Carter features several notable names like Post Malone and Miley Cyrus. Post is included on "Levii’s Jeans," which Beyoncé's mom, Tina Knowles, says is in her top five picks from the album.
"This album is so darn good that it is hard to have some favorites but this song is definitely in my top five. Levi's Jeans featuring Post Malone❤️It's stuck in my head thanks to my bonus son," she wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday. "He and @Beyonce are two geniuses in the studio! ❤️❤️❤️."
For her part, Cyrus is featured on "II Most Wanted," a song many were anticipating could feature Lady Gaga as a follow-up to their "Telephone" collaboration in 2010. Also included are artists Shaboozey on the song "Spaghetti" and Tanner Adell and Willie Jones.
Additionally, Willie Nelson, Parton and Linda Martell -- the first Black woman to sing at the Grand Ole Opry -- are all included as interludes on the album.
When did Beyoncé announce Cowboy Carter?
After teasing a music drop in a Verizon commercial that aired during Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, the 32-time Grammy Award winner took to her social media channels to announce the release of "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages" and the upcoming album.
In the Verizon ad, Beyoncé -- with the help of Tony Hale -- attempted to break the internet through a series of promotional stunts before exclaiming "Drop the new music" at the end of the commercial.
In a teaser video posted just after the commercial aired, several men are seen standing underneath a billboard in the middle of a barren area. At the very end, the billboard is revealed to have a cartoon image of Bey with a mechanic hand waving back and forth, along with the words "Texas Hold 'Em." After a car is seen speeding off near the sign, the screen flashes to black and reads "act ii 3.29."
She followed that post up with artwork for both "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages," announcing they were now available to stream.
"TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES out now," she wrote at the time.
For more on the upcoming album, check out the related links and headlines below.
RELATED CONTENT:
