act ii

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Has Lassoed In Massive Streaming Numbers, The Album Even Broke A Spotify Record

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Beyoncé Renaissance third Trailer screenshot 2023
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Beyoncé does it again. Her highly anticipated album, Cowboy Carter, is already rolling in accolades stemming from the project’s massive streaming number.

According to Spotify, the body of work’s debut earned the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer another notch on her belt. The streamer shared the news on its official X (formerly Twitter) page. “On Friday, March 29, Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ became Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day in 2024 so far,” read the note.

The collaborative album We Don’t Trust You by Metro Boomin and Future previously held the crown. But the history-setting for Beyoncé didn’t stop there. Spotify revealed that thanks to Cowboy Carter‘s performance on the platform, it also set a new milestone for country music overall. “This is also the first time a country album holds the title this year,” they wrote.

The album’s projection onto the Guggenheim Museum and Rome’s Colosseum, plus its many conversation-stirring cover variants, Cowboy Carter was bound for global domination.

In a letter penned by the musician, the album was birthed from a place of “not feeling welcomed.” But it has turned into “a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive” that supporters are eating up.

Beyoncé’s Majestic ‘Cowboy Carter’ Album Cover Art Brings The Rodeo To ‘Renaissance’

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Beyoncé’s anticipated new album Cowboy Carter is coming right up, with a release set for March 29. Beyoncé has amped up the hype even more by sharing the glorious album cover art today (March 19).

The image sees Beyoncé sitting sideways atop a white horse. Beyoncé faces the camera, decked out in a red, white, and blue outfit, complete with a “Cowboy Carter” sash, a white cowboy hat, and flowing white hair that matches the horse’s mane. Bey is also holding the reigns in one hand and an American flag in the other, completing the patriotic, Western look.

On Instagram, Beyoncé also shared a lengthy caption alongside the image. The post addresses “Texas Hold ‘Em” going No. 1 on the country chart, Beyoncé’s self-education about country music, criticisms she has faced, and even teased some “surprises.” It reads in full:

“Today marks the 10-day countdown until the release of act ii. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES. 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. 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.

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. 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.

The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.

I have a few surprises on the album, and have collaborated with some brilliant artists who I deeply respect. 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.

I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE…I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop.

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!”

Find the post below.

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Album Cover Artwork

Beyonce Cowboy Carter album cover artwork
Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records

Cowboy Carter is out 3/29 via Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records. Find more information here.

Will Beyoncé’s New Album ‘Cowboy Carter’ Be On Vinyl?

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The title of Renaissance: Act II has finally been unveiled. It was quite clear which sonic direction Beyoncé was heading in, based on the album’s lead singles, “16 Carriages” and the chart-topping “Texas Hold ‘Em.” But just to validate the public’s speculation, today (March 12), Beyoncé broke the internet by formally announcing the forthcoming project’s name — Cowboy Carter.

With the name and release date now known, there are still a few questions remaining. Will she launch another tour solely for this project? That remains unclear, but what the public does know is that there are bound to be a bunch of goodies (including physical copies of the album) available soon. Continue below for further details.

Will Beyoncé’s New Album ‘Cowboy Carter’ Be On Vinyl?

So, will the Beyhive have a chance to snag a copy of the upcoming project for the record player? The simple answer is yes. Well, at least while supplies last.

Beyoncé’s album, Cowboy Carter, is sure to hit streaming platforms on March 29. However, in the past, the singer has been very selective about which platforms grant access to her discography. In fact, just last year, she finally cleared her 2013 song “Grown Woman” off her self-titled album to be available on streaming. So, to avoid those exclusionary decisions, fans opt to purchase the physical copy of Beyoncé’s albums.

Each vinyl retails for $34. According to the description of each item, these records are an exclusive one-time pressing only available through Beyoncé’s website. It is important to note that the vinyls will only be shipped to the US and Canada. Vinyls are slated to ship starting on March 29, the album’s confirmed release date. Find more information here.

Beyonce Cowboy Carter Act II Vinyl Press Image 2024
Parkwood
Beyonce Cowboy Carter Act II Vinyl Press Image 2024
Parkwood
Beyonce Cowboy Carter Act II Vinyl Press Image 2024
Parkwood

Will Dolly Parton Be On Beyoncé’s New Country Album?

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While much of the music world debates Beyoncé’s pivot to country and what it all means (or whether it counts in the first place, which, yes it does, duh, stop being … you know), one of country’s biggest stars, Dolly Parton, has already given Bey her seal of approval. In fact, there’s some speculation online that she gave her much more than that, even contributing a collaboration to Beyoncé’s upcoming album, Act II, which is set for release on March 29. In a new interview with Tennessee’s Knoxville News Sentinel, Parton set the record straight on whether she’ll be on the new album or not.

“I think she’s recorded ‘Jolene,’” Parton mused. “I think it’s probably gonna be on her country album, which I’m very excited about.” So, it sounds like Dolly might on the project in spirit, at least, but she was careful to measure her enthusiasm by saying she “hopes” it’s there, a savvy move from a longstanding recording industry veteran who knows that anything can happen.

In regard to Beyoncé herself, Dolly gushed, “I love her! She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.” She said she always wanted Beyoncé to cover “Jolene,” and said, “We’ve kind of sent messages back and forth through the years. And she and her mother were like fans, and I was always touched that they were fans, and I always thought she was great.”

Beyoncé wouldn’t be the first contemporary artist to cover “Jolene” in recent years; Miley Cyrus famously delivered a spirited take on it back when she was first reinventing herself in 2012, and in 2021, Lil Nas X performed the song for BBC’s Live Lounge show on YouTube.

After Some Controversy, Beyoncé’s New Music Is Reportedly Now In Rotation On Country Radio

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No Beyoncé era arrives without its controversy, and her latest is no different. This past Sunday (February 11), Bey kicked off the era of her new album, Act II, which, given the sounds of the pair of singles “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em,” sounds like it will be a country album. Still, at least one country station was seemingly reluctant to play the new songs.

Yesterday (February 13), an X (formerly Twitter) user shared a note from an Oklahoma-based radio station on social media. The note was a response to a request to play “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which read, “We do not play Beyoncé on KYKC as we are a country music station.”

However, Entertainment Weekly has now reported that KYKC has added both “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” to its rotation. According to Entertainment Weekly, a representative from the station’s parent company, S.C.O.R.E., said that station manager Roger Harris “was removed and didn’t know otherwise” that Beyoncé had shared new country music.

Harris in an email to EW, “Up until now, she hasn’t been a ‘country artist.’ So..we responded to the email in the same way we would have responded to someone requesting a Rolling Stones song on our country station.”

KYKC themselves confirmed via X that Bey’s new music had been added to their docket, following an outpouring of requests from the Beyhive.

The publication also notes that Columbia Records is now pushing “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” to country radio.

Act II is out 3/29 via Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia.

Does Beyoncé Have A Collaboration With Taylor Swift On ‘Act II?’

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Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have long shown admiration for each other’s craft. After the infamous MTV Video Music Awards incident of 2009, Bey invited Swift to deliver her speech after being interrupted. Bey was also seen at Swift’s birthday party in 2014. Last year, the two made appearances at the premieres of each other’s respective concert films. While they’ve maintained a friendship for nearly 15 years, the two have never collaborated musically. However, the Swifties and the Beyhive may soon be in for a treat.

This past weekend, Bey broke the internet by giving fans the first taste of her upcoming album, Act II, which, as evidenced by the two singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” sounds like it’ll be a country album. Given its sound, some fans are theorizing that Bey may have convinced another artist to make a brief return to her country roots.

Does Beyoncé have a collaboration with Taylor Swift on Act II?

Today (February 13), producer Killah B, who co-wrote and produced “Texas Hold ‘Em,” spoke with TMZ to tease the album. When asked if Act II would have any collaborations — perhaps with an artist who has roots in country, but made a pivot to pop — Killah responded, saying. “Let’s just say she’s on the approach of shocking the world.”

Though the TMZ reporters didn’t refer to Swift directly by name, the description one of them offered does sound a lot like Swift’s career trajectory. As Beyoncé is known to move in secret, fans probably won’t find out if a collaboration between the two hitmakers came to fruition until the day of the album release.

Act II is out 3/29 via Parkwood Entertainment.