Beyonce gave the Beyhive her eagerly-awaited sequel to RENAISSANCE this past weekend, COWBOY CARTER. The R&B icon’s full foray into country music has already been a smashing success. According to AllHipHop, Spotify confirmed that it was the “most-streamed album in a single day in 2024 so far.” Additionally, “This is also the first time a country album holds the title this year.” Surely, the album will go number one as fans and most critics are loving it so far. While breaking records, the album is already winning her awards. According to HipHopDX, Beyonce took home the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Award show last night.
It was reported about a week ago that she would be receiving this prestigious accolade and now its officially in her hands. Stevie Wonder, who had credits on COWBOY CARTER, fittingly presented Beyonce with the award. In her black and gold cowboy get-up, Bey gave an impassioned acceptance speech in which she thanked a lot of “innovators” and subtly threw shade at some critics. Outside of thanking her husband Jay-Z, Andre 3000, Stevie, Rosetta Tharp, Tracy Chapman, Prince, Michael Jackson, and more, the highlight was the first half of her speech.
Beyonce starts by saying, “Innovation starts with a dream, but then you have to execute that dream and that road can be very bumpy. Being an innovator is saying what everyone believes is impossible.” She continued, “Being an innovator often means being criticized, which often will test your mental strength.” Then, Bey low-key went in on the people not believing in her. “So, to all the record labels, every radio station, every award show, my hope is that we’re more open to the joy and liberation that comes from enjoying art, with no preconceived notions.”
What are your thoughts on Beyonce winning the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Awards? How do you feel about her acceptance speech and what she mentioned in it? Is COWBOY CARTER going to be the album of the year for 2024, why or why not? Do you think critics are right to be attacking the album like this? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Beyonce and COWBOY CARTER. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the world of music.
Beyoncé got music icons contemporary and classic to help her out with her new album Cowboy Carter, collaborating with everybody from Dolly Parton to Miley Cyrus to Willie Nelson to Post Malone. It turns out the roster of collaborators goes deeper than the features: The full album credits were revealed previously and Stevie Wonder is credited with playing harmonica on the cover of Parton’s “Jolene.”
Beyoncé referenced this while accepting the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on Tuesday (April 1). Wonder presented it, and Beyoncé said, “Thank you so much, Stevie, I love you. I love you and I honor you. I want to thank you for making a way for all of us. I’m honored to receive this recognition from you, Stevie Wonder. Whenever anyone asks me if there’s anyone I can listen to for the rest of my life, it’s always you. So thank you, God bless you.”
Wonder responded, “I just want to thank you for motivating the world to become a better place.” Bey replied, “Thank you so much. And thank you for playing the harmonica on ‘Jolene.’”
Looking over the full album credits (again, find those here) reveals some other under-the-radar contributors to the album: Jay-Z, Raye, The-Dream, Pharrell Williams, and 070 Shake all have songwriting credits.
Beyoncé’sCowboy Carter has been out for a few days now, but some fans are unhappy as the vinyl editions of they album they ordered are starting to arrive: There are reports that not all of the album’s songs are included in the physical edition.
What Songs Are Missing From Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Vinyl?
As fans have noted (like ones in this Reddit thread), “Spaghettii,” “Flamenco,” “The Linda Martell Show,” “Ya Ya,” and “Oh Louisiana” are reportedly not included on the currently available vinyl pressings of the album. The same is also reportedly true for the CD version except for “Flamenco,” which is on the CD.
Cowboy Carter is 79:03 in total length. A standard 33 RPM vinyl record can contain up to 25 minutes of audio per side, so 50 minutes per record. However, Cowboy Carter is a 2LP release, so across the LPs, there would be more than enough room for the complete album’s running time in the 100 minutes of total space. Meanwhile, CDs can hold up to 80 minutes of audio, so the album’s length shouldn’t be an issue in that format either.
As some have pointed out (and as unboxing videos like the one below show), the tracklist of the songs actually included on the vinyl and CD editions isn’t printed anywhere on them. What does appear on these physical releases is a QR code, which, when scanned, brings you to music.beyonce.com. This page displays the full Cowboy Carter tracklist, not the truncated tracklists from the physical releases. The tracklist also isn’t visible anywhere on Beyoncé’s online shop. So, essentially, fans had no way of knowing which songs would be excluded from these releases before buying them, or that any would be cut at all.
As for why this happened, some theorize that last-minute changes were made to the album and re-pressing the vinyl would have been impractical or too costly. Some upset fans said they plan to file a chargeback or dispute for the transaction.
Cowboy Carter is out now via Parkwood/Columbia Records. Find more information here.
Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter rollout has been flawlessly methodical. Even still, people found something to be upset about. According to Rolling Stone, people were less than enthused about the Cowboy Carter vinyl because it reportedly excludes “Ya Ya,” “Spaghettii,” “The Linda Martell Show,” “Oh Louisiana,” and “Flamenco.”
“The preordered CD is also missing those first four songs but includes ‘Flamenco,’ which has spawned another complaint: The ‘limited edition’ compact disc version promised the inclusion of an ‘additional song,’ with many fans assuming it was an unreleased, exclusive bonus track,” Rolling Stone relayed. “Instead, the ‘additional song’ appears to just be ‘Flamenco,’ a track already on the digital version of the album.”
Nobody definitively knows why those five songs (allegedly, seemingly, reportedly) were left off from physical versions of the album, but the BBC suggested that perhaps Beyoncé “added these songs late into the album’s creation.” Also worth noting is that the album is 79:03 long, and the Cowboy Carter vinyl edition is a 2LP release. Each side of a standard record can hold up to 25 minutes of audio, so the full album would fit into the 100 minutes of space across the 2LPs. Additionally, the tracklist of the songs included on the vinyl release isn’t listed on Beyoncé’s online shop or even on the physical release itself.
It’s only a guess, but the outlet posited, “Vinyl pressing plants are booked months in advance, with lead times of 10 weeks to six months — meaning albums have to be submitted long in advance of their release.” However, Varietysmartly pointed out that the explanation wouldn’t necessarily make sense if “II Most Wanted” was under construction as recently as February, as contributing musicians suggested.
It should also be noted that Beyoncé’s store offers Cowboy Carter in four different vinyl variations — black, blue, red, and white — so specific complaints might only apply to certain vinyl variants.
See some of the reactions emerging from the BeyHive below.
Some Beyoncé fans who received their physical copies of “Cowboy Carter” were confused that tracks included on the digital release were missing, with four omitted from the CD and five from the LP. https://t.co/gS8HJFJs5y
the physical release for cowboy carter is so messy like? no regular cover vinyl, spine of the alt cover saying beyince instead of cc, missing songs on both cd and vinyl, no deluxe cd song unlike advertised and still no official reason why pic.twitter.com/NVqGaqMGax
streets saying ya ya and spaghetti not on the cowboy carter vinyl since they were pressed a while ago and she has since changed the album pic.twitter.com/DalNtPz73X
Beyoncé’s new country album Cowboy Carter is a bonafide hit on Spotify.
Here’s the rundown: Cowboy Carter is Spotify’s most-streamed album of 2024. But get this: that’s in just a single day since the highly anticipated release this past Friday. The streaming numbers are pretty nuts. Cowboy Carter has already been streamed 76.13 million times.
Here’s the comparison for context. Beyoncé’s last album, Renaissance, garnered 43 million streams, so Cowboy Carter almost doubled that total.
TMZ also reported that this is the first time a country album has earned that accolade this year on Spotify. Cowboy Carter is also the biggest debut on Spotify from a Black female artist, well, ever.
Before the album broke records on Spotify, “Texas Hold ‘Em” had already been streamed over 200 million times. Insane.
Aside from today’s Easter holiday, many people all over the world have also been celebrating the release of BeyoncéCowboy Carter. The singer’s eighth album is also the second installation in a trilogy of albums she promised before the release of Renaissance. Cowboy Carter is a sprawling 27-track effort that captures Beyoncé in a full country swing, swapping 808s and uptempo dance production for the twang of a strumming banjo and a good ol’ time at the rodeo.
So far, Cowboy Carter has been met with positive reviews as it even went on to break a Spotify streaming record in the first 24 hours since its release. Throughout the album’s 27 songs, Beyoncé recruited help from names all over the industry. Some are frequent collaborators (The-Dream & Jay-Z) and others are new to working with Beyoncé (Shaboozey, Tanner Adell & Brittney Spencer). With all that being said, we dove into the album credits to see who helped Beyoncé make each of the songs on Cowboy Carter a reality. You can scroll down to check out the full list.
1. Ameriican Requiem
Guest Vocalists: Ink (Background Vocals) Producers: Beyoncé, Derek Dixie, Jon Batiste, Khirye Tyler, No I.D. & Tyler Johnson Co-Songwriters: Ink
2. Blackbiird
Guest Vocalists: Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy & Reyna Roberts (Featured Artists) Producers: Beyoncé, Khirye Tyler & Paul McCartney Co-Songwriters: Beyoncé, John Lennon & Paul McCartney
3. 16 Carriages
Guest Vocalists: N/A Producers: Beyoncé, Ink, Dave Hamelin, Raphael Saadiq & Stuart White Co-Songwriters: Beyoncé, Raphael Saadiq, Ink & Dave Hamelin Drums: Lemar Carter Guitar: Dave Hamelin, Ink & Justus West Organ: Dave Hamelin & Gavin Williams Piano: Dave Hamelin Steel Guitar: Justin Schipper & Robert Rnadolph Synthesizer: Dave Hamelin Trumpet: Ryan Svendsen
4. Protector
Guest Vocalists: Rumi Carter (Intro Vocals) Producers: Beyoncé & Jack Rochon Co-Songwriters: Beyoncé, Ryan Beatty, Camaron Ochs & Jack Rochon
Guest Vocalists: Willie Nelson (Featured Artist) Producers: Beyoncé & Dave Hamelin Co-Songwriters: Beyoncé, Dave Hamelin, Jeff Gitelman & Leah Nardos Takele
15. Just For Fun
Guest Vocalists: Willie Jones Producers: Beyoncé & Dave Hamelin Co-Songwriters: Beyoncé, Dave Hamelin, Jeff Gitelman, & Ryan Beatty
16. II Most Wanted
Guest Vocalists: Miley Cyrus (Featured Artist) Producers: Beyoncé, Jonathan Rado, Michael Pollack, Miley Cyrus & Shawn Everett Co-Songwriters: Beyoncé, Michael Pollack, Miley Cyrus & Ryan Tedder
17. Levii’s Jeans
Guest Vocalists: Post Malone (Featured Artist) Producers: Beyoncé & Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant Co-Songwriters: Beyoncé, Austin Post (Post Malone), Nile Rodgers, S. Carter (Jay-Z) & Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant
Guest Vocalists: N/A Producers: Beyoncé, Dave Hamelin & Jack Rochon Co-Songwriters: Beyoncé, Ryan Beatty, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Dave Hamelin, Mark Spears & Jack Rochon
25. Tyrant
Guest Vocalists: Dolly Parton Producers: Beyoncé, D.A. Got That Dope & Khirye Tyler Co-Songwriters: Beyoncé, Camaron Ochs, David Doman, Dominik Redenczki, Ezemdi Chikwendu & Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant
26. Sweet ★ Honey ★ Buckiin’
Guest Vocalists: Shaboozey (Featured Artist) Producers: Beyoncé & Pharrell Williams Co-Songwriters: Beyoncé, Collins Chibueze (Shaboozey), Hank Cochran, Harlan Howard, S. Carter (Jay-Z), Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant & Pharrell Williams
27. Amen
Guest Vocalists: Danielle Balbuena (070 Shake) Producers: Beyoncé, 070 Shake, Dave Hamlin, Derek Dixie, Ian Fitchuck, Sean Solymar, Tyler Johnson Co-Songwriters: Beyoncé, Camaron Ochs, Danielle Balbuena (070 Shake), Darius Dixon, Dave Hamelin, Derek Dixie, Ian Fitchuk & Tyler Johnson
Cowboy Carter is out now via Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records. Find out more information here.
Beyonce hinted before unleashing COWBOY CARTER that she had much more than just a country album in store for us, and she didn’t disappoint. Throughout the 27-track LP, the Houston native explores genres like bluegrass, Jersey club, pop, rock, hip-hop, and even mixes in some operatic runs just to flex her vocal range. Since she first confirmed that the second act of her RENAISSANCE trilogy would pay homage to her Southern roots there’s been a lot of curiosity – so much so that COWBOY CARTER has already managed to break records on various streaming platforms.
As Billboard reports, Bey’s eighth studio album is Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day so far this year as of Friday (March 29). One of its first singles, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” had already racked up over 200M streams before COWBOY CARTER‘s big debut. Elsewhere, Amazon Music is celebrating some major wins for the mother of three on their platform. “[It has] the biggest debut to date earning more first-day streams on Amazon Music globally than any of her previous albums. The album also marks the most first-day streams for a country album by a female artist in the history of Amazon Music,” the outlet declares.
As the world continues to enjoy act ii, Beyonce has been filling her Instagram feed with all the Western outfit inspiration we’ll need this summer. Her W Magazine cover shoot is particularly eye-catching, with textures like ruffles and leather drawing us in. As of now, the “Baby Boy” songstress doesn’t have any visuals for either RENAISSANCE album. Still, we can’t wait to see what she’s planning for those and the rumoured rock-centric act iii.
If you’re reluctant to listen to COWBOY CARTER but still want to see what all the hype is about, we suggest streaming “SWEET HONEY BUCKIIN.” The infectious song connects Beyonce with Pharrell Williams and Shaboozey to give us a taste of the former’s femcee side that we’ve been craving. If she releases a remix, fans are hoping to hear Megan Thee Stallionjump on the beat. Tap into the new song at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
Beyonce’s new album, Cowboy Carter, is expected to move 350k copies in its first week according to a new report from Hits Daily Double. Additionally, the project already amassed 76 million streams in its first day available on Spotify. The figure is likely enough for it to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Beyonce dropped Cowboy Carter on Friday after promoting it with two singles back in February, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.” Cowboy Carter is the second in a trilogy of albums Beyonce began working on during the COVID-19 pandemic. She first released Renaissance back in August 2022. At that time, it debuted with 332k sales. The new 27-track effort features collaborations with a number of artists including Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Rhiannon Giddens, Stevie Wonder, Nile Rodgers, Raye, and Jon Batiste. Country legends Dolly Parton, Linda Martell, and Willie Nelson also serve as DJs.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: (L-R) Beyoncé and Jay-Z attend the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Miley Cyrus celebrated the release of the project in a post on Instagram, earlier this week. “II Most Wanted is out now on the new @Beyonce album #CowboyCarter,” she wrote. “I’ve loved Beyonce since long before I had the opportunity to meet & work with her. My admiration runs so much deeper now that I’ve created along side of her. Thank you Beyonce. You’re everything & more. Love you. To everyone who spent time making this song so special thank you from the bottom of my heart. Sincerely, Miley.” Post Malone, who appears on the song, “LEVII’S JEANS,” wrote in his own post: “thank you [Beyoncé]. congrats this album is beautiful.”
Erykah Badu has not been mincing her words about Beyonce and her new album COWBOY CARTER. Up until the release of the semi-country project today, the legendary soul singer has not been all that impressed. The Dallas, Texas native has felt some type of way about Bey’s cover art, specifically the deluxe edition. There is certainly some inspiration from the artist’s iconic beaded bangs look and “everybody[‘s] stylist” was quick to point it out. Erykah Badu reposted the COWBOY CARTER artwork on her Instagram story with the blunt caption, “Hmmm.”
However, the Mama’s Gun creator has been feeling a little guilty lately. She went on an Instagram Live session to talk about her recent behavior and how her astrological sign could have something to do with it. “Stomach feels bloated. The moon got me feeling guilty, stressed all out. I don’t know why. But I’m up and I’m going. Past few days I’ve been feeling kinda not on my best behavior, kinda like low vibrational a little bit.”
That happened about four days ago and it seems Badu has come to put her differences aside and give COWBOY CARTER and Beyonce their due praise. She reposted a graphic on her IG story earlier today that talked about the records that Bey was breaking. Some of those include her biggest album debut on Amazon Music and the most streams for a country album by a female artist. Badu has seemingly hopping on the hype train, saying, “GET EM.”
What are your thoughts on Erykah Badu switching up her tone about Beyonce’s new album COWBOY CARTER? How are you feeling about the album so far? Do you think it is deserving of all the praise it is receiving, why or why not? What songs are you gravitating toward right now? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Erykah Badu, Beyonce, and COWBOY CARTER. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the world of music.
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.
On Friday, March 29, Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER became Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day in 2024 so far. This is also the first time a country album holds the title this year. pic.twitter.com/a0FJGY9QHd
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.
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