Cowboy Carter is not a country album. And I do think that’s the point. I’m sure smarter people will say this better and in more detail than I will. If anything, the album is a statement on the fluidity or artificial nature of genres in music. It’s a great pop album. Beyoncé is an absolute powerhouse of an artist. If there’s anyone who doesn’t get that, it’s because they’ve chosen not to. Are there songs that should get played on country radio if they were released by an unknown artist? Absolutely. And the mild controversies over getting “Texas Hold ‘Em” onto some country radio stations show that. There are genre tropes and influences of country, pop, gospel, rock, rock opera, and electronic easily on display in just a first listen.
Her take on The Beatles’ “Blackbird” (styled as “Blackbiird” on the album) is as good a cover of the song as I’ve heard. I think her cover of “Jolene” does exactly what an old clip of Dolly Parton said she was hoping for if Beyoncé ever covered it. Dolly makes a couple of cameos in the album. So does Willie Nelson. It has the bona fides of a country record. But it’s so much more. “Bodyguard” is a hit song if you had anyone do it and then release it as a single. Even though aesthetically, her previous album is probably closer to my taste than this one, I’ll make a point of throwing it into my rotation every once in a while. It’s too good not to.