The new documentary Call Me Country: Beyoncé and Nashville’s Renaissance is currently streaming on Max worldwide. Created by CNN FlashDocs, this project closely looks at how country music has evolved because of the works of artists such as Lil Nas X and Beyoncé. In addition, this project delves into Nashville’s country scene, which is currently witnessing a renaissance due to the efforts of Black musicians.
Beyoncé’s new album, Cowboy Carter, is part of a planned trilogy of albums, which began with Renaissance in 2022. Not only is she regarded as one of the most successful artists of this generation, but she solidified her legacy when her new album, right after its release, broke the Spotify record for the most streamed album in a single day. Before Cowboy Carter’s release, her single “Texas Hold ‘Em” topped both the Hot Country Songs and Hot 100 charts. This was a massive achievement because never before has a black artist’s country song managed to accomplish this feat.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, the synopsis of Call Me Country: Beyoncé and Nashville’s Renaissance reads, “Beyoncé’s highly anticipated album “Cowboy Carter,” released March 29, arrived during a revolution within country music as the latest arena of the culture wars in America. Some in the industry are welcoming more diverse artists, while others stick to a much narrower view of a genre that predominately centers around straight, white men.”
It further reads, “CALL ME COUNTRY: BEYONCÉ & NASHVILLE’S RENAISSANCE examines the impact of how high-profile artists like Lil Nas X and Beyoncé are challenging the country music status quo and how Black artists in Nashville have been laying the foundation for this transformation for some time.”
How many songs does Cowboy Carter have?
Beyoncé’s eighth full-length album, Cowboy Carter, came out on March 29, 2024. The singer/songwriter experimented with various genres on this album, such as hip-hop, trap, psychedelic funk, blues, rock and roll, opera, pop, and more. Interestingly, fans and critics have predominantly labeled it as a country album.
In total, Cowboy Carter consists of 27 songs. Furthermore, it is more than 78 minutes long. Below are the track listings for the album.
- “Ameriican Requiem”
- “Blackbiird” (with Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell, and Tiera Kennedy)
- “16 Carriages”
- “Protector” (with Rumi Carter)
- “My Rose”
- “Smoke Hour / Willie Nelson” (with Willie Nelson)
- “Texas Hold ‘Em”
- “Bodyguard”
- “Dolly P” (with Dolly Parton)
- “Jolene”
- “Daughter”
- “Spaghettii” (with Linda Martell and Shaboozey)
- “Alliigator Tears”
- “Smoke Hour II” (with Willie Nelson)
- “Just for Fun” (with Willie Jones)
- “II Most Wanted” (with Miley Cyrus)
- “Levii’s Jeans” (with Post Malone)
- “Flamenco”
- “The Linda Martell Show” (with Linda Martell)
- “Ya Ya”
- “Oh Louisiana”
- “Desert Eagle”
- “Riiverdance”
- “II Hands II Heaven”
- “Tyrant” (with Dolly Parton)
- “Sweet / Honey / Buckiin’ ” (with Shaboozey)
- “Amen”
Two of the above tracks are covers of the Beatles’ “Blackbird” and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”. Interestingly, Parton even provided vocals on the album’s ninth song, Dolly P. Call Me Country: Beyoncé and Nashville’s Renaissance featured interviews with musicians like Rhiannon Giddens (who played banjo on “Texas Hold ‘Em”), John and T.J. Osborne, Aaron Vance, Denitia and Rissi Palmer. In addition, culture critics and music journalists such as Keith Hill, Chris Molanphy, Larisha Paul, Touré, and Kyle Coroneos appeared in the documentary.
What is the inspiration behind Beyoncé’s new album?
Before the release of Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé’s team put out a press release that stated that the album was inspired by several elements of Southern and Western culture. These include the Rodeo, films, and legendary stories of original cowboys who lived in the West. In the same press release, the American singer said she feels immense joy creating music without a rulebook. In the era of technological advancements and artificial intelligence, she wanted to build a deeper connection with authenticity. Additionally, she stated that she kept some songs unfiltered and was inclined towards folk music.
Beyoncé said, “The joy of creating music is that there are no rules. The more I see the world evolving the more I felt a deeper connection to purity. With artificial intelligence and digital filters and programming, I wanted to go back to real instruments, and I used very old ones.”
She further stated, “I didn’t want some layers of instruments like strings, especially guitars, and organs perfectly in tune. I kept some songs raw and leaned into folk. All the sounds were so organic and human, everyday things like the wind, snaps and even the sound of birds and chickens, the sounds of nature.”
Beyoncé’s full name is Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter. Throughout her illustrious career, she has sold over 200 million records worldwide. She has won a record 32 Grammy Awards, 26 MTV Video Music Awards, 35 BET Awards, 17 Soul Train Music Awards, and 24 NAACP Image Awards. Since 2008, she has been married to rapper Jay-Z, with whom she has three children. Furthermore, their firstborn, Blue Ivy Carter, is also a singer.
