With her new album “Act 2: Cowboy Carter” arriving at midnight tomorrow, Beyoncé has revealed the album's tracklist ahead of its March 29 release date.
In recent Beyoncé fashion, the singer took to Instagram to announce the tracklist. Notable inclusions are “Jolene”, which Dolly Parton mentioned above may appear in the second installment of the “Renaissance” trifecta, as well as “The Linda Martell Show,” a reference to one of the first commercially successful black artists in the country and the first to play the Opry.
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It's unclear if “Dolly P” and “Smoke Hour Willie Nelson” indicate that the two country titans will appear on the album. Previous reports noted that Travis Scott could make a cameo on one of the songs, although fans will have to wait until tomorrow to see the final lineup.
Beyoncé kicked off her new era in February, when she surprise-released a pair of singles, “Texas Hold 'Em” and “16 Carriages,” during the Super Bowl. “Act 2: Cowboy Carter” is the long-awaited follow-up to 2022’s “Renaissance,” which the singer initially revealed would be a three-part project. While the first leaned heavily on club and dance music, “Act 2” is expected to be a country album, as Beyoncé herself explained that she was inspired to delve deeper into the genre after an incident in which she felt “welcome”.
She was likely referring to her 2016 performance at the Country Music Association Awards, where she performed a duet with the Dixie Chicks (as they were known at the time). Her appearance caused controversy in the farming community, particularly on social media, with some expressing displeasure at the fact that she was given such a prominent spot in the show.
In a long note posted on Instagram, Beyoncé explained that this incident inspired her to study the origins of country music. “It was born out of an experience I had years ago where I didn't feel welcome … and it was very clear that I wasn't,” she said. “But through that experience, I delved into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archive.”
Work on “Act 2” began five years ago and, in addition to collaborations with Raphael Saadiq, Robert Randolph and Rhiannon Giddens, there are more surprises in store for the album.
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