3:53
Cowboy Carter, 2024
Written by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Brian Bates, Nate Ferraro, and Rafael Saadiq
This song has 743 million streams, and yes, I did hear (and nod my head along to) it when it dropped but I'm a bit late to the party in actually giving it the in-depth it deserves. It's a boot-stomping burst of country pop swagger, a fusion of Nashville twang and Houston groove that feels both playful and unstoppable. A catchy banjo riff pulls you in first, and then the explosion of the beat with that unmistakable Beyoncé polish: crisp handclaps, tight harmonies, and a rhythm built for the dance floors of line-dancing halls and nightclubs. Her vocal performance is sly, knowing, effortlessly confident and impressive in range and power. She teases and commands in equal measure, laying down strutting, assertive lines: "This ain't Texas, ain't no hold 'em," she reminds you, as if she's reclaiming the genre and rewriting the rules at the same time. It’s country, sure, but filtered through R&B phrasing, gospel inflection, and pop precision ("Pop your Lexus / lay your keys out"). More than a genre exercise, it's a celebration of Black southern musical heritage wrapped in a high-energy, radio-ready package. It’s clever, catchy, and brimming with personality. Of course it came with an outburst of criticism from insecure country gatekeepers. To them I say: "Don't be bitch / Come take it to the floor, now."
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