I do not think there is a lot I could say about Beyoncé that has not already been said. Beyoncé has been one of the most prominent and important artists of the last 30 years. She has had an insane impact on the lives of anyone who is into pop culture and music and is under 40 years old. Her career has been so vast and effectual that whether you grew up in the 1990s, 2000s, or 2010s, you have grown up with her music. She is even now making an impression on kids growing up today, as she is still as relevant as ever, which is impressive this late in her career. When I reviewed Beyoncé’s 2022 album Renaissance, I had to admit something pretty embarrassing for someone who is as big a music buff as myself. Before Renaissance, I had never really listened to a full Beyoncé record. Of course, I had heard all of the hits and was a fan of what I had heard. But for whatever reason, I had never really taken the plunge into her music in the way I should have. I realized how much of a mistake this was when I listened to Renaissance. This album truly made me understand the hype and it helped me see why she is so beloved. The discourse around Beyoncé has always been that she can excel at whatever music she wants to make, and she proved that on Renaissance. It is an excellent album that is nothing like what one would expect to hear from her. Renaissance is a Dance music album with a 1990s flair, and everything about it is awesome, from the instrumentals to the vocals to the lyricism. Beyoncé has obviously wanted to once again show that there are no boundaries to her artistry, as she decided to totally pivot and start making Country music now. The lead singles from her new album COWBOY CARTER threw everyone for a loop; these songs have an old-school Outlaw Country feeling that is nothing like anything she has ever done. Even though they are so outside of the box, both ‘TEXAS HOLD ‘EM’ and ‘16 ‘CARRIAGES’ are great tracks that once again show Beyoncé’s versatility. Beyoncé never half-asses anything, and both of these songs are great for what they are. Now I will admit that I am not much of a Country music fan; if there is someone who is going to get me to listen to it, though, Beyoncé is one of those people. COWBOY CARTER is an epic album, not only in its length but in its sound. At 27 songs, this album is heavy and huge. For someone like me who does not know a ton about Country, listening to this one is definitely a journey. Even though this album is very long, it is still very good for what it is. All of the production, vocal performances, and lyricism are awesome; I will not take anything away from the quality of those aspects of this record. Typically, when I write a Best Songs list from a record, it is because there are moments on the album I dig but overall think is ehh(or even bad). That is not the case with COWBOY CARTER. Frankly, I just do not think I can do a full review of a 27-track, hour-and-a-half-long album(even if there are a few interludes/skits). The review would be like 10,000 words with the way I write, so I will save y’all and myself from that. I do think that this album is high-quality as a whole and that it is very well written, produced, and crafted overall; and do not want to take anything away from that. I will give a rating at the end, however, if you are interested in seeing it. Before I get into this, I want to say that I do enjoy quite a few other songs on this album quite a bit as well. If I had to pick a couple of honorable mentions, I would go with ‘II HANDS II HEAVEN’ and ‘SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN.’’ With all of that being said, here is a list of my favorite tracks from Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from COWBOY CARTER, and also comment on how you feel about it as a whole. 

‘BLACKBIIRD’ WITH TANNER ADDELL, BRITTNEY SPENCER, TIERRA KENNEDY, AND REYNA ROBERTS

‘BLACKBIIRD’ is the first of two interesting covers from Beyoncé on this record. I do not think most people would have predicted COWBOY CARTER would have a cover of a song by The Beatles. It definitely exhibits Beyoncé’s range and appreciation for all kinds of music. The instrumental for this track is almost identical to the original. As nice as The Beatles’ version of the track is, I think I personally actually enjoy Beyoncé’s ‘BLACKBIIRD’ more. The vocals from Beyoncé and her features are just excellent on this song and they take it over the top for me. The original ‘Blackbird,’ written by Paul McCartney, is about a black woman experiencing issues growing up in the United States, a feeling that Beyoncé can relate to and express well. I can not believe I am enjoying Beyoncé’s version of a song by The Beatles better than the original, but here we are. 

‘TEXAS HOLD ‘EM’

‘TEXAS HOLD ‘EM’ was one of the two singles released in anticipation of COWBOY CARTER. This track became a hit pretty much the moment it came out. It is not easy to see why this song immediately became beloved by so many people. Although ‘TEXAS HOLD ‘EM’ is simple, it has such a catchy and effective sound. The melody for ‘TEXAS HOLD ‘EM’ is so infectious; it gets stuck in my head every time I hear it. This is not the most prominent vocal performance from Beyoncé on the record, but its more toned-down nature helps the song be such an earworm. ‘TEXAS HOLD ‘EM’ was the first introduction of Beyoncé’s Country music adventure for the world, and it was a total success. 

‘BODYGUARD’

‘BODYGUARD’ is the most energetic song of the album after a mostly calm beginning to COWBOY CARTER. ‘TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,’ which is right before it, does bring the juice a bit, but ‘BODYGUARD’ is a song that can get people partying even more. ‘BODYGUARD’ has a cool sound that is so electric. Has a Funky element, but also feels Country and Bluesy. The melody sort has a blend of sounds that one would not expect to come together, and it sounds so fresh yet nostalgic. Like ‘TEXAS HOLD ‘EM’ Beyoncé’s vocals are not overpowering, but they provide just enough to add an element of liveliness to the song. ‘BODYGUARD’ is the beginning of Beyoncé’s genre-bending capabilities that become more prevalent later in the record. 

‘JOLENE’

‘JOLENE’ is the second riveting cover from Beyoncé on COWBOY CARTER. Unlike the previous one is not a traditional cover, though, because of its change in instrumentation and slight change in lyrics. I would say the instrumentation on ‘JOLENE’ is a bit more modern and clean sounding than the Dolly Parton version of the track. I think this change in the instrumentation works out well, as it fits the tone of Beyoncé’s vocals better in my opinion. Speaking of vocals, Beyoncé kills it on this song. She demonstrates her range and power, putting so much emotion into this already sentimental track. Whereas Dolly Parton’s version of the track is about desperation in trying to win a man back, Beyoncé’s is about defiance and confidence in knowing she does not need this man to be happy. ‘JOLENE’ is an additional instance where Beyoncé pays homage to one of the greats and puts a spin on it to make it her own. 

‘SPAGHETII’ WITH LINDA MARTELL AND SHABOOZEY

Before this point on the record, the album had a pretty consistent retro Country sound. ‘SPAGHETII’ is the first track that goes in a completely different direction. The track starts out with a statement from Linda Martell about defying genres in music. ‘SPAGHETTII’ then divulges into a raucous Trap track with a Country-esque melody. During this portion of the track. Beyoncé raps, showing how versatile she is. The track closes out with a switch-up to a Country R&B sound with vocals from Shaboozey. It is amazing how complete this track is considering it is only 2:38. It is a bold statement from Beyoncé that she can do whatever she wants to do in music, and that she has no limits. 

‘II MOST WANTED’ WITH MILEY CYRUS

I doubt anyone had a collaboration with Miley Cyrus on their bingo card for what to expect from COWBOY CARTER. Now I will preface this by saying I am admittedly not into this kind of Country music. ‘II MOST WANTED’ has a sound that makes me think of the Acoustic Downtrodden Pop-Country music that was made in the late 1990s and early 2000s by artists like Rascal Flatts or Keith Urban. I can acknowledge, however, that ‘II MOST WANTED’ is very good for what it is. Even though I am not into its style of instrumental, I appreciate how great the vocals are. Miley Cyrus and Beyoncé’s vocals mesh with each other perfectly. Their tones beautifully complement each other, making the vocals on this song feel so full and luscious. ‘II MOST WANTED’ is nowhere near the most exciting song on this record, but it is one of the prettiest and most passionate. 

‘LEVII’S JEANS’ WITH POST MALONE

Like the one on the previous song, Beyoncé and Post Malone is not a collaboration that I would have ever expected, but once again it works out pretty awesomely. Similar to the tracks I covered from earlier in the album, this is an old-school Country song with pretty stripped-back instrumentation. ‘LEVII’S JEANS’ has a pleasant sound to it that will put anyone in a good mood. I could totally see it becoming a hit because of how joyous it is. It’s honestly pretty surprising how well Beyoncé and Post Malone mix on this track. Beyoncé’s deeper tone contrasts the bright sound of Post Malone nicely to give the song texture. ‘LEVII’S JEANS’ is another unique collaboration track that works out so well from this record. 

‘YA YA’

After her brief foray into genre-bending and eclecticism earlier in the record, the last seven songs or so of COWBOY CARTER are as diverse and outside the box as anything Beyoncé has ever made. This divulgence from Beyoncé into chaos starts with ‘YA YA.’ I would not be surprised if this one becomes the most popular song of the record when the dust settles because of how fun it is. This song is an amalgamation of multiple classic styles of Pop and Rock music. The song samples Nancy Sinatra’s ‘These Boots Are Made for Walkin’’, and it interpolates The Beach Boys’ ‘Good Vibrations’ and Mickey and Sylvia’s ‘Love Is Strange.’ This fascinating morph of sounds makes ‘YA YA’ feel so old-school. The mix and overall energy of the track still make it sound innovative, though. Beyoncé’s vocals on ‘YA YA’ are phenomenal, with her showing signs of Tina Turner on this one. ‘YA YA’ is a certified banger that is bound to be a smash record. 

‘RIIVERDANCE’

‘RIIVERDANCE’ is probably the quirkiest song on this record, and in my opinion, it is probably also the best. ‘RIIVERDANCE’ morphs two kinds of music that I never would have imagined would come together, especially this well. This song has a melody that is rooted in traditional Hoedown Country music and a beat that is rooted in 1990s Hi-NRG and House music. The beat for ‘RIIVERDANCE’ makes the song sound like it could have been on RENAISSANCE, but the melody fits perfectly into the sound of COWBOY CARTER. ‘RIIVERDANCE’ makes me want to square dance and fist pump the night away at the same time. The unusual sound this song has makes it so fun and exciting. Beyoncé’s vocals are not exceptional on this track, but they are very nice and make the song feel extra sweet. ‘RIIVERDANCE’ is a moment where Beyoncé took a huge risk and it totally paid off.

‘TYRANT’ WITH DOLLY PARTON

‘TYRANT’ is an additional track that combines two styles of music one would typically not expect to hear mixed with each other. The song has a melody that is rooted in old Folk and Country music, and a beat that is rooted in Hard-Hitting Trap music. Now I have heard Country-Trap music before, but not like this. Unlike other Country-fused Hip Hop, the melody for ‘TYRANT’ feels so classic, which creates a super cool contrast with the raucous feeling of the beat. ‘TYRANT’ may contain my favorite vocal performance of the record, even if it is not the strongest. Beyoncé’s flow on this track is just awesome; the way she sing-raps the lyrics adds to the strange and entertaining nature of the track and makes it really pop. ‘TYRANT’ is Beyoncé’s take on Country-Trap music, and I have to say I enjoy her version of it a lot more than what most other artists who try this style go with.

8.25/10