Lex Valluzzi, Staff Writer
On Friday, March 29th Beyonce released her new country album titled “Country Carter.” Beyonce threw everyone for a loop by dropping the single “Texas Hold Em’” at the Superbowl this past February. Now, she has released an entire country album that has been in the works for five years. Beyonce, originally from Houston, Texas, went back to her southern roots and became the first black woman to top the Billboard’s country music charts.
The album is filled with plenty of iconic country stars such as Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. It also includes some great covers of great songs with her country twist on them. There are a total of twenty-seven songs on the album, which is roughly 79 minutes worth of playtime. This album was a big one, so here are the top 5 tracks from the album that really stood out.
5. “Blackbiird” (feat. Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts)
“Black Biird” is a cover of the Paul McCartney song from 1961. This song makes the list because of the backstory that McCartney shared. The song is about the struggles of black women during the American civil rights movement. Beyonce covers the song on her album to make a statement about encouraging women. She harmonizes beautifully with the other women featured in the song. The added vocals create an echo effect that enhances the meaning behind the strength of women.
4. “II Hands II Heaven”
This song combines a lot of country elements with bits of pop. The lyrics are fast-paced and her voice is very soulful sounding. This is the longest song on the album, being 5 minutes and 41 seconds long. The melody is a little inconsistent, but the lyrics make for some great imagery. Beyonce has not yet released a statement about what the song is about, but there have been plenty of assumptions it may be about her relationship with Jay-Z.
3. “Jolene”
Everyone knows Dolly Parton’s Iconic song “Jolene” and contrary to popular belief, this is not so much of a cover as it is a modern rewritten version of the song. Beyonce changes the lyrics to sound more confident and she adds harmonies towards the end that enhance the power of the song.
2. “II Most Wanted” (feat. Miley Cyrus)
Beyonce’s choices for guest stars on the album were brilliant. Miley’s country voice on this song compliments Beyonce’s well. This is one of the softer songs on the album, and it features a lot of acoustic guitars that give it the country element Beyonce was going for. The chorus and melody on this song are catchy, and overall, it was pleasant to hear amongst some of the more upbeat songs.
1. “Protector” (feat. Rumi Carter)
This song was by far my favorite on the album. The song, featuring the voice of her daughter, is about how she will show her kids the right direction and how she would do anything for them. The song for the most part is straight acoustic guitar and vocals, which gives off a lot of raw emotion. The softer music with the strong vocals makes for a good combination and it captures the country vibe.
Overall, Beyonce’s “Country Carter” album was a massive success that showed off her range and versatility to the music industry. Beyonce herself has stated “This is not a country album; this is a Beyonce album.” Which completely addresses any criticism she has received regarding the “legitimacy” of her country music.
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