By: Ashleigh Lowe, W*SS Programming & Events Intern
This past Tuesday, March 12, Beyoncé announced the title of the long-awaited Act II which succeeds the highly successful RENNAISSANCE. The album’s title Cowboy Carter pays homage to Beyoncé’s Southern roots. With the release of “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” and “16 CARRIAGES”, fans have concluded that this next act will be a country release. Beyoncé is known for choosing historically whitewashed genres for her projects and Cowboy Carter is no different. RENNAISSANCE paid homage to the Black and queer artists who built dance and house music. She used ballroom styles and vogueing when creating choreography for this album. Cowboy Carter (while not released) references the predominantly white perception of Country music despite its Black roots. Due to this, Beyoncé is already ruffling feathers with this announcement due to the genre's perceived whiteness.
Black folks are often not thought of when discussing country music in part due to “racism, exclusionary colonialism and gentrification” (CBC Arts). However, Black folks helped to build the genre and continue to innovate the genre today. Black artists helped create the storytelling and soulful sound we associate with the genre. Despite being a part of the genre since its beginning, a fairly small number of Black artists breakthrough into the mainstream due to systemic discrimination that exists within the genre.
Due to the perceived whiteness of country, many are calling Cowboy Carter a reclamation of country music for Black artists. However, “the idea that Beyoncé is single-handedly reclaiming musical genres with white-washed roots presupposes that Black people have been absent from those genres until this three-act project” (Billboard). Black artists have been taking up space within country music before “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” and they will continue to after Beyoncé moves onto Act III. By tapping into whitewashed genres, Beyoncé can indirectly inform audiences about the historic roots of her music. She can also force Black artists into the conversation by illuminating their contributions. Her achievements ultimately become the community’s achievements by bringing other Black country artists to the forefront.
Beyoncé’s country album Cowboy Carter comes out on March 29th.
Further reading: