Beyoncé unveils details of forthcoming new album ‘Cowboy Carter’

Having first announced her eighth studio album ‘Renaissance Act II’ at the Superbowl last month, Beyoncé has now confirmed that the new LP is officially titled ‘Cowboy Carter’. It’s set to hit shelves next Friday (29th March) and will contain two previously released singles - ‘TEXAS HOLD ‘EM’ and ‘16 CARRIAGES’ - alongside a number of as-yet-unconfirmed tracks.

It acts as the next installment in the global star’s three-part album series, the first of which was 2022’s smash hit ‘Renaissance’. While that LP was dancefloor-ready, fans have been speculating that this next project will be more suited to the hoedown, and ‘Cowboy Carter”s cover artwork does indeed seem to confirm that Bey is leaning firmly into country influences this time around.

Speaking on social media last night about the backlash she received in some circles for venturing into the world of country music, Beyoncé has said:

“Today marks the 10-day countdown until the release of act ii. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES. I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart. That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant.

This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.”