And the countdown commences! Yesterday evening, Beyoncé (finally) unveiled the official album artwork for her upcoming release, Cowboy Carter, sending fans into hysterics. Along with it, she shared a detailed Instagram caption discussing its significance as a follow-up to her Renaissance album. Holding an American flag and, once again, on top of a horse — who we now have a name for, as seen below — the Texas-born industry giant is setting the stage for another record-breaking release. “The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. Act II is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work,” she states. Here, we round up everything we know so far about Act II.
Easy there, Cowboy!
If you think stepping her bedazzled shoes on Country grounds was a choice aiming to follow trends, Beyoncé is happy to prove you wrong. “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,” the pop royalty stated on her Instagram post. “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.”
A never-ending history maker
“I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart,” Beyoncé said in the first lines of her IG post. Act II follows the success of her two history-making singles “Texas Hold ’Em” and “16 Carriages,” and we cannot wait to see what’s next. “This ain’t a Country album,” the musician declared. “This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”
Dream collaborations, anyone?
For the little that we know, Cowboy Carter seems to be a collaborative project, as Beyoncé teases “surprises” and “brilliant artists” to be part of its tracklist. “I have a few surprises on the album, and have collaborated with some brilliant artists who I deeply respect. I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound.”
2 out of 3
Cowboy Carter is the second act of a three-album project announced by Beyoncé in 2022 with the release of her powerhouse Renaissance.
The horse’s name!
Clearly, no details are passed in silence when it comes to Beyoncé, and according to Justina Omokhua, SVP at Parkwood Entertainment, the horse featured on the cover of Cowboy Carter is named… Chardonneigh!