Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ is here

View this email online March 30, 2024 by Jacob Ganz Courtesy of the artist Beyoncé’s eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, has only been out for a few dozen hours, but it feels like we’ve been living with it for much longer.  As one of the 20th century’s greatest minds taught millions of impressionable young listeners, there’s something exquisite about existing in a state of extended anticipation. And if you get deeply into music, even just sometimes, you’ve probably experienced it. The days before the release of a highly awaited new album, the minutes before a beloved musician takes the stage: Moments like these can make it feel like every atom in your body is magnetically realigning in a single direction.  Not many artists can provoke that sensation in a mass audience as reliably as Beyoncé, who has now rewritten the rules for releasing new music at least a couple of times in just over a decade. And if she has few peers in building a clamoring desire for her product, Queen Bey is utterly alone in fulfilling that desire amongst her fans, in her ability to make art that invigorates discussion.  Cowboy Carter is no exception. In the short time since it’s been in the world, the rush to analyze its many layers has been stunning. The album sprawls out over 27 tracks, including original songs, covers, interludes, sketches, faux radio transmissions, imaginary film soundtracks and more, and dips its Paris Texas stiletto boot-clad toes into what seems like dozens of genres and styles. A genuine privilege of being an editor here at NPR Music is that when I’m faced with this kind of overwhelming artistic abundance, I almost always have a colleague on speed-dial who can help me get my bearings. This week I’ve been particularly grateful for that help. Sheldon Pearce spent the week thinking about the many achievements of Beyoncé and her husband, Jay-Z, but also what their pursuit of institutional acceptance means, and his essay, which we published Thursday, is even more worth reading and thinking about now that Cowboy Carter is roping accolades out in the world.  Sheldon was one of the dedicated listeners who stayed up to hear the album when it dropped at midnight on Friday. You can hear his immediate response in the opening minutes of our New Music Friday podcast, which he taped just after the album’s 27th track, “AMEN,” ended. I also watched our reporter Sidney Madden post her immediate thoughts on the album on Twitter in the wee hours of the morning, and later listened to her unpack the album’s message on All Things Considered. Sidney and Sheldon also teamed up to decode many of the references, influences, contributors and messages to be found across Cowboy Carter. According to an Instagram post straight from the mouth of the titular Cowboy herself, this wasn’t intended to be a country album, but a “Beyoncé” album. What does that mean, exactly? The message I got when I listened to all 78 minutes in a row, as so many of us did at midnight on Friday, is that it’s not making a case that Beyoncé should be permitted into the country music establishment, but that country music is already wild enough, and the range it rides expansive enough, that no gates need be kept at all. Newsletter continues after sponsor message More stories from NPR Music: My colleague Sidney Madden had a big week, even before Cowboy Carter came out. She profiled the rising South African star Tyla, one of most exciting new talents in global pop music, who had a massive viral hit last year and won the first-ever Grammy for African music last month.  If you want to know more about the history of Black musicians playing country music, there’s no better authority than Francesca Royster (she literally wrote the book). Morning Edition’s Leila Fadel spoke with Royster about how country music was marketed to white audiences in a way that wrote Black artists out of the story, and the generations of musicians who have fought back against that tide. A highlight of my concert-going year so far was getting the chance to see the Icelandic pianist Vikingur Ólafsson play Bach’s Goldberg Variations at Carnegie Hall in February. For a more intimate spin on that glorious work, check out his Tiny Desk concert, where he plays the opening of Goldberg on the Tiny Desk’s upright. Tom Huizenga, who introduced me to Ólafsson’s music years ago, interviewed Anna Clyne, a 44-year-old who is one of the most-performed living composers in the classical world. Classical cartoon: Don't count your bar lines before they ... hatch! Introducing NPR Music+, a new way to support what you love and explore new music and conversations sponsor-free. NPR Music+ includes two podcasts with one convenient subscription: All Songs Considered and Alt.Latino, both sponsor-free. Learn more and support us at plus.npr.org/NPRmusic Get NPR Music+ Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? 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