Beyonce’s Country Rocks Music

Pop star Beyoncé has made a new mark in music history by taking first place on the Billboard 200 with her new country album ‘Cowboy Carter’. The album also ranked first in the ‘Billboard Top Country Album Chart’ category. It is the first time a black female singer has reached number one on the Billboard country album chart since the Billboard compilation in 1964, and she became the first female artist to reach number one on both the overall album chart and the country chart. It is also a meaningful achievement that country music, which is considered to have a small fan base, topped the charts.

▶Harmony of genres

Beyoncé’s new album emphasizes that the essence of music lies in diversity and harmony and delivers a message of fighting discrimination and conflict. Although she is based on country music, she freely mixes various genres, including R&B, trap, rap, Jersey club, opera, and a cappella, to build her unique musical world. She also wanted to continue the tradition and spirit of country music by sampling the voices of country music greats Willie Nielsen and Linda Martel.

The title song ‘TEXAS HOLD’ EM’ opens a new musical horizon by combining lyrical elements of traditional country music with Beyoncé’s own R&B and hip-hop styles. Her fiddle and acoustic guitar melodies bring out the emotion of country music, while her drum beats and powerful vocals add Beyoncé’s unique energy. The album’s opening song, ‘American Lequum’, combined a gospel chorus and a rock melody to create a majestic atmosphere. She covered the Beatles’ ‘Black Bird’ with black female country singers, and achieved unity beyond race and genre through collaboration with white artists such as Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, and Post Malone.

▶Challenge as a black artist

Beyond the simple success of the album, ‘Cowboy Carter’ also has great social and cultural significance in that it has established a black female singer as a mainstay of country music. “Beyoncé was researching the roots of country music and learned that half of all cowboys from the 19th century to the early 20th century were black,” said S. Delvin, in charge of stage design for Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance Tour’ last November. “As I learned that there was significant cultural appropriation (taking and using cultural elements of a specific cultural group or race without proper understanding), I wanted to reinterpret traditional and country music from a black perspective,” he said. After the release of ‘Cowboy Carter’, some debates arose as to whether Beyoncé’s music, a black artist, could be classified as country. In addition, public opinion became even more heated when it became known that country radio station KYKC refused a listener’s request to play Beyonce’s new song, saying, “Because it is a country broadcast, we will not play Beyonce’s song.”

▶Breaking down the walls of country music

Country music has long been considered a genre limited to a certain age group and music lovers. But Beyoncé’s new album is completely shaking up these stereotypes. She reinterpreted elements of traditional country music with a modern sensibility, realizing a unique style and trendy sound. Music magazine Rolling Stone praised, saying, “Beyonce opened a new era in country music,” and “Her powerful voice and delicate sensibility breathed new life into country music.” Music magazine NME also gave a favorable review, saying, “Beyoncé has created a new revolution in country music,” and “Her album will be loved not only by country music fans but also by all music lovers.” Music critics responded enthusiastically, calling Beyoncé’s challenge to country music a ‘historic moment’ and saying that she breathed new life into her country music and wrote a new page in music history.

“Said I wouldn’t saddle up, but if that ain’t country, tell me what is?”

“You’re saying I can’t ride a horse? But if this isn’t country, what on earth is country?”

〈From the song ‘American Requiem’ from the country album ‘Cowboy Carter’〉

Reporter Jeong Ha-eun [email protected]