COWBOY CARTER, Beyoncé (7/10)

Beyoncé dropped her highly anticipated country album, COWBOY CARTER, on 3/29/24. And oh shit!!!! I honestly didn't think I'd like this since as soon as folk takes that baby step into country, I usually hate it. And while I like Beyoncé, I'm by no means one of her biggest fans. But this shit rips. She really takes the genre of country and kind of translates it with Black sensibilities. She includes little interludes from Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Linda Martell, which are all awesome and employ the conceit of the talk show interlude that u can also see in Mac Demarco's 2012 "Rock and Roll Night Club," (idk any other albums that do this but they probs exist). She also really pushes the country genre and kinda breaks it, going into dance music, rap, and all sorts of directions. Only reason not a 9 is because it's a bit long for me. But honestly I'm super impressed. Fav tracks: AMERIICAN REQUIEM, RIVERDANCE, BODYGUARD

4/8/24: Ok revision. Changing my rating from an 8/10 to a 7/10. Just read this really great article by Yasmin Williams in the Guardian, and it does a great job taking down the album w a much more versed background in Black country history than I have. Read that instead of my review.