Beyoncé released two new country-themed tracks on Sunday, Feb. 11, as a way to tease act two of her three-part project, “Renaissance.”
Beyoncé originally released “Renaissance” in 2022, which was a pop and R&B record. This fun album contained a lot of dance and electronic music. It’s a vibrant tribute to the LGBTQ community. She openly dedicates this album to the Black and queer pioneers that created this culture and music. A personal inspiration of hers is her late Uncle Johnny, who’s often been referred to as her “godmother,” who exposed her to the communities’ culture and love for electric dance music. This was a switch up from Beyoncé as her previous album, “Lemonade,” was more personal and focused on conceptual storytelling.
She eventually revealed on her website that this album was only one part of three featuring a collection of songs she has written over the last four years. Each part seemingly takes on its own genre. She stated she felt a renaissance coming towards the end of the pandemic and this is her way of contributing to it.
Beyoncé decided to take a country approach for her second act of “Renaissance” pre-releasing “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” and “16 CARRIAGES” to promote the album.
“16 CARRIAGES” is a country rock song about Beyoncé’s personal life and dives into her background. It is filled with vast layered crescendos which contain her vocals and guitar chords harmonizing throughout the bridge which gives it a gospel vibe.
It is more country-themed than the other tracks she released with this one taking inspiration from artists like Carrie Underwood. The theme of this track is her upbringing and gives the listener transparency about the work she had to put in to get to where she is today.
A line that stuck out to me was, “At 15, the innocence was gone astray. Had to take care of home at an early age. I saw Mama cryin’, I saw Daddy lyin’. Had to sacrifice and leave my fears behind. The legacy, if it’s the last thing I do.”
This line and others throughout the song, we see glimpses into Beyoncé’s childhood and how from an early age, she had to grow up quickly to take care of herself and her family. I appreciate the depth that this song has behind it and am glad to see more storytelling like we see throughout “Lemonade” is making a return.
My personal favorite of the two, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” is a country-pop mix. It is a lot catchier but still keeps the country vibe alive with a backwater plucky banjo beat paying homage to her Houston roots.
It definitely competes with other country songs that go for this similar pop-centric style and reminded me of Taylor Swift’s beginnings. It isn’t as over the top with production and filled with pop tropes as we see within the country genre. It is a fun track and long-time Beyoncé fans will definitely appreciate the new approach along with consistently releasing new tracks.
“Renaissance Act II,” is set to release on March 29 and I am excited to see what else she has in store for the genre. I am expecting features on this album as well
and I am curious to see who is working on this project alongside her. These singles are out on all streaming platforms, and I can see why they were chosen to promote her take on the genre.