Haggard men in front of a poster of the star, scantily clad, but wearing cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. In the background, a radio playing country and blues classics is covered by banjo chords then the voice of Beyoncé. The promotional clip which accompanied the announcement of the singer’s new album, Cowboy Carterdoes not skimp on clichés to announce a dive into the roots of American music. Texas Hold ‘Em And 16 Carriagesthe first two tracks unveiled during the Super Bowl, confirm it: in her eighth album, which comes out Friday March 29, the 42-year-old singer begins a new artistic turn, this time towards country.
Less than two years later Renaissance, “Queen B”, as she is nicknamed, returns with the second act of a project designed as a trilogy. If her previous album was resolutely electro and house, therefore far from the R&B or pop that made the singer famous, this new record ventures towards a genre, country, “which is the commercial version of folk music born in the 1920s in the southern United States”defines for franceinfo Elsa Grassy, lecturer in American civilization at the University of Strasbourg.
Beyoncé hasn’t forgotten the lesson of “Daddy Lessons”
On the cover of this new opus, we find Beyoncé on her mount, as on the cover of Renaissance, but adorned with elements evoking this genre so anchored in the history of the United States: she brandishes the American flag and wears a jumpsuit that uses her colors, as well as a pair of boots and a cowboy hat. In the text published on Instagram when revealing this cover, the artist describes his new project as born from failure and frustration: it is the response to “an experience (…) lived several years ago, during which [elle] born [s’est] didn’t feel welcome…and it was very clear that[elle] born [l’était] not”.
An implicit reference to an episode that occurred in 2016, after the release of his album Lemonadeon which appears Daddy Lessons. The belonging of this title to the country genre is already debated. At the Grammy Awards, Beyoncé is nominated in many categories, but not for best country song, says Slate. “Country radio stations have a lot of decision-making power on what will sell and on the awards distributed. The Country Music Awards (CMA) mainly take into account radio broadcasting, but Beyoncé had hardly been played” on specialized stations, remembers Elsa Grassy. “The Grammys simply excluded the song from the country category”.
The singer is still invited to the CMA stage, accompanied by the Dixie Chicks, a female country group once ostracized by the industry for its opposition to the war in Iraq. Online, this appearance provokes very negative, and sometimes openly racist, reactions among some fans of the genre, says the New York Times.
“White people have reappropriated this music, so when a black artist rubs shoulders with it, there are racist reactions. This is what she experienced when she Daddy Lessons and still today with Texas Hold ‘Emwhich some American country radio stations didn’t want to play”, analyzes Nicolas du Roy, editorial director of Spotify France. The popularity of the new single has, this time, forced these stations to review their copy.
Pursuing his Texas roots
This eighth album “is the fruit of more than five years of work”, writes Beyoncé on Instagram. For the artist, it is a return to her family roots, she the Texan, born in Houston. But also to his musical roots, continuing the journey started with Renaissance. “She always tried to renew herself during her career”, observes Narjès Bahhar, journalist and head of rap at Deezer. Revealed with the R&B of Destiny’s Child, passed through funk, hip-hop with her husband Jay-Z, crowned queen of pop solo, Beyoncé dabbled in electro and house on her previous album and therefore leans , with Cowboy Carterabout another genre generally associated with white artists. “It encourages us to be interested in this music, in their history and their African-American roots,” develops Narjès Bahhar. While sending messages “strong and militant”.
“She is an artist of all kinds, which are built on experience and expertise. She continues her musical transformation.”
Narjès Bahhar, journalist and head of rap at Deezerat franceinfo
The notes of banjo, an emblematic country instrument, heard from the first seconds of Texas Hold ‘Em have a connotation “very political”, continues Elsa Grassy. Behind this melody, we find the musician Rhiannon Giddens, an emblematic figure of the American folk scene. “She works to popularize the black history of country music, and especially the banjo”, illustrates the specialist in American civilization. Initially used only by black artists, this instrument gradually entered the white variety in the 19th century, after being used to caricature black people in racist “blackface” shows.
“This instrument is associated with racist stereotypes, making it unappealing to African-American artists todayanalyzes Elsa Grassy. Rhiannon Giddens almost acts like an exorcist by trying to ward off the specters associated with it.” She, but also Robert Randolph, present on 16 Carriages and ranked among the 100 best guitarists in the world by the American magazine Rolling Stone in 2010, are musicians with a real knowledge of country. “Thanks to them, Beyoncé ensures a legitimacy that she did not have when arriving from pop”says the professor of American culture.
A foray into Taylor Swift territory?
As always with Beyoncé, whose business and marketing acumen is well established, the launch of this album was carefully thought out. The two new singles were unveiled during the Super Bowl, the most watched event of the year in the United States. Usher put on the show during halftime, and Taylor Swift did the show in the stands, following the performance of her companion Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs player. Beyoncé managed to take the spotlight despite this strong competition. Does this communication conceal a desire to overshadow Taylor Swift, who now has four Grammys for best album of the year, against… zero for Beyoncé, to the great displeasure of her husband Jay-Z? Or to trample on the flowerbeds of the one who first made herself known in country music?
“Her goal is not to compete with Taylor Swift or to show that she is stronger than the country music industry. She does what she wants. She innovates and works to amplify her pop with a conscience of his heritage”sweeps away Elsa Grassy, who dismisses the accusations of opportunism of which the star may have been the target.
“Beyoncé’s album says more about the vitality of a genre than any rivalry between two popstars.”
Elsa Grassy, specialist in American civilizationat franceinfo
This rivalry is fueled by certain media, but neither Beyoncé nor Taylor Swift take part in it. In an interview with Time Magazinethe latter ensures that the two artists are “beyond this conversation, because she and I are trying to do bigger things”. “This rivalry part of the gamebut reflects a misogyny that is deeply rooted in our societies.”which would lock women artists into comparison with each other, regrets Narjès Bahhar.
“The mixing of genres is more and more immediate”
This eighth opus with southern accents above all reflects a new musical trend. “A genre is no longer confined to an audience”, notes Nicolas du Roy from Spotify France. “Everything mixes, artists venture into unexpected territories. And with streaming, this mixture of genres is more and more immediate.” To accompany the country artists invited on her two singles, Beyoncé also summoned Raphael Saadiq and Hit-Boy, a renowned soul artist and an influential producer on the hip-hop scene in the United States. “She has hip-hop and R&B DNA, everything she touches, she turns it into ‘Beyoncé'”, theorizes Narjès Bahhar. This is also what the star assures on Instagram: “It’s not a country album. It’s a Beyoncé album.”
While the album has just been released, the singer’s weight on popular culture is already tangible. Texas Hold ‘Em became a hit, racking up more than 200 million plays on Spotify and ranking in the top 10 in several countries not usually fond of country (Brazil, Australia, France, Netherlands, Mexico…). It also allowed the singer to become the first black woman to top the magazine’s Hot Country Songs ranking. Billboard, which is a reference for country music. A performance which earned him the congratulations of genre icon Dolly Parton.
This tidal wave from Texas has other unexpected consequences. Listening to Daddy Lessons, his 2016 title, climbed 540% on Spotify in the United States. And other artists are benefiting from the renewed interest in the place of black female singers in country music. Thus, Tanner Adell saw the plays of his title Buckle Bunny multiplied by four on the platform. “I’m curious to know if it will last and if there will be country awards for Beyoncé or for other black artists”, asks Elsa Grassy. Beyoncé will perhaps be able to complete her collection of Grammy statuettes, which already has 32, an absolute record. While waiting for the last act of his trilogy…