Beyoncé: Singer praised for ‘impressive’ country album Cowboy Carter

Critics and fans have praised Beyoncé’s new country album, Cowboy Carter, released Friday.

The American pop star’s eighth studio album was given four stars out of five by Guardian critic Alexis Petridis, who said it showed she was “incredibly capable of doing what she wanted”.

Page Six critic Nicholas Hautman called it “the revival that country music so desperately needed.”

“She did not disappoint,” one fan gushed on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Another social media user said they thought Beyoncé’s voice was “the best it’s ever been in her career.”

The album includes duets with Miley Cyrus and Post Malone, as well as covers of Dolly Parton’s Jolene and the Beatles’ Blackbird.

Country singers Willie Nelson and Linda Martell are also in attendance.

Many critics have praised Beyoncé’s ability to straddle the country-pop genre.

He added: “The fact that the genres overlap so seamlessly is a testament to Beyoncé’s technical mastery, but also to her central thesis: that Nashville’s marginalization of outsiders, and black women in particular, weakens the music to long term.”

Petridis said the album demonstrated the singer’s “ability to bend musical styles to her will.”

But he noted that the 27-track project “could have worked better as two separate albums.”

Will Hodgkinson of The Times also gave Cowboy Carter a four-star review, calling it a “stylish, star-studded Western epic” with a sense of “fun and adventure.”

But he acknowledged it was too long, adding that she “would have been better off leaving the remaining seven songs for another album.”

Hautman praised the new album as “instantly timeless” and “a moving celebration of Southern values ​​and the genre’s African-American roots.”

Many critics also echoed Beyoncé’s own warning that “this isn’t a country album, it’s a Beyoncé album.”

The new album was preceded by two hit singles – Texas Hold ‘Em and 16 Carriages – which marked the beginning of the Texas-born singer’s foray into country music.

Both singles became instant streaming hits, and Beyoncé became the first black woman to top the Billboard country music chart last month with Texas Hold ‘Em. She also topped the UK charts for the first time in almost 14 years.

Beyoncé said the album grew out of an experience where she “didn’t feel welcome”, which motivated her to delve deeper into the history of country music.

American singer-songwriter Tanner Adell, who appears on the album, describes the release of Cowboy Carter as a “very special moment” for black country artists like her.

“I’m not the only one,” she told BBC Radio 5 Live. “There are a lot of us in country music.”

She added: “This is music that my ancestors played and instruments that my ancestors created.”