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☆ Video: Darius Rucker on Beyoncé’s effect on country music
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Ally Hill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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1s ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT 5 ’24 ’06 10 THE BEATLES 5 ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT 5 ’24 ’06 10 THE BEATLES 5 ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ (2012) 5 ’24 ’06 10 THE BEATLES 5 ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ (2012) 5 ’24 ’06 10 THE BEATLES 5 ’63 ’70 10 TAYLOR SWIFT 5 ’24 ’06 Two bar charts: one for the Beatles, one for Taylor Swift. 30 15 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 ‘Thriller’ 15 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 ‘Thriller’ 15 ‘Fearless’ ‘1989’ 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 15 5 Not yet certified MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 15 5 Not yet certified MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS 30 30 million 15 15 million 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 30 30 million 15 15 million 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 30 30 million 15 15 million ‘1989’ 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 30 30 million 15 15 million ‘1989’ ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ 5 MICHAEL JACKSON PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES A grid of 10 Michael Jackson albums covers transitions into charts depicting Michael Jackson’s and Taylor Swift’s album sales. 15 million 10 5 BRITNEY SPEARS ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES ‘... Baby One More Time’ 15 million 10 5 BRITNEY SPEARS ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES ‘1989’ 15 million 10 5 BRITNEY SPEARS ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES Two side-by-side charts depict album sales for Britney Spears and Taylor Swift. 1s ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 ‘Vogue’ (1990) 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 ‘This Used To Be My Playground’(1992) 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 5 ’82 ’12 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 ‘Music’ (2000) 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 10 5 ’82 ’12 TAYLOR SWIFT 10 5 ’06 ’24 Two charts show Billboard top hits for Madonna and Swift, over the course of their respective careers. 15 million 10 5 BEYONCE ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 15 million ‘I Am ... Sasha Fierce’ 10 5 BEYONCE ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 15 million 10 5 BEYONCE ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES 15 million ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ 10 ‘Cowboy Carter’ 5 BEYONCE ALBUM SALES TAYLOR SWIFT ALBUM SALES Two side-by-side charts depict album sales for Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, respectively.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson, ”, Swift, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Drake, Billy Joel, Britney Spears, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Kareem, Brady, Marino, Harry Potter, TAYLOR, TAYLOR SWIFT, Swift’s, didn’t, Max Martin, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, McCartney, George Harrison, “, Taylor, Jackson, MICHAEL JACKSON, ’, Michael Jackson’s, …, “ Ben ”, —, Jackson’s, Micheal Jackson, It’s, she’s, Department ”, Spears, BRITNEY SPEARS, Spears’s, Madonna, Dick Tracy ”, Evita, I’m, David O, “ Ray, Bob Dylan, John, Springsteen, Elton John Farewell, Bruce Springsteen Springsteen, Elton John’s, Bruce Springsteen’s Springsteen, Madonna’s, it’s, Beyoncé, Georg Solti, Quincy Jones, It's, Madonna didn’t, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Sinatra, — Beyoncé, Sasha Fierce, Carter ’, Carter ”, Cowboy Carter, DRAKE, Kendrick Lamar, they’re, gunning, she’ll Organizations: Poets Department, MetLife, Beatles, “, Marvel, Billboard, TAYLOR SWIFT, U.S, Swift, MTV, Recording Industry Association of America, Department, Vogue, Veterans Touring, Drake, Beyoncé, Beyoncé’s Locations: New Jersey, U.S, Kobe, ”, “, pigtails, Amsterdam, Texas

☆ US concert spending: Americans will continue to spend big on live shows in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It was remarkable, given that inflation was elevated and interest rates were at their highest in two decades. “With the job market and economy holding strong, consumers could continue spending on these tours – and there’s certainly still demand,” Liz Anderson, a content strategist at jobs site Appcast, said in a statement to CNN. Beyoncé released “Cowboy Carter” on March 29, her eighth studio album featuring 27 tracks rooted in country music. Swift released her eleventh studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” Friday, and it soared past Beyoncé’s streaming record in just a few hours, becoming Spotify’s most streamed album in a single day of 2024. Swift’s latest set of music was released a “double album,” consisting of 15 extra tracks.

Persons: Washington CNN — Taylor Swift, Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Bad, there’s, Liz Anderson, ”, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, —, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Carter ”, hasn’t, Pawan Joshi, “ We’re, ’, Jeanelle Johnson Organizations: Washington CNN, Coachella Valley Music and Arts, Billboard, Federal, CNN, Poets Department, International Monetary Fund, PricewaterhouseCoopers Locations: Coachella, States

☆ Led by stars like Taylor Swift and Caitlin Clark, women keep breaking boundaries (and records) in entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The highest-grossing film in recent memory is Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” And the most-watched basketball star is Caitlin Clark. Beyoncé’s first country album, “Cowboy Carter,” topped Billboard’s charts with nearly half a million copies sold in its debut week. Meanwhile, Swift is set to release her highly anticipated album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” on Friday. The impact of a once-in-a-generation star like Swift will surely inspire interest in other female-led performers, spawning even greater appetite and opportunities. Compare that to the NBA’s top pick Victor Wembanyama, who signed a $55 million contract with the San Antonio Spurs.

Persons: New York CNN —, Taylor Swift, Greta Gerwig’s “ Barbie, Caitlin Clark, Swift, Beyoncé’s, Cowboy Carter, ”, Tom Poleman, CNN’s Alli Rosenbloom, ” “ It’s, ” Poleman, Clark, Barbie ”, Gerwig, didn’t, Victor Wembanyama, “, Hoda Kotb, Caitlin Organizations: New York CNN, Poets Department, Clark’s Hawkeyes, South Carolina Gamecocks, NBA, WNBA, Street Journal, NCAA, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Warner Bros . Pictures, CNN, Indiana Fever, San Antonio Spurs Locations: New York, America

☆ Beyoncé is sending Levi’s and Western boot sales soaring
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

All of which has apparently sent fans flocking to Levi’s for denim jeans, denim jackets and Western clothing since the album was released on March 29. Levi’s has made its own moves to capitalize on Beyoncé namechecking the brand and the extra attention it’s receiving. Angus Mordant/Bloomberg/Getty Images“Act II: Cowboy Carter” has also led to a rise in Western boot sales. Sales spiked another 45% the following week when “Texas Hold ‘Em” reached the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, Circana said. Beyoncé has also lifted Western boot sales at Calares, a women’s shoe and accessories chain, said Dana Telsey, a retail analyst at Telsey Advisory Group.

Persons: Bey, Cowboy Carter, Post Malone, Levi’s, ”, Michelle Gass, Beyoncé, Angus Mordant, Cowboy Carter ”, Circana, Taylor Swift, Beth Goldstein, Dana Telsey, Etsy, Th, CNN’s Lisa France Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bloomberg, Getty, Circana, Telsey Advisory, Billboard, Deutsche Bank Locations: New York, Pass_by, Instagram, Stockholm

☆ Opinion: Beyoncé is the start of a Black country groundswell
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Opinion Alice Randall | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Her book “My Black Country: A Journey Through ” Country Music’s Past, Present and Future,” was published this month. I hear Black moonshiners and Black cowboys, Black nature lovers and Black ghosts, Black angels, Black freedom fighters, gunslingers and Black shotgun riders. It could start a groundswell of long overdue recognition of the overlooked Black country legends and hope for the Black country stars of the future. But for Black performers in particular, it offers a seat, at long last, at a gathering of the country music family. As I write in “My Black Country,” “I have imagined Black country and country to be born as an art form, as an aesthetic, in the year 1624 near Jamestown, Virginia.

Persons: Alice Randall, who’s, ”, I’ve, Alice Randall Keren Trevino, Matraca Berg, Beyoncé’s, Carter, she’s, White, “, Jolene, Cowboy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Sen, Ted Kennedy, Roy Acuff, DeFord Bailey, Ole Opry’s, jumpstart Acuff’s, Anna Gordy, Berry Gordy, Marvin Gaye, Anna, Anna Gordy —, Detroit, Carter ”, Linda Martell, Rumi Carter, Jay Z, Blue Ivy, Sir, Rumi, Mike Blake, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter ”, ” Beyoncé, William Tucker, Stoney Edwards Organizations: CNN, Country Music Association, DAR, Blacks, Motown Records, Anna Records, Grand Ole Opry, Reuters, America, Eagle Locations: Nashville, Washington , DC, George H.W ., Detroit, Los Angeles, Black, European, Jamestown , Virginia, America, It’s

☆ Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Opens at No. 1 With the Year’s Biggest Sales
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Beyoncé’s genre-bending “Cowboy Carter” has become her eighth No. 1 album, opening with the biggest sales of any release so far this year. “Cowboy Carter,” billed as “Act II” of a trilogy that began with Beyoncé’s dance-oriented album “Renaissance” almost two years ago, had been expected by fans, and the music industry at large, as primarily a country project. “Cowboy Carter” arrives with the equivalent of 407,000 sales in the United States, and in addition to topping the all-genre Billboard 200 chart it is also No. Of its composite total sales figure, “Cowboy Carter” sold 168,000 copies as a complete album, including 62,000 on vinyl versions sold through Beyoncé’s website.

Persons: Carter ”, “ Cowboy Carter, ”, Dolly Parton’s, Jolene, Nancy Sinatra, Chuck Berry, Cowboy Carter ” Organizations: Metro Boomin Locations: United States

☆ Beyoncé makes history with ‘Cowboy Carter’ hitting No. 1
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Beyoncé may have proclaimed that her latest project “ain’t a country album,” but someone forgot to tell the charts that. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart with her “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” according to Billboard. The accomplishment comes at a time where there has been debate over the fact that Beyoncé herself is not a country music artist. If the argument is made that Bey lacks the country music pedigree, how about two of the genre’s biggest stars? lang have also found acceptance in the country music space.

Persons: CNN —, Cowboy Carter, ”, Beyoncé, Bey, Mathew Knowles, Tina Knowles, Keith Urban, Shania Twain Getty, That’s, Shania Twain, Twain, Carter, “, Queen Bey Organizations: CNN, Billboard, Country Music Association, Urban Locations: Texas, Houston , Texas, American, Alabama, Mama , Louisiana, Gadsden , Alabama, Galveston , Texas, Louisiana, Australia, Canada

☆ Thanks to Caitlin Clark, women’s basketball is now prime time viewing
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Two years ago, I could never have predicted the hype which surrounds tonight’s NCAA women’s basketball Final Four. Women’s college basketball is not just on the map for casual fans, it’s a star on the map – thanks at least, in large part, to Iowa star Caitlin Clark. Women’s college basketball is beating America’s pastime. More people have been searching women’s college basketball than for US President Joe Biden. Check the prices for the men’s and women’s college basketball Final Four.

Persons: didn’t, Muffet McGraw, it’s, Caitlin Clark, Let’s, Angel Reese’s, Clark, Reese, Andy Lyons, Dee Vanderhoef, Rebecca Gratz, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, NCAA, Angel Reese’s LSU, ESPN, Iowa, LSU, Stanley, ABC, Iowa Hawkeyes, Holy Cross Crusaders, UConn, USC, Google Locations: Iowa

☆ Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Asks, and Answers, a Crucial Question in Her Latest Album - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Tressie Mcmillan Cottom | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Beyoncé released a genre-bending country album, “Cowboy Carter,” last week. In outlaw country tradition, “Cowboy Carter” settles scores with haters and with history. It was for the white Southern voters Nixon needed to win over amid massive resistance to Black enfranchisement. Embracing country music is a loyalty test for conservative politicians and right-wing pundits whose career ambitions align with white identity politics. Beyoncé singing country music in this political climate was always going to cause a stir.

Persons: Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter, ”, Cowboy Carter ”, —, Richard Nixon, Nixon Organizations: Southern, Today’s Republican Party Locations: growled, Nashville, Texas

☆ Opinion: The problem with Beyoncé’s ‘Jolene’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Opinion Holly Thomas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It’s hardly my place to conclude how much of Beyoncé’s riff on “Jolene” is autobiographical, but I think we can safely assume she wants us to guess. That approach applies perfectly to country music (though she insists “Cowboy Carter” is “a ‘Beyoncé’ album,” not a country album). In “Daughter,” the track that follows “Jolene” on “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé continues on the theme of adultery. Whether or not Beyoncé’s “Jolene” has anything to do with her real life — or anyone’s — I think it’s a mistake to see it as a departure from Parton’s version. For someone cycling through the stages of post-cheating grief, Beyoncé’s “Jolene” reads like the “anger” prequel to Dolly’s “bargaining” “Jolene.” As listeners, the point isn’t to imitate either of them, or to know the roots of every phrase.

Persons: Holly Thomas, Katie Couric, CNN —, Holly Thomas Holly Thomas, Beyoncé’s, Dolly Parton’s, Jolene, ”, Cowboy Carter, Jolene — she’s, Parton, “, Beyoncé, don’t, ” Beyoncé, Azealia Banks, Jay, I’m, Tina, Jolene ”, Cowboy Carter ”, Dolly, Becky, Z, She’s, Becky ”, coos Organizations: Katie Couric Media, CNN Locations: London, Houston, Louisiana

☆ Paul McCartney says Beyonce’s ‘Blackbird’ cover ‘reinforces’ civil rights message behind it
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

“Anything my song and Beyoncé’s fabulous version can do to ease racial tension would be a great thing and makes me very proud,” he added. The powerful meaning behind the original song adds to the emotional depth of Beyoncé’s 2024 cover, which is amplified by the voices of four up-and-coming Black female country artists featured on the track: Tiera Kennedy, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer and Reyna Roberts. McCartney in his post on Thursday wrote that he spoke to Beyoncé on FaceTime and she thanked him for writing “Blackbird” and for letting her cover it. “I told her the pleasure was all mine,” he wrote. “I thought she had done a killer version of the song.”

Persons: CNN — Paul McCartney, Cowboy Carter, ”, McCartney, ” McCartney, Tiera Kennedy, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts, “ Organizations: CNN, Little Locations: United States, Arkansas

☆ Will Beyoncé announce the Cowboy Carter' tour? Fans think she may be hitting the road again soon.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Renaissance World Tour wrapped last October in Kansas City. So it would stand to reason — financially and thematically — that Beyoncé would plan another tour leg for "Cowboy Carter." He celebrated the release of "Cowboy Carter" on X, writing, "This tour bout to B' Incredible!" pic.twitter.com/KNHQOuqFI9 — COWBOY CARTER TOUR (@CowboyCarterWT) March 31, 2024However, the six-month turnaround since Beyoncé's last concert does cast suspicion on these theories. Thanks to "Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé," we know the Renaissance World Tour took four years to ideate and execute.

Persons: Beyoncé, Carter, —, Cowboy Carter, Tina Knowles, Lawson, Instagram, Knowles, KNHQOuqFI9, CARTER, she's, Gtg7f2jvSG — Antoinette “, ” Childs, @Beyonce, …, GPhRrW1GiF — Nicolas Organizations: Service, Texas Locations: Kansas City, @TheFancyFriend

☆ Beyoncé is opening the door for these Black country artists
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Beyoncé has some people excited about country music. But they aren’t the only ones whose careers could benefit from Queen Bey’s entrance into country music. Andrew Nelles /The Tennessean/USA Today NetworkRVSHVD (pronounced Ra-shad) is another Georgia native who is making his way in the country music industry. Apple TV+Ashlie Amber may not have won a TV competition meant to open doors for underrepresented country artists, but she’s definitely winning fans. Jason Kempin/Getty ImagesTwins Derek Campbell and Brandon Campbell are fighting for inclusivity in country music in more ways than one.

Persons: CNN — Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé, can’t, Dolly Parton’s, Jolene, ”, Tanner Adell, Willie Jones, Tiera Kennedy, Linda Martell, Reyna Roberts, Brittney Spencer, Derek White, Kelly Clarkson, Shania Twain, Twain, “, ” Twain, ” Kylan Boykin, we’re, Nytere Boykin, Carter ”, ” Nytere Boykin, RVSHVD RVSHVD, Andrew Nelles, Clint Rashad Johnson, Keith Urban’s, — Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Angel Rewis, Johnson, She’s, Amber Ashlie Amber, Amber, she’s, Reese Witherspoon, Kacey Musgraves, Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton, Orville Peck, ” Micaela Kleinsmith, ” Amber, “ Beyoncé, Derek Campbell, Brandon Campbell, Jason Kempin, we’ve, ” Derek Campbell, WSMV4, Hart, Trea Swindle, Danica Hart, Devynn Hart, Chapel Hart, Evan Agostini, “ Jolene, –, Danica, Trea, America’s, ” Parton, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, The Recording, CMT, USA, Billboard, Florida Georgia Line, Apple, The Kentucky Gentlemen, Winery, Getty, inclusivity, ”, Rolling Stone, Chapel, Channel, Nashville Locations: Atlanta, Nashville, Georgia, Florida, Nashville , Tennessee, Kentucky, Winery Nashville, Versailles , Kentucky, America, Austin , Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana

☆ Beyoncé’s Country Is America: Every Bit of It
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Jon Pareles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The first song on “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé’s not-exactly-country album, makes a pre-emptive strike. It’s a challenge she has engaged head-on since she released her visual album “Beyoncé” in 2013. For the last decade, even as her tours have filled stadiums, she has set herself goals outside of generating hits. “Cowboy Carter” is an overstuffed album, 27 tracks maxing out the 79-minute capacity of a CD and stretching across two LPs. It flaunts spoken-word co-signs from Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton that interrupt its flow; it includes some fragmentary, minute-long songs.

Persons: Cowboy Carter, ” Beyoncé’s, “, ”, Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter ”, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton

☆ Beyoncé references a Marvel supervillain on ‘Cowboy Carter’ and other lyrics
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —In case you’ve somehow missed the biggest news in music this week, Beyoncé released her latest album on Friday, and “Act II: Cowboy Carter” goes out of its way to point out that music genres are overly confining labels. The 27-track compendium contains country music, to be sure, but also folk, gospel, rap, pop and even some Italian opera – and it celebrates Bey’s desire to span beyond any labels or limits. (She even spelled it out in a rare caption on her Instagram ahead of the album drop, writing that “Carter” “ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”) The resulting collection is musically rich, lyrically creative and distinctly Beyoncé. Throughout, Beyoncé acknowledges the influence of artists who have come before her, and subverts concepts of country music by connecting past to present.

Persons: you’ve, Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter ”, “ Carter, Linda Martell, ”, ” Thanos, Josh Brolin, Shaboozey, Nancy Sinatra’s, Queen Bey, Jay, Z’s, she’s, ’, Chuck Berry, Willie Nelson ”, Tanner Adell, Reyna Roberts, Tiera Kennedy, Brittney Spencer, Willie Jones, Cowboy Carter Organizations: CNN, Black, Marvel Studios, The Beach Boys, Block Party Locations: “, Louisiana

☆ In Cowboy Hats and Fringe, BeyHive Turns Out in Nashville for Beyoncé
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Emily Cochrane | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Beyoncé fans had spent the day racing from store to store, searching for their first cowboy hat or pair of white cowboy boots. They brought out the denim jackets lined with silver fringe, the brown and white cow print skirts and the silver rhinestones to stud just above their eyelid. Then on Friday night, they headed downtown to the famed strip of honky-tonks and bars on Lower Broadway in Nashville to listen to Beyoncé’s new album, “Cowboy Carter,” a tapestry of not only country music, but also contemporary pop music, funk and other genres. “I’ve never seen so many people that look like me in cowboy hats in my life,” Nia Blair, 24, marveled, dancing in her own pair of new boots. She added, “one album did all this.”

Persons: Cowboy Carter, “ I’ve, ” Nia Blair, ” Organizations: Broadway Locations: Nashville

☆ Opinion: How Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ reveals America’s true nature
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Opinion Roxanne Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And Beyoncé’s bold, brilliant new album “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” which dropped Friday, is no exception to those musical roots. Roxanne Jones CNNIt was from Africa that the banjo, the signature instrument of country music, arrived on our nation’s shores. For a brief time in the 1960s and 1970s, Black country music artists received some commercial success and recognition. And, though he’s in the Country Music Hall of Fame today, Bailey was never recognized for his countless contributions to the genre. And by this measure, I’d say Beyoncé’s second act, “Cowboy Carter,” is indeed classic country music.

Persons: Roxanne Jones, Jones, ”, Cowboy Carter, Roxanne Jones CNN, There’d, Beyonce, Alice Randall, “, ” Randall, Linda Martell, Martell, Ray Charles ’, Charley Pride, DeFord Bailey, mistreating Bailey, ” Bailey, Bailey, Uncle Wilbur, Patsy Cline, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Bey Organizations: ESPN The Magazine, ESPN, New York Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, CNN, NPR, Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame Locations: Africa, America, Texas, Beyoncé, Nashville , Tennessee

☆ Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Is Here, and It’s Much More Than Country
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Beyoncé has gone country, sure … but it turns out that’s only the half of it. For months, the superstar, who made her name in R&B and pop, has been telegraphing her version of country music and style. At midnight on Friday, Beyoncé finally released her new album, “Cowboy Carter,” and the country bona fides were certainly there. Yet “Cowboy Carter” is far broader than simply a country album. That theory is made clear on the spoken track “Spaghettii,” featuring the pioneering but long absent Black country singer Linda Martell, who in 1970 released an album called “Color Me Country.”

Persons: Beyoncé, that’s, —, Cowboy Carter, ”, Dolly Parton, Jolene, Willie Nelson, Chuck Berry, Rosetta Tharpe, Son, Carter ”, Nancy Sinatra, Sly Stone, Linda Martell Organizations: Stetson Locations: Texas

☆ How Beyoncé answered Dolly Parton’s call and switched up the lyrics to ‘Jolene’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“I don’t know if she’s even got the message, but wouldn’t that be killer? Beyoncé includes a version of Parton’s hit on her “Renaissance” sequel, “Act II: Cowboy Carter.” The song is introduced by Parton herself. “Hey miss Honey B, it’s Dolly P. You know that hussy with the good hair you sing about? For example, instead of “I’m beggin’ of you, please don’t take my man,” Beyoncé sings, “I’m warning you, don’t come for my man.”Parton fully approves. “Wow, I just heard Jolene,” Parton wrote in a statement on social media on Friday.

Persons: Dolly Parton’s, ” Parton, Jolene ”, Parton, she’s, “, Jolene ’, Whitney, Jolene, ”, Cowboy Carter, Dolly, Bey, ” Beyoncé, don’t, Dolly P, Jolene I’m, Jolene Don’t, I’m, Jolene We’ve, There’s, Jolene Me, Jolene I’ma Organizations: CNN Locations: Houston, auburn

☆ Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Adopts the Music of Opera Singers, Too
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Joshua Barone | More About Joshua Barone | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Like much music of longing and sorrow from this time — such as the sadly beautiful arias of Mozart’s operas — “Caro Mio Ben” is in a major key, and has endured as such for more than two centuries as a concert and recording staple. But that’s also where Beyoncé comes in. “Daughter” excerpts “Caro Mio Ben” as a bridge and distorts its major-key atmosphere into a minor one to fit with the rest of the song. In Beyoncé’s “If you cross me, I’m just like my father/I am colder than Titanic water,” you can hear a spiritual descendant of Carmen’s warning to “be on your guard” from another opera classic, the Habanera. She doesn’t have the voice of an opera singer, but that doesn’t really matter.

Persons: — “ Caro Mio Ben ”, that’s, Beyoncé, “ Caro Mio Ben ”, “ Carmen ”, I’m, ”

☆ The symbolism in Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album has fans talking
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Beyoncé knows how to get people talking, and her new album “Cowboy Carter,” had tongues wagging long before its release date on March 29. “Cowboy Carter” is the much-anticipated followup to her 2022 album “Renaissance” and her 2016 album “Lemonade,” both of which injected the culture with paradigm-shifting art and symbolism. This is Black American culture.”“Beyoncé’s album cover makes complete sense to Black Texans” guest columnist Taylor Crumpton wrote for Bloomberg. Of course, a new Beyoncé album is bound to ignite all sorts of conversations. The discourse is part of the experience as much as any cowboy hat, and “Cowboy Carter” is already taking fans to school.

Persons: CNN — Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter, ”, Cowboy Carter ”, Carter ”, Beyoncé’s, Carter, Azaelia Banks, Banks, “, Vanessa Vaillareal, Tory Shulman, Beyoncé, Napoleon, George Washington, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Angelou, ” Baldwin, Taylor Crumpton, Randy, ” Beyoncé, ” Kacey, John Shearer, Jim Crow, Linda Martell, Martell Organizations: CNN, Sony, AP, YouTube, Daily, Black Texans, Texans, Bloomberg, ”, Los Angeles Magazine, Grand Ole Opry Locations: Parkwood, Columbia, American, Texas, Houston, Los Angeles , California

☆ Beyoncé’s ‘The Linda Martell Show’ single is named for a trailblazer you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Rhythm and blues and country music are the most parallel types of music,” Singleton has been quoted as saying. “Country music tells a story,” Martell told Rolling Stone. And while Martell recalls receiving two standing ovations that night, the road to country music success was far from smooth. A place in historyMartell’s story may have languished in history were it not for both her country music family and her biological one. “Minority, women and marginalized artists deserve to play on a level playing field in the country music industry,” Thompson told The Tennessean last year.

Persons: CNN — Beyoncé’s, Cowboy Carter ”, Linda Martell, ”, Beyoncé, “, Martell, Thelma Bynem, “ You’d, William “ Duke ” Rayner, Shelby Singleton Jr, ” Singleton, Singleton, ” Martell, Rolling, Jeannie C, Riley, BlackHistoryMonth Martell, Mickey Guyton, Rolling Stone, ” Guyton, “ I’ve, I’ve, …, Marquia Thompson, ” Thompson, ” Beyoncé Organizations: CNN, Rolling Stone, Grand Ole Opry, SSS, Records, Country Blues, Tennessean Locations: Texas, South Carolina, Harper, Singleton

☆ How photographer and style icon Trevor Stuurman is showcasing African artistry to the world
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Kamayah Scruggs | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —South African photographer, visual artist and fashion icon Trevor Stuurman has become one of the country’s most sought-after creatives by unapologetically challenging the global perception of African cultures through his powerful visual storytelling. This narrative shift was fully on display with his work on Beyoncé’s Grammy-nominated visual album “Black is King,” in 2020, which Stuurman knew would reach a massive audience. In 2021, Stuurman photographed the “Coming to America 2” x Uoma Beauty “Black is Magic” collection to showcase African creativity and contemporary cultures. “Everyone has the artistic ability, but not everyone has the professional tool set to execute and build a long-lasting career,” Stuurman said. “[The Manor] is about extending the table and creating a table as opposed to asking for a seat at the table.”Watch the full episode of African Voices Changemakers featuring Trevor Stuurman.

Persons: Trevor Stuurman, unapologetically, ”, Stuurman, ” Stuurman, Elle Magazine’s, Trevor Stuurman “, Shaka iLembe, Naomi Campbell, Gigi, Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Barack Obama, “ Organizations: CNN, South, Beyoncé’s, United Nations, Gates Foundation, Disney, creatives, ” Locations: South Africa, “ Africa, London, Kimberley, Johannesburg, Cape Town

☆ Will Country Welcome Beyoncé? That’s the Wrong Question.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Jon Caramanica | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With the release of “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé’s eighth solo album and the one that finds her exploring — and testing — the boundaries of country music, much of the early conversation has centered on whether the country music industry would rally around her. Rather than being feted with a welcome party, Beyoncé has been met largely with shrugs. Beyoncé is Black, and a woman, two groups that contemporary Nashville has consistently marginalized and shortchanged. Contemporary mainstream country music often feels like a closed loop of white male storytelling. Which is why whether or not Beyoncé and Nashville can find common cause is, in every way, a red herring.

Persons: Cowboy Carter, ”, hurrahs, Beyoncé Locations: Texas, Nashville

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