It's Beyoncé's world, and we're just living in it.
Cowboy Carter is a genre-bending masterpiece.
She has officially crossed over into the fullest, most complete version of herself as an artist, and it shows. She is transcendent and navigates styles effortlessly, in such a fluid way that you don’t even notice the vibe has changed until you’re belting out a song with banjos.
But the best part is—she’s no chameleon either. Her sound is a brand that has been so perfected that it translates in a million different iterations like a Google Translate of perspectives.
She’s literally singing full opera effortlessly on ‘Daughter’, and a few songs later I’m struggling not to just start dancing on my bed while Brett—my mans 💅🏾— sleeps beside me during BUCKIN’.
As I'm listening, I’m just so damn proud of her and this and us. I’m continuously amazed by how she mirrors Black culture and history in every move she makes. To experience Beyoncé is to experience the Louvre, but only if it made you pray, repent, shake your ass, and make love all in one visit.
It’s way too early for me to say what song is my favorite or even name a top 5; it's hard to narrow down. This is a musical odyssey where every story beat adds so much depth it would be a shame to leave anything out.
'Tyrant' is Beyoncé talking her best sh*t. As a fan since I was buying tapes, this is my favorite Bey. If I’m listening to Beyoncé, just know I’m about to f*ck some sh*t up. And 'Spaghetti'—has hard enough bars to rival everyone out. Beyoncé is really that ninja, and I love when she reminds us.
Her choice to include Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Miley Cyrus is a reminder to any right-wing doubters that she is the one in tune with the connection to the culture, including all their faves. But her more impactful choice to include Black folks already in the genre, like Tanner Adell and Shaboozey, shows her true intentions: to elevate us. It’s always her goal and why my love for her has been a constant since I bought 'No, No, No' on cassette.
Beyoncé is a masterclass in creating your best art. She is making this music for herself. And we are in her debt. With all the petty beefs going on in music right now, making something so damn good it brings people together is just the challenge the queen of Virgos decided to annihilate in our faces. Again.
What a time to be alive.