- Written by Noor Nanji
- Culture correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
Beyoncé's highly anticipated new album has been released
Critics and fans have praised Beyoncé's new country music-inspired album Cowboy Carter, which was released on Friday.
The American pop star's eighth album received four out of five stars By Guardian critic Alexis Petridiswhich she said showed that she was “admirably capable of doing whatever she wants.”
Page Six Critic Nicholas Hautman called it “the revival that country music so desperately needed.”
“She did not disappoint,” raved one fan on Channel X, formerly known as Twitter.
Another social media user said he thought Beyoncé's voice was “the best ever of her career.”
The album includes duets with Miley Cyrus and Post Malone, along with covers of Dolly Parton's “Jolene” and the Beatles' “Blackbird.”
Country singers Willie Nelson and Linda Martell will also participate in the concert.
Many reviewers welcomed Beyoncé's ability to interweave country-pop.
“The seamless intersection of musical genres is a testament to Beyoncé’s artistic mastery, but it is also a testament to her central thesis: that Nashville’s marginalization of outsiders, and black women in particular, weakens music in the long run,” he added.
Petridis said the album demonstrated the singer's “ability to bend musical styles to her will.”
But he noted that the 27-track project “probably would have been better split into two separate albums.”
Will Hodgkinson of The Times Cowboy Carter also gave it a four-star review, praising it as a “brilliant, star-studded Western epic” with a sense of “fun and adventure.”
But he agreed it was too long, adding that it “would have been better to leave the remaining seven songs for another album.”
Hotman praised the new album as “instantly timeless” and “a spiritual celebration of Southern values and the African-American roots of the genre.”
Many reviewers also noted Beyoncé's warning that “this isn't a country album, this is a Beyoncé album.”
The new album was preceded by two successful singles – Texas Hold 'Em and 16 Carriages – which marked the beginning of the Texas-born singer's foray into country music.
Both songs were instant hits, and Beyoncé became the first black woman to top the Billboard country music chart last month with “Texas Hold 'Em.” It also topped the UK singles charts for the first time in nearly 14 years.
Beyoncé said the album came from an experience where she “didn't feel welcome,” which led her to delve into the history of country music.
American singer-songwriter Tanner Adele, who appears on the album, describes Cowboy Carter's release 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.”
“This is music that my grandparents played, and instruments that my grandparents made,” she added.
Future teen idol. Typical social media ninja. Alcohol buff. Explorer. Creator. Beer advocate.”