Beyonce continues to prove that she is unrivaled with the arrival of her eighth studio album, ‘Cowboy Carter.’
Serving as Queen Bey’s much-discussed foray into Country music, the eclectic set blends a wide range of genres – including Folk, Soul, R&B, Rock, and even Opera. The result? A delicious sonic fusion that many are deeming the megastar’s best work yet.
Led by the Billboard Hot 100 #1 ‘Texas Hold ‘Em,’ act ii (of the three-project arc) also features contributions from the likes of Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson, as well as rising Country talent such as Tanner Adell and Willie Jones.
Having marinated on the 27-song set, That Grape Juice has tallied our top 5 tracks from ‘Cowboy Carter.’
Join us after the jump…
Bodyguard
A bouncy, bodacious bop, this is ear candy in the most sonically satisfying way. Surely an imminent single?
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Jolene
Much talked about before its existence was even confirmed, Beyonce’s take on the Dolly Parton classic came with tall expectations. And thankfully it delivers in earnest. Boasting a hilarious introduction from Parton herself, Bey flips the track into a stern warning – brandishing Ms. Jolene as a “bird.” And aptly, this is flying up the charts. Deservingly so.
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Riiverdance
Beyonce is renowned for making the masses move and this soulful jam – which blends a myriad of sounds – serves as one of the album’s most tempo-driven moments. She commands the listener to “bounce on that sh*t, dance.” And with a song as infectious as this, one has no choice but to heed her demand.
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Ya Ya
Explosive! Reminiscent of an early Tina Turner, this fiery anthem possesses a heat that scorches in the best way. The mere thought of seeing this performed live or in visual form has us all sorts of excited!
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Tyrant
Perhaps the most traditional Beyonce “sounding” cut on ‘Cowboy Carter’ continues her trend of melting sounds (and, quite literally, songs) for maximum effect. This all-at-once manages to be hard-hitting, daring, melodic, and demanding of the listener’s ear. We can the Urban format eating this up!
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Honorary Mentions: ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ and ’16 Carriages.’
Already beloved here at TGJ, both were stellar choices as singles and set the sonic scape of what followed on the album at large.
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What do you think of our picks?
I like the song about spread eagle. It is too short. Dosedo…buss it open.
Texas Hold ‘Em” is officially the first country song in history to reach the Top 10 on US Rhythmic Radio
Jayz is cooked 🫵🤥 camel face Ped0 #diddyjayz
Do you remember when Jay Z and Beyoncé traveled in 2013 to the largest of the islands where ped0 is allowed? 😂😂
Her days are numbered. Rumor has it after Diddy’s home raids the next in line is Jay Z!!!!
😭😭😭
Good music
Will the Feds raid her house as they did with Diddy? 🔥🔥
The Carters are some horrible human being they are not human like they deserve the worst for everything they have done
This album is a B +, Renaissance was an A+, almost every freaking song was a banga for ActI
Well, looks like Katt Williams may have the last laugh after all… Who would’ve thought? Jay/ Diddy’s got some explaining to do!
How we know you lying?
Jolene is so so bad, sounds like a YouTube cover just with a professional production.
That’s what I thought 💯 her lazy vocal… I can’t…
For me, I think my top five are: “II Hands II Heaven,” “Protector,” “Daughter,” “Jolene,” and “Bodyguard.” “Tyrant,” “Leviis Jeans,” and “Texas Hold Em” are also among my favorites.
My top five are Bodyguard, Jolene, Levii’s Jeans, Riiverdance and II HANDS II HEAVEN. Honorable mention goes to 16 Carriages, Tyrant and American Requiem
Love the album and all the different vocal techniques she’s using here!!!
flop
Sorry but the Jolene cover is a mess. Even miley does it better than her Mayo wanna be ass💅🏻 hate to see her keeps writhing with more White artists.. she is supposed to embrace her color
That flop juice, you are picking only 5 songs from the long ass 27 tracks albums😂💀 so I assumed you are telling us the rest are just fillers.
Can u not READ??????
What do u expect from this racist web??
Beyoncé and her 90s peers last album debut Friday on Spotify.
Beyonce -76.1M
Shakira – 13M
Justin Timberlake – 5.94M
Britney – 5.6M
Pink – 4.9M
Usher – 4.32M
J Lo – 1.3M
Xtina – 520K
Alicia Keys – #Error
(& we are still waiting on Trenches)
It doesn’t matter cause Jay is now under the Feds radar 🤣🤣🤣
Lmao why are you running away from Taylor Swift?
Rihanna is queen of streaming and queen of sales sales …. lemonade and Renaissance has not sold more then ANTI
Bodyguard
16 Carriages
Riiverdance
Tyrant
Flamenco
Yessssss 3/5 tracks are also in my top 5!!! I love when I’m in sync with y’all like that! My top 5 are Tyrant, Bodyguard, YaYa, LEVII’s Jeans, and II Hands II Heaven. My honorable mentions are Jolene and Daughter! The song with Miley is so good too!
Enjoy your success and after Diddy goes to prison… next is your husband!!!
Enjoy while it lasts 💅💅💅
Can I play your little tiny shrimp egg roll? Ling Ling is super hungry 💅🏻
I hope she makes a lot of cash after they expose her husband soon!!
Rolling Stone awards Beyoncé’s #COWBOYCARTER the “Instant Classic” seal and gives it a score of 100/100. 💯 🤠 👢
Paid promo 🥴🥴🥴
We never saw Jay Z speak out against R. Kelly. Everyone knew that he was a p********, and that he married Aaliyah when she was only 15 years old. She died in a plane crash (now everything is very doubtful) Everyone knew of the connection between them and Jeffrey Epstein.
R.Kelly is the past, Diddy is the present and Jay Z is said to be the future of this whole dirty and cruel world against children.
2pac was right!
Incredible how much control she has over media publications !!
The worst Joylene version 💀
Diddy updates: Diddy has allegedly threatened to expose Jay Z and Beyonce for the roles they played in some shady stuff and many have speculated it have something to do with Cathy Whites dem*se.
Fitness and beauty expert Cathy Koreana White popularly known for her fling with Jay Z was found de*d in her Manhattan apartment on September 2 2001,The rumors were sparked after she and model Claudia Jordan were spotted at Las Vegas’ Tao nightclub, sitting at a table with Jay Z and Puffy on September 1st.
As the plot thickens, i see 3 ways all this can play out:
1. Diddy deals with this with the power he holds and walks free
2. Diddy goes down and takes others down with him
3. They Epstein him (diddy)
Wow!!! 😮💨
Shakira’s “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” received a total of 68,173,737 streams on the Spotify Counter in its first week.
Beyoncé’s „Cowboy Carter” received a total of 76.1m on Spotify on its first day of tracking.
Rihanna is Queen of Sales and Streaming. That’s why ANTI is at 11 million
AND LEMONADE AND RENAISSANCE IS NOT
Streams… not sales.
DIL sold 11M real albums 😆
& So did the SURVIVOR album.
ANTI sold 11 million
Lemonade and Renaissance still has not sold more.
🚨‘II MOST WANTED’ by Beyonce and Miley Cyrus is heading for a #1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100.
Most wanted girl nobody wants ur p****. We understand you love your husband, respectfully but she really out here tryna convince us she think Jay Z is s*** lol while she’s a porcelain doll, pls she know what beauty is. It’s giving insanity. Definitely most wanted in jail after Diddy, def. Sis do a Bey’ance & Call Kim Porter from the dead. Hurry
Or maybe Jolene?
Lol its not. Your leg getting putated is more realistic than that
Jay-Z is next. He has been partying with Puffy for decades. Here are a few rare photos of Jay in 2000 with Aaliyah at a party he threw with some very young women in attendance. Puffy was there. Jay was 31 years old here and Aaliyah is 21. Jay knew she married his friend R. Kelly as a 15-year-old 6 years prior and said nothing. It is now widely known that during the period these photos were taken Jay-Z was working his ass off to get with Aaliyah until she died in a plane crash in 2001. In 2002, following leaked video recordings, Jay’s good buddy R. Kelly was prosecuted on child pornography charges, leading to a controversial acquittal in 2008. Jay-Z stayed silent about everything. Also in 2002, Jay-Z began pursuing a girl even younger than Aaliyah. An 18-year-old named Beyonce. That same year, 2002, Jay-Z and R. Kelly collaborated on their first album, The Best of Both Worlds. Then the two collaborated on a second album, Unfinished Business, in 2004. The whole time Jay-Z knew Aaliyah and other young girls were being passed around his circle of friends and he said NOTHING. He knew what R. Kelly was doing with little girls and said NOTHING. He knew R. Kelly married a child and said NOTHING.
I think it’s safe to assume Jay-Z said nothing because he was part of everything. #DiddyGate
Yes huntyyy Hello GM!!!
Seems that Katt Williams was telling the truth about Women trafficking and s** trafficking by Diddy. The FBI raided Diddy’s home and found shocking evidence.
Jay Z should take care to avoid the Matrix trap.
The Carters are some horrible human being they are not human like they deserve the worst for everything they have done!!!!☝️
Tanner Adell is fake she doing this for a Grammy; Columbia records the jig is up. You’re still trying to get that Mariah Celine coin from the 90s but the label has taken their artists and the stunts to a new level. Very creative with little authenticity and dignity. Columbia’s artists are making the girls really uncomfortable these days. Not just Bey n Parkwood but Lil Nas and tbh all the black artists. It’s giving 2020’s Clown Circus Cosplay music label to fund black artists and musicians who really wana sell n cash out asap
27 songs ? Nope. There’s 7 skits/intros and Flamenco is 1’40. But let’s count it… it’s 20 songs in a total of 27 tracks.
Jolene isn’t a cover, besides the melody of course. It’s more of a makeover with a different narrative.
Bodyguard is the most commercial song on the album, along with the 1st single that was well chosen.
Yaya is fire, not a lot of current artists can pull off that vocal style + carry it live with the energy and moves. Looking forward to that one LIVE.
The harmonies on American Requiem are crazy. I don’t know how many layers with different keys she’s recorded (like Party on 4), very pleasant to the ear especially with headphones.
That album puts more focus on her vocals. Unlike Renaissance who was more about the flow and vocal smoothness with a very chill laid back style.
I have a feeling act iii will be Rock and Blues oriented.
Yaya
Bodyguard
Riiverdance
Tyrant
Llevis