'Cowboy Carter': Country crossover artists laud second act of Beyoncé's album trilogy

Although her rodeo getup and Americana album motifs suggest Beyoncé is carving out room for herself in the country space, lyrics from “Cowboy Carter” question the construct of genres in general.

“Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they?” Martell asks in “Spaghettii,” a track Beyoncé seemingly alluded to in a March 28 Instagram post.

Martell continued: “In theory, they have a simple definition that’s easy to understand. But in practice, well, some may feel confined.”

Later, in the “Dolly P” interlude, Parton observes, “No matter the genre, heartache hits the same.”

Beyoncé also expressed this sentiment in a March 19 Instagram post, writing, “This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé album.”

In the same post, she revealed the origins of “Cowboy Carter.”

“This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive,” she said.

Given the timeline provided, fans have speculated that said “experience” refers to the rejection of her bluegrass-inspired track “Daddy Lessons” by the Recording Academy’s country music committee in 2016. The reasons for the decision were not disclosed.

Beyoncé also drew criticism for performing“Daddy Lessons” alongside the Chicks — who had previously covered the song — at the 50th Country Music Association Awards in 2016.

Seemingly alluding to said events, Beyoncé continued in her Instagram post, “The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”

The post’s comment section sees many offering emphatic support.

“They didn’t give her a seat so she built her own table!!!” one comment said.

“I think people are going to be surprised because I don’t think this music is what everyone expects,” Beyoncé said in her rare Friday press release, “but it’s the best music I’ve ever made.”