[ed. I've never been much of a Beyoncé fan, but I do appreciate her talent. That said, her new country album is terrific:]
"The immediate head-turners on Cowboy Carter are the reinterpretations of two of pop’s most enduring classics: the Beatles’ “Blackbird” and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” The former, a straight-ahead cover, is an opportunity to showcase the divine voices of Adell, Spencer, Roberts, and Kennedy. The latter is a little more distinctive: Beyoncé adds new lyrics to the original, transforming it into the kind of fiery rebuke that would fit right in on Lemonade. As if to ward off skepticism from country purists, Beyoncé’s “Jolene” is introduced by Parton herself, who nods to “Sorry” in a spoken word interlude: “You know that hussy with the good hair you sang about? Reminded me of someone I knew back when, except she has flamin’ locks of auburn hair, bless her heart. It’s just hair of a different color, but it hurts just the same.” (...)
Cowboy Carter features A-list guests from the world of country and beyond—Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Post Malone—but the most surprising collaboration on the album is “II Most Wanted,” featuring occasional cowgirl Miley Cyrus. What makes “II Most Wanted,” produced by indie stalwart Shawn Everett, fascinating is that it’s a pure, old-fashioned duet, which is something of a rarity for Beyoncé: When she has collaborated with other vocalists over the past few years, she’s tended to draft them in for a verse or some ad-libs and little more. In the style of a classic country duet, Cyrus trades verses with Beyoncé before harmonizing with her on the chorus. As two of contemporary pop’s most powerful voices, they could have easily tried to out-diva each other—but the resulting track is tastefully restrained."
"The immediate head-turners on Cowboy Carter are the reinterpretations of two of pop’s most enduring classics: the Beatles’ “Blackbird” and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” The former, a straight-ahead cover, is an opportunity to showcase the divine voices of Adell, Spencer, Roberts, and Kennedy. The latter is a little more distinctive: Beyoncé adds new lyrics to the original, transforming it into the kind of fiery rebuke that would fit right in on Lemonade. As if to ward off skepticism from country purists, Beyoncé’s “Jolene” is introduced by Parton herself, who nods to “Sorry” in a spoken word interlude: “You know that hussy with the good hair you sang about? Reminded me of someone I knew back when, except she has flamin’ locks of auburn hair, bless her heart. It’s just hair of a different color, but it hurts just the same.” (...)
Cowboy Carter features A-list guests from the world of country and beyond—Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Post Malone—but the most surprising collaboration on the album is “II Most Wanted,” featuring occasional cowgirl Miley Cyrus. What makes “II Most Wanted,” produced by indie stalwart Shawn Everett, fascinating is that it’s a pure, old-fashioned duet, which is something of a rarity for Beyoncé: When she has collaborated with other vocalists over the past few years, she’s tended to draft them in for a verse or some ad-libs and little more. In the style of a classic country duet, Cyrus trades verses with Beyoncé before harmonizing with her on the chorus. As two of contemporary pop’s most powerful voices, they could have easily tried to out-diva each other—but the resulting track is tastefully restrained."
[ed. See also: this review of the entire album: "Cowboy Carter" (Pitchfork)
