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Beyonc\u00e9<\/a>‘s new album, <\/span>Cowboy Carter<\/span><\/em>, is almost here, y’all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On Friday, the 42-year-old singer will drop her highly-anticipated eighth studio album — a sequel to July 2022’s <\/span>Grammy Award-winning\u00a0<\/a>Act I: Renaissance<\/a> — <\/span><\/em>which marks<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em>her first official full-album foray into country music, following previous collabs and singles over the years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In anticipation of what is sure to be a soulful, bluesy and all out country-esque album, ET has rounded up answers to some of the most pressing questions when it comes to the Houston, Texas native’s latest release.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Beyonc\u00e9’s album drops at midnight local time on March 29.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While Queen Bey has <\/span>stated<\/a>,\u00a0“This ain’t a Country album,” what is known thus far seems to refute what she is saying. Aside from her two released singles having a very distinct country sound to them, it has also been confirmed that the album contains a cover of “Jolene” and several iconic country artists. Additionally, all of the album’s artwork appears to point in the direction of a sound deeply influenced by the genre.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In mid-March, the singer used her Instagram to post a lengthy message in which she addressed becoming\u00a0<\/span>the first Black female artist to top the Hot Country Songs chart<\/a>\u00a0with\u00a0“Texas Hold ‘Em,” as well as the direction of the album. The singer’s other new song, “16 Carriages,” also cracked the Top 10 at No. 9.<\/span><\/p>\n “I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart. That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you,”\u00a0Beyonc\u00e9 shared. “This ain\u2019t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyonc\u00e9’ album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y\u2019all!”<\/span><\/p>\n She went on to share what inspired the deviation from her traditional R&B and pop style, telling her millions of followers about the idea to explore the genre that she grew up surrounded by.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “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\u2026and it was very clear that I wasn\u2019t,” she wrote.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She added, “But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While Bey did not specify what incident sparked the album, fans immediately guessed that she was referring to\u00a0<\/span>her performance of “Daddy Lessons” at the Country Music Awards<\/a>\u00a0alongside the Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) in 2016. Back then, she faced criticism from the country community, including artists who dismissed her as a pop artist.<\/span><\/p>\n That same year, the <\/span>Associated Press<\/em><\/a> reported that she opted to submit “Daddy Lessons” off the <\/span>Lemonade <\/span><\/em>album as a country single at the Grammy Awards. One source told the outlet that the country council dismissed\u00a0Beyonc\u00e9’s submission and rejected it entirely from consideration in the Best Country Song and Best Solo Performance categories.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Beyonc\u00e9 knows that the Bey-hive can be impatient, so she made sure to drop two songs ahead of the full release on March 29. “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em” are both out now and can be streamed or played on any platform where music is available.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The album will be available to listen to anywhere music is streaming, including Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On Wednesday,\u00a0Beyonc\u00e9 <\/span>dropped the full tracklist<\/a>, indicating that there are 27 songs to jam out to. According to Australian listeners, the album clocks in at just over 79 minutes in full, starting with “American Requiem” and ending with “Amen.”<\/span><\/p>\n The official list includes:\u00a0“American Requiem,” “Blackbird,” “16 Carriages,” Protector,” “My Rose,” “Smoke Hour,” “Texas Hold ‘Em,” “Bodyguard,” “Jolene,” “Daughter,” “Spaghetti,” “Alligator Tears,” “Smoke Hour II,” “Just for Fun,” “II Most Wanted,” “Levii’s Jeans,” “Flamenco,” “The Linda Martell Show,” “YaYa,” “Oh Louisiana,” “Desert Eagle,” “Riverdance,” “II Hands II Heaven,” “Tyrant,” “Sweet Honey Buckin’,” and “Amen.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “Jolene” and “Blackbird” are covers of the infamous songs by Dolly Parton and The Beatles, respectively. Parton, often considered one of the greatest country singer-songwriters of all time, <\/span>addressed Bey covering her song<\/a> on Wednesday, just hours before the album’s drop.<\/span><\/p>\n “Listen to my original ‘Jolene’ while you wait for\u00a0@Beyonce\u2019s COWBOY CARTER – Dolly P,” the 77-year-old Tennessee native wrote in a tweet. She attached pictures of the <\/span>Cowboy Carter<\/span><\/em> tracklist poster and her own artwork for the original 1973 single.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Parton\u00a0<\/span>previously teased<\/a>\u00a0a potential “Jolene” cover when she spoke with\u00a0<\/span>Knox News\u00a0<\/span><\/em>in early March, saying,\u00a0“Well, I think she has! I think she’s recorded ‘Jolene’ and I think it’s probably gonna be on her country album, which I’m very excited about that.”<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, Paul McCartney — a founding member of The Beatles and the credited writer of “Blackbird” —\u00a0<\/span>has stated<\/a> that the song is about pioneers of the Civil Rights movement in the American South in the 1960s.<\/span><\/p>\n Thanks to listeners on the other side of the world, it has been confirmed that <\/span>Cowboy Carter<\/span><\/em> features several notable names like <\/span>Post Malone<\/a> and <\/span>Miley Cyrus<\/a>. Post is included on “Levii\u2019s Jeans,” which\u00a0Beyonc\u00e9’s mom, Tina Knowles, says is in her top five picks from the album.<\/span><\/p>\n “This album is so darn good that it is hard to have some favorites but this song is definitely in my top five. Levi’s Jeans featuring Post Malone\u2764\ufe0fIt’s stuck in my head thanks to my bonus son,” she wrote in an <\/span>Instagram post<\/a> on Thursday. “He and\u00a0<\/span>@Beyonce<\/a>\u00a0are two geniuses in the studio! \u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f.”<\/span><\/p>\n For her part, Cyrus\u00a0is featured on “II Most Wanted,” a song many were anticipating could feature <\/span>Lady Gaga<\/a> as a follow-up to their “Telephone” collaboration in 2010. Also included are artists Shaboozey\u00a0on the song “Spaghetti” and Tanner Adell and Willie Jones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Additionally, Willie Nelson, <\/span>Parton<\/a> and\u00a0Linda Martell — the first Black woman to sing at the Grand Ole Opry — are all included as interludes on the album.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After teasing a music drop in a Verizon commercial that aired during Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, the 32-time Grammy Award winner took to her social media channels to announce the release of “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” and the <\/span>upcoming album<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nWhen does <\/span>Cowboy Carter<\/span><\/em> release?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
What kind of music does the album include?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Can I listen to any of the album now?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Where can I listen to <\/span>Cowboy Carter<\/span><\/em>?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
How many songs does the album have?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Are any other artists featured?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
When did\u00a0Beyonc\u00e9 announce <\/span>Cowboy Carter<\/span><\/em>?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n