4/5
Cowboy Bey-Bop
A little bit country. A little bit Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When beau Jay-Z received the award of a lifetime at the Grammys, he dedicated the moment to Bey, like if Kanye had stormed the stage and done the right thing by Tay, instead of being a jerk. Yes, Beyoncé has one of the greatest music careers of all-time, and this was the moment for Mr. Carter to remind music's Oscars to give her her flowers. It's crazy in a lack of love that this child of Destiny and Blue's mother hasn't nabbed the coveted Best Album golden gramophone yet. But that's all about to change with the eighth wonder, as the 'Renaissance' continues. Here is 'Act II' of B's trilogy idea, conceived during COVID. Another almost 90 minute cinematic piece, as we can't wait to hear what the Carter's got next, like an unchained Tarantino trilogy once upon a time in Hollywood. Or is that Nashville? As 'Cowboy Carter' swings and gets it spurs on in the land that cultivated Swift's career. All on the same Friday, fellow all-American legend Sheryl Crow makes her own musical 'Evolution' away from the great American genre. Renaissance riding on the back of the same steed, but this time with a Stetson and the Stars and Stripes (not to mention, a few more stitches of clothing), country music stations at first refused to roll out Beyoncé's terrific 'Texas Hold 'Em' singles. But that ain't Texas. That was until 'Hold 'Em' broke streaming records and stacked chips. Now with actual album country camaraderie co-sings from the genre greats like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson (playing 'Smoke Hour' radio DJ like Jim Carrey for The Weeknd), you're looking at a country classic as well as one of Bey's best. Album of the Year? Make that the country one too. This is gospel. Hold that.
YEE-HAW (you knew it was coming)! As country as Dallas, Texas' own Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé rides into a new dawn on a sweet '16 Carriages' with a beautiful 'American Requiem' for the new dream that sings "Can we stand for something?/Now is the time to face the wind (Ow)/Coming in peace and love, y'all/Oh, a lot of takin' up space/Salty tears beyond my gaze/Can you stand me?/(Can you stand me? Can you stand me? Can you stand me?)/Ooh, ah/Can we stand?/(Can you stand me? Can you stand me? Can you stand me?/Can you stand me? Can you stand me? Can you stand me?)/Can you stand with me?" Yes we can...together in an all-encompassing anthem that blends the blues, soul and R&B of this country folk and genre bender into one perfect, punctuated package. Wrapping up a peacefully prophetic protest song in subtle beauty to begin this whole thing. Iconic. The legends are here with the biggest one, as are some of the next legacy makers. As Post Malone, fresh off his 'Road House' remake left turn, knuckled up cameo (the all-American star pressed and superb singing 'Levis' Jeans') and Dolly's God-daughter and her own incredible individual Miley Cyrus ('II Most Wanted' like Tupac and Snoop) appear on two of the best country cuts. But how internet breaking and world dominating would a Swift collaboration have been? Going Gaga over the 'Telephone'. But bye bye to all that as the Beatle 'Blackbiird' with Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts is the Macca excellence personified. Whilst the 'Spaghettii' western with legend Linda Martell and Shaboozey (also in the smoke house for some 'Sweet Honey Buckin'') shoots straight like Eastwood with a 'Desert Eagle' on a wild west drawing showdown that is good, the baddest, and ugly face inducing.
Take off your hats to the new album of the year in the same month the 'Visions' of Norah Jones with an El Michels Affair pushes the envelope of her career. You can expect these two legends of women in music like Haim to go head-to-head in the same saloon door category as we away part III. Guitar God Nile Rodgers, his get lucky punk partner and N.E.R.D. Pharrell Williams, and the new American songbook writer Jon Batiste also manns these Tennessee like whiskey boards. Not to mention the one and only Stevie. What a wonder indeed. Whilst another little Willie in the form of Jones leaves us with a country one 'Just For Fun'. But it's Rumi Carter who shows us what this 'Protector' is really looking out for as Beyoncé Carter sings, "And I will lead you down that road if you lose your way/Born to be a protector, mm-hmm/Even though I know someday you're gonna shine on your own/I will be your projector, mm." A 'Bodyguard' that will always love you like "Leave my lipstick on the cigarette/Just toss it, and you stomp it out, out, out/Inhalin' whiskey when you kiss my neck'." My Rose' blooms in boundless beauty as the 'Daughter' of Matthew gets redefiant on songbooks as legendary as the Old Testament. "They keep sayin' that I ain't nothin' like my father/But I'm the furthest thing from choir boys and altars/If you cross me, I'm just like my father/I am colder than Titanic water." A ravishing refrain that does anything but as Carter kills it like Jones to 'Miriam' for the new 'Jolene'. Everyone from Norah to her old 'Rome' friend Jack While have covered this Parton classic, working it 9 to 5. But don't hurt yourself, because God herself has the best take in this new age of those with the good hair that even Dolly takes shots at. "Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene/I'm warnin’ you, don't come for my man (Jolene)/Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene/Don't take the chance because you think you can." When life gives you cheaters, you make 'Lemonade', and piss on the parade of anyone who thinks they can do the same. The begging has stopped. Real women take what they want. Just like Parton's own 'Rockstar' album. Crossing the borders of genres.
The Rodeo Queen continues her proud stand on the fabulous, like Vegas 'Flamenco'. So all you flamingos save those 'Alligator Tears' (like me when I realized I missed her yesterday in Shibuya, Tokyo) in your swamps. Because these boots were made for Nancy Sinatra walking. No Crocs! 'Oh Louisiana' this record breaker of a towering album features many an anthem as it continues to shine in all its rhinestones. 'Ya, Ya' singing like, "Hello, girls (Hello, Beyoncé)/Hello, fellas (You're pretty swell)/Those petty ones can't fuck with me (Why?)/'Cause I'm a clever girl, we snappin'/(Pretty please) Toms, please/We wanna welcome you to the Beyoncé Cowboy/Carter: Act II, ah/And a rodeo chitlin circuit/We gon' make it do what it do, ya-ya/Put them hands together." Still running the world like girls, to a renaissance in every genre. You could never break the soul of this survivor. A 'Riiverdance' like Flatley with no flat feet, this two-step is going to twist everything else up and carbon date it like the Charleston. This 'Tyrant' is punishing the game like the time she lyrically bodied her own G.O.A.T. husband on The Carters Louvre rap, going 'Apes###' after all the 'Lemonade'. "II Hands II Heaven' on God like, "Bottle in my hand, the whiskey up high/Two hands to Heaven, wild horses run wild, oh/God only knows why, though (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)/Rhinestones and diamonds both shine in the light." Just when you thought making lemons was Queen B's career crown, she delivers her magnum opus in a soon-to-be concluded trilogy that could go next to 'The Godfather', 'The Dark Knight's, or 'The Lord of the Rings' like Dune, this month. Like the last track from the messiah herself, can I get an 'Amen'?! TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'Texas Hold 'Em', 'Jolene', 'Daughter'.
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