Good morning, folks.
Lately I’ve been hearing so much about Beyonce’s latest album, Cowboy Carter. I liked what few songs I heard from it so I figured I’d give some more a listen. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. But first,
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Beyonce experienced a few jabs around the time she released Cowboy Carter. Why, I don’t know unless it’s either jealousy or...gee, something else. Such unpleasantness is not universal, however. Far from it. In my admittedly amateurish opinion, Beyonce has proven she can carry off an incredible range of popular genres from twangy country through kitschy ‘70s rock through the Beatles.
For example, give a listen to Beyonce’s cover of Dolly Parton’s hit “Jolene. ” You’ll note Beyonce changed the lyrics enough to give the song a whole new mood. While some purists hate it Ms. Parton herself praised her new cover. I think Dolly seems wise enough to know times have changed for women since 1973. Trust me, I’m old enough to remember what women were treated like back then. Our looks were everything. Men often saw brains and talent as a threat. Today women have an entirely different set of problems. In a lot of ways, we have to be stronger. We have to in order to bear more of life’s problems rather than not worrying our little heads about it.
The song “Daughter” is the darkest piece in this collection. It’s about an abusive man trying to justify his actions toward the woman who he just battered. The hints of classical guitar along with the vid’s church candles and the statue of the Virgin Mary hint that the poor woman has nowhere else to go. While all the songs on Cowboy, even the kitschiest, are sung with a touch of melancholy this one is the saddest of all.
The last piece here, “16 Carriages,” is clearly to be an autobiography of Beyonce’s early life. She was only sixteen years old when, as lead vocalist for Destiny’s Child, she had to become the family’s breadwinner. Her father worked as her manager. While Beyonce has become incredibly successful clearly it hasn’t come without costs. One is the end of her too-brief childhood.
Altogether, I love Cowboy Carter. It truly cuts across Americana. Beyonce has a new fan.
So what’s on your mind this morning?