Beyoncé's Country

EPISODE 351

Renaissance Act II truthers, your time has come: There’s new music from Beyoncé, and boy, is it country. Her two new singles dropped two weeks ago, and in the time since, they’ve both climbed up the chart and taken the internet by storm. There’s the barnstorming stomp and holler ditty “TEXAS HOLD 'EM,” which just notched the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and the dark horse “16 CARRIAGES,” a autobiographical work song detailing Beyoncé’s roots in Houston, Texas. Charlie and Nate unpack both of these two songs, highlighting their structures, inspirations, and collaborators, from Raphael Saddiq to Rhiannon Giddens. Then, producer Reanna Cruz speaks to music journalist Taylor Crumpton, whose article for Time, “Beyoncé Has Always Been Country” lays out the cultural implications of this sonic pivot for one of the biggest artists of all time. 

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Read Taylor Crumpton's article Beyoncé Has Always Been Country

Songs Discussed

• Beyoncé - Texas Hold 'Em, 16 Carriages, Break My Soul, Formation, Daddy Lessons

• Dink Roberts - Georgia Buck

• Carolina Chocolate Drops - Hit 'Em Up Style

• Elvis Presley - Mystery Train

• Unidentified African American Chain Gang - Waterboy, Run

• James Carter and the Prisoners - Po Lazarus

• Robert Randolph and the Family Band - Find a Way

• Vince Gill ft Justus West- High Lonesome Sound