Greatest Album of the Year: A review on Beyoncé’s new country album, “COWBOY CARTER”

Beyoncé’s studio album, “COWBOY CARTER,” — released on March 29 — is a modern day masterpiece. It’s genre defying and excellently produced and will no doubt be remembered for years to come.

The album is incredibly well done in every respect, ranging from masterful lyricism to the catchy beat. The songs are a blend of country, rap and pop with iconic features such as Dolly Parton. The elements of the album are so well intertwined that no matter what the listener’s genre preferences are, there’s something to enjoy.

Beyoncé’s main goal in creating the album seemed to have been to create a catchy album that doesn’t stay strictly within the boundaries of a particular genre. She states this on several tracks throughout, and it’s safe to say that she absolutely demolished her goal.

“PROTECTOR,” for instance, has some of the most introspective lyrics of any of the songs and tells the story of Beyoncé’s love for her children. “AMEN” is composed of new beats, paired with parts of the album’s opening track, “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” which creates a feeling of completion and closure. 

The album fully embraces its genre fluidity, mixing acoustic guitar with quick beats and electronic music. No matter how great the music sounds, Beyoncé’s vocals are guaranteed to outshine any other aspect of a song. She switches seamlessly from slow melodies to rapping throughout the album. All of this put together makes for an incredibly interesting and enjoyable listening experience. 

“COWBOY CARTER” is a fantastic piece of art, and though the year has only just begun, it’s definitely a contester for best album of the year. The methodically put together music joined by Beyoncé’s expert vocals create a professional selection of music that everyone can enjoy.