Following the smashing success of Renaissance, Beyoncé has unveiled the album art for her "act ii" record, Cowboy Carter - and she's hit back at critics discussing her choice of country music as a genre.
The 42-year-old took to Instagram to reveal the album cover, which saw her back on a horse in red, white and blue cowboy gear as she held the United States flag.
In a long caption, the star announced: "Today marks the 10-day countdown until the release of act ii. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of "TEXAS HOLD ‘EM" and "16 CARRIAGES".
"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. My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant."
She revealed that the album had been "over five years in the making", adding it was "born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t."
The "HEATED" singer explained that because she didn't feel welcome, she "did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive."
© Kevin Mazur"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", she added.
As Beyoncé first hinted to the genre switch after Renaissance, many people weren't pleased with the idea of her exploring country music next. In fact one country radio station rejected a request to play "Texas Hold 'Em", which led to a wide debate about the exclusion of Black artists from the genre, despite its African American influences in origin.
Beyoncé faced these critics head on, explaining that they "forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work."
The star then went on to hint at "a few surprises on the album", as she has "collaborated with brilliant artists who I deeply respect". Already, she's worked with Rhiannon Giddens - a musician who has advocated for African Americans to reclaim country and folk music - on the track "Texas Hold 'Em".
© James DevaneyAs well as working with Rhiannon, Dolly Parton hinted that Beyoncé may have recorded a cover of "Jolene", something she had always advocated for.
Dolly explained in 2022: "I would just love to hear "Jolene'" done in just a big way, kind of like how Whitney did my "I Will Always Love You", just someone that can take my little songs and make them like powerhouses. That would be a marvellous day in my life if she ever does do "Jolene'"."
Beyoncé continued: "I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound.
"I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE…I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop."
She finished off the post with a final comment to her naysayers, explaining: "This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!"
