Beyoncé - COWBOY CARTER [2LP]

COWBOY CARTER is Beyoncé's sweeping reclamation of country music, and this 2LP edition on 180 gram vinyl comes with a booklet and poster for the full Act II experience.

Released in 2024 as the second chapter of a trilogy that began with Renaissance, the album takes on country, folk and Americana from the perspective of a Houston-raised artist reclaiming a genre whose roots run deep in Black music. It is part history lesson, part road trip, with Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Linda Martell stepping in as guides between songs. It went on to win Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the Grammys.

Texas Hold 'Em is the irresistible two-step that crossed over everywhere, while 16 Carriages is a slow-burning ode to hard work and sacrifice. Her take on Jolene rewrites Dolly's plea as a firm warning, and II Most Wanted pairs her with Miley Cyrus for a dreamy, open-highway harmony. Blackbiird, a Beatles cover, spotlights rising country voices Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts.

Across 27 tracks, it swings between banjo, gospel, rock and soul with total confidence.

For collectors, the poster and booklet make this a fine way to own a landmark record that challenged who gets to call country home.