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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityCultureBeyoncé’s Cowboy Carter: The verdict – is it Yeehaw or No Ma’am?Published1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Beyonce / InstagramBy Mark SavageMusic correspondent, BBC NewsWhen Beyoncé turned up to the Grammys in a cowboy hat, we should have known that something was afoot.A week later, she officially announced her country era – dropping two surprise singles in the middle of the Super Bowl.One of them, the banjo-riffic Texas Hold ‘Em, became the star’s biggest hit in years. In the UK, it was number one for four weeks – her longest-ever spell at the top.Nashville reacted with a shrug. Country radio only gave the song modest airplay, even as millions of streams propelled it to the top of Billboard’s country chart.This was pretty much what Beyoncé expected. As a Texan, country music is her birth right but, in an Instagram post last week, she wrote that her new album, Cowboy Carter, was “born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed”.This was likely a reference to her appearance at the 2016 Country Music Awards, where she performed her song Daddy Lessons with The Chicks (then known as the Dixie Chicks).Both performers were deemed unwelcome – The Chicks had faced a backlash in the US after criticising former President George W Bush during the Iraq War; while Beyoncé’s vocal support of Black Lives Matter had upset many on the American right. Their performance faced a barrage of criticism – and racism – online. Natalie Maines, lead singer of The Chicks, later told the New York Times that the way Beyoncé was treated after the show was “disgusting.”In her Instagram post, Beyoncé said the experience prompted her to take “a deeper dive into the history of country”. But, she warned: “This ain’t a country album. This is a Beyoncé album.”Too right, it is. Image source, Beyonce / ParkwoodOver 27 interlocking songs and interludes, Cowboy Carter throws a lasso around country’s sonic signifiers, and spins them into something unique: Appalachian fiddles are spliced with pop melodies, and lap steel guitars underscore rap verses with speaker-crushing sub bass. That the genres overlap so seamlessly is evidence of Beyoncé’s technical mastery, but also of her central thesis: That Nashville’s marginalisation of outsiders, and black women in particular, weakens the music in the long run.Beyoncé praised for ‘impressive’ country albumBeyoncé’s always been a country music fan, says dadBlack country singers: ‘We’re tolerated, not celebrated’To emphasise the point, Beyoncé enlists a host of artists who’ve straddled the worlds of pop and country, including Dolly Parton, Willy Nelson, Miley Cyrus and Post Malone. And in one interlude, she juxtaposes the African-American spirituals that inspired country music (the pacifist anthem Down By The Riverside) with swing fiddle tunes that inspired black pioneers of rock and roll (Chuck Berry’s Maybellene, based on the traditional American song Ida Red).”Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they?” asks Linda Martell, the first black woman to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, on a track called Spaghetti. “In theory, they have a simple definition that’s easy to understand. But in practice, well, some may feel confined.”‘Hussy with the good hair’If this all sounds dry and academic, don’t be put off. Cowboy Carter is a blast, with hooky, memorable songs that are theatrical, mournful, playful, lovestruck, whimsical and carnal – often at the same time.It opens with an acknowledgement that Beyoncé’s recent albums have become socio-political talking points, while asking fans to drown out the chatter. “There’s a lot of talking going on, while I sing my song,” she sings over a psychedelic wash of sitar. “Can you hear me? Do you hear me.”The dramatic opener segues into a faithful cover of The Beatles’ Blackbird – chosen not just for its timeless melody, but for its inspiration: A group of nine black students, known as the Little Rock Nine, who faced discrimination after enrolling in an all-white high school in Arkansas, 1957.It’s never stated explicitly, but the parallels between their struggle and the segregation of country music are duly noted. Image source, Beyonce / InstagramElsewhere, Protector is a gentle, touching ode to motherhood, introduced by a voice note of Beyoncé’s daughter Rumi pleading, “Mum can I hear the lullaby please?”Daughter is much darker – a visceral account of a bathroom stall fight, where Beyoncé leaves another woman “black and blue” on the “filthy floors”. “If you cross me, I’m just like my father / I am colder than Titanic water,” she warns, before the song cedes way to the 18th Century aria, Caro Mio Ben.Intriguingly, this song follows a cover of Dolly Parton’s Jolene – a country blockbuster inspired by a real-life brush with infidelity. Parton herself introduces the track, noting the parallels between her lyrics and “that hussy with the good hair” – a reference to Beyoncé’s 2016 song Sorry, in which she called out “Becky with the good hair” as the (alleged) mistress of her husband, Jay-Z.”No matter the genre, heartache hits the same,” Parton observes.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Beyoncé attended the 2024 Grammys with her husband, Jay-Z, who was being honoured with a lifetime achievement awardOther highlights include the luscious, understated spiritual Just For Fun; and YaYa, a goodtime hoedown that somehow interpolates both the Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations and Nancy Sinatra’s These Boots Are Made For Walkin’.The use of acoustic instruments (the album is predominantly scored by acoustic guitar, bass and piano) gives the album a more organic, accessible feel than Beyonce’s more recent records. And while Beyoncé delivers all the obvious country signifiers – rhinestones and whiskey, coyotes and snakes, denim and John Wayne – she also finds room for her usual preoccupations: Love, sex, and the general awesomeness of Beyoncé herself. (Your mileage with those more self-congratulatory lyrics will vary depending on your pre-existing views on Beyoncé.)She even gets a dig in at the Grammys, where she’s consistently been overlooked in the major categories, despite becoming one of the defining artists of her generation.”Album of the year, I ain’t win, I ain’t stung by them,” she shrugs on the magnificently-titled Sweet ★ Honey ★ Buckiin’, before promising to “come back” and shake up the industry all over again.Image source, Beyonce / ParkwoodThis new album is part of that plan, an immaculate country-pop record that proves her adaptability and mastery, regardless of genre.It forms the second part of a trilogy that Beyoncé conceived during the Covid-19 lockdown. The first, Renaissance, explored the forgotten black and queer roots of house music. Critics more steeped in the nuances of America’s folk tradition will undoubtedly discover extra layers to Cowboy Carter than this early review can cover.Even the artwork makes that clear. The sleeve shows Beyoncé riding side-saddle on a horse that’s been identified as a Lipizzaner – whose coat turns from black to white over its lifespan. A meta-commentary, perhaps, on the gradual whitewashing of country music.And while those ideas aren’t hard-baked into the lyrics, the very fact that Beyoncé is playing in the country sandbox is the statement: This music should be for everyone, gatekeepers be damned.As she sings in a melody that bookends the album: “Them old ideas are buried here. Amen.”Related TopicsCountry musicBeyoncéMusicMore on this storyBeyoncé praised for ‘impressive’ country albumPublished21 hours agoBeyoncé’s Renaissance tour: Intergalactic explosion of funPublished30 May 2023Beyoncé’s always been a country music fan, says dadPublished21 FebruaryRadio plays Beyoncé after country music outcryPublished15 FebruaryTop StoriesJeffrey Donaldson: From the White House to Antrim police stationPublished6 hours agoDutch nightclub hostage siege ends with man heldPublished54 minutes agoStabbed Iranian TV host’s station ‘faced threats’Published4 hours agoFeaturesWhy are electric car fires so hard to deal with?Seven bills going up and one going down in April’I drove 14 hours to see a Banksy for 10 minutes’AI photos show people with cancer their lost futureEwan McGregor ‘turned into his grandad’ in new roleThe Papers: DUP leader charged and ‘hefty’ water bill riseThe football pitch that doubles as an execution groundCanada’s drug experiment hits strong oppositionA view from inside ship that hit Baltimore bridge. 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Sounds simple, right?Fresh, surreal comedy from the mind of Lucia KeskinAttributioniPlayerFrom Starman to film star…How did the silver screen inspire David Bowie?AttributioniPlayerCan new evidence solve aviation’s greatest mystery?Ten years after the Malaysian Airlines flight disappeared, new technology may explain whyAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Lizzo says she ‘quits’ after ‘lies’ against her2Why are electric car fires so hard to deal with?3From the White House to Antrim police station4Dutch nightclub hostage siege ends with man held5Seven bills going up and one going down in April6’Escorted through the airport like a criminal’7Cambridge complete Boat Race double over OxfordAttributionSport8Girl’s death sparks deadly mob violence in Mexico9Stabbed Iranian TV host’s station ‘faced threats’10AI photos show people with cancer their lost future
[ad_1] The Texan star’s eighth album adds a country twang to her immaculate blend of pop and hip-hop.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIsrael Gaza: BBC goes onboard plane dropping US aid into war zonePublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, EPAImage caption, Dropping aid into Gaza from the sky is fast becoming a last resort way to get food to starving peopleBy Lucy WilliamsonBBC News, above the Gaza StripOne thousand miles east of Gaza, large blocks of aid are being loaded on to a US military transport plane, its crew silhouetted by the morning sun glancing over the desert landscape around Qatar’s al-Udeid airbase.They push 80 crates into the plane’s cavernous interior, each canvas-wrapped block strapped to a cardboard pallet and topped with a parachute.Feeding Gaza is now a complex, risky, multi-national operation. The RAF carried out its first two aid flights this week. France, Germany, Jordan, Egypt and the UAE have also been taking part.This was the 18th mission flown by US forces. Dropping 40,000 ready-prepared meals into the tiny, besieged war-zone requires them to make a six-hour round trip from Doha.It is more expensive and less efficient than other ways of delivering aid and it is also harder to control. Earlier this week, 12 people are thought to have drowned while trying to retrieve aid parcels that fell into the sea. Another six were reportedly crushed in the stampede to reach it. “We’re very aware of all the news, and we’re trying to limit casualties,” said Maj Boone, the mission commander, standing beneath a large American flag at the entrance to the cockpit.”[We’re doing] literally everything we can. We use a chute that falls at a slower rate to give Gazans more time to see the parachute and get out of the way. Image caption, BBC News went onboard an aid flight to see a US drop taking place over Gaza”We also have assets overhead that clear the drop zone, so we won’t drop if there’s any group of people there.”He said they mapped the route carefully, aiming to land the aid in safer, open spaces along the Gaza coast, but drop the parcels over the sea so that crates with malfunctioning parachutes would drop into the water, rather than on buildings or people. None of that is easy.A heavy military cargo plane can be heard for miles around, meaning crowds quickly gather to follow it. Desperation leads many to take enormous risks to retrieve the aid – and many come away with nothing.Hamas has reportedly demanded a halt to air drops as casualties have grown, calling them “useless” and a “real danger to the lives of hungry civilians”.The risks are increased by the lack of any organised distribution of the aid once it hits the ground.As we swing down low over Gaza, the plane ramp opens to reveal the outskirts of the Strip’s devastated capital city – its remaining tower blocks jutting up like lone naked teeth.American food parcels are being targeted at places where American-made weapons have already made their mark.The roads beneath us along the coast were busy with people and vehicles, moving quickly in the same direction, apparently racing the plane.Image source, ReutersImage caption, The US military has issued images of the planes it uses to transport the aid packagesWe watched as the parachutes slipped quickly out, shrinking to specks in seconds. Many hung over the water – but two, their parachutes stalled, crashed straight into the sea.”It’s not perfect,” said US Air Force spokesman Maj Ryan DeCamp when asked whether aid drops were the best approach to Gaza’s hunger crisis.”We know there’s upwards of two million people who need food on the ground – innocent civilians who did not ask for this conflict – and we’re dropping meals in the tens of thousands. “Does it feel like a drop in the bucket? Maybe a little bit – but if you’re a family on the ground who got some of this aid, it can be a lifesaver.”On the ground in Gaza, a journalist working with the BBC watched the US parachutes fall. He counted 11 air drops that day. Some residents in northern areas reportedly spend their days watching the skies for aid planes.Gaza starvation could amount to war crime, UN human rights chief tells BBC”We have tried twice this morning, but in vain,” said another Gaza City resident, Ahmed Tafesh. “If we can at least get a can of beans or hummus to support ourselves, we hope we will eat today. Hunger has consumed most people, they have no energy anymore.”A recent global assessment warned of imminent famine in Gaza, prompting the UN’s top court this week to order Israel to enable an immediate “unhindered” flow of aid. “If people are starving and we’re giving them food, that’s the best we can do right now,” said Maj Boone. “I know other people are trying [approaches] that take more time. My team of C17s were notified and out here within 36 hours and doing everything in our potential to get food to people who need it.”This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Gazans reportedly drown after video shows rush for aid drop that landed in seaIsrael has rejected both the famine assessment and the UN court order, saying allegations that it is blocking aid are “wholly unfounded”. It has accused Hamas of stealing aid.But humanitarian aid for Gaza is one of the issues dividing the US and Israel over this war at the moment. The US is building a temporary pier in Gaza to get more aid in quickly. Israel’s busiest cargo port, 48km (30 miles) from Gaza City, has not been opened for aid. US President Joe Biden has been pressing Israel’s prime minister hard to expand access for land convoys – still the best way of getting large amounts of aid in quickly. Scenes of sick, malnourished children dying in Gazan hospitals are shifting electoral politics in America, but he has so far been unwilling to use US arms supplies as leverage to drive his demand home.Aid flights are multiplying among Arab and western nations. Risky and inefficient, they drop small amounts of food into a desperate population. They are an eye-catching last resort.Their value is measured in two simple questions: how much do they ease the pressure on Gaza’s population and how much do they ease the pressure on governments elsewhere?Related TopicsIsrael & the PalestiniansIsrael-Gaza warIsraelGazaUnited StatesMore on this storyTop UN court orders Israel to allow aid into GazaPublished23 hours agoWhat is famine and why are Gaza and Sudan at risk?Published1 day agoHow much aid is getting into Gaza and how?Published15 MarchTop StoriesGazans watch the skies to spot planes dropping aidPublished1 hour agoDUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson resigns after rape chargePublished13 hours agoGirl’s death sparks deadly mob violence in MexicoPublished2 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: DUP leader charged and ‘hefty’ water bill riseChris Mason: Another moment of instability for Northern IrelandSeven bills going up and one going down in AprilAI photos show people with cancer their lost future’I drove 14 hours to see a Banksy for 10 minutes’The football pitch that doubles as an execution groundCanada’s drug experiment hits strong oppositionEwan McGregor ‘turned into his grandad’ in new roleA view from inside ship that hit Baltimore bridge. VideoA view from inside ship that hit Baltimore bridgeElsewhere on the BBCAmbition, money and deceptionThe scandalous true story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, starring Amanda SeyfriedAttributioniPlayerGet a job, pay the bills. Sounds simple, right?Fresh, surreal comedy from the mind of Lucia KeskinAttributioniPlayerFrom Starman to film star…How did the silver screen inspire David Bowie?AttributioniPlayerCan new evidence solve aviation’s greatest mystery?Ten years after the Malaysian Airlines flight disappeared, new technology may explain whyAttributioniPlayerMost Read1’Escorted through the airport like a criminal’2Seven bills going up and one going down in April3Girl’s death sparks deadly mob violence in Mexico4Gazans watch the skies to spot planes dropping aid5Boy dies in hospital after being found in Thames6DUP leader charged and ‘hefty’ water bill rise7Iranian TV host stabbed outside London home8Gladiators reaches final after successful reboot9Sir Jeffrey Donaldson resigns after rape charge10AI photos show people with cancer their lost future](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/4D98/production/_133046891_21c8db23a3afa39fe16b64a748dfbfd9bde16fb80_167_2511_14121000x563.jpg)
