I like it. Not as much as Renaissance. I'm attracted more to the Beyoncé parts rather than the country parts. I don't listen to a bunch of country music though so is this just what country music sounds like? Is country music just a little acoustic guitar thrown over Beyoncé vocals?
3. "Seems like something they'll fork off a new genre for" In response to Reply # 0
To not skew "standard" country charts or stats. Like, you can be the top "New Urban Ethnic Country" artist all you fuckin want, but don't think we're gonna include you with Travis Tritt or anybody like that.
Otherwise, I think it's a bit too long. It does flow semi-seamlessly like Act 1, but the run of "Church Girl", "Plastic Off the Sofa", & "Virgo's Groove" is impossible to beat, in my mind.
"Bodyguard", "Jolene", & "Daughter" is a fun lil' story trilogy/song run.
On the whole, I think it's a super smart record that cuts back on some of Beyonce's recurring issues. It feels less overproduced than some of her records (though certainly still overproduced! less offensively so?). It's far more *fun* than her last few records, which I also really appreciate. And there's some top-notch songwriting: Texas Hold'em, 16 Carriages, obviously, but Protector, Daughter, quite a bit.
On the whole country thing... I have thoughts, but too much to dump here and now. Leaking the idea that this was a country album was super smart, but this is a much smarter and more ambitious record than Beyonce's Country Album. It's really one big genre-warping record, and those genre signposts are carrying A LOT of cultural and even historical weight. Unlike some of her other word with similar ambitions, this feels less exhausting.
Whatever else one wants to say, Beyonce just dropped 2 epic, top-tier to classic albums back-to-back at a point in her career where she could easily be bowing out and no one would think twice.
Song-by-song, I need more time. But it's already gotten more play than I might have guessed.
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