The wait is finally over, BeyHive! On March 12, weeks after dropping two country-inspired singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” Beyoncé announced the official title of her upcoming country album, Cowboy Carter, aka Act II: Cowboy Carter. Available for pre-order now, the long-awaited LP will drop on March 29.
Released on Super Bowl Sunday, “Texas Hold ‘Em” currently sits at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart — down from its No. 1 spot. The irresistible track also reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. With this feat, Queen Bey is also the first Black woman to top the chart.
Along with announcing Cowboy Carter, merch is already available via Beyoncé’s website. Fans can choose from limited-edition CDs and vinyl records, which feature alternative cover photos, as well as box sets including a T-shirt.
On July 29, 2022, Beyoncé dropped her seventh studio album Renaissance. At the time of its release, the Houston native described Renaissance (an ode to dance music and the Black LGBTQ+ community) as the first installment of a “three-act project.” Naturally, the BeyHive predicted that each “act” would be dedicated to a different genre.
Recently, country music icon Dolly Parton revealed that Beyoncé allegedly recorded her own version of her 1973 hit “Jolene.”
“I think she’s recorded ‘Jolene’ and I think it’s probably gonna be on her country album, which I’m very excited about that,” Parton said in an interview with Knox News. “I love her! She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.”
She added, “We’ve kind of sent messages back and forth through the years. And she and her mother were like fans, and I was always touched that they were fans, and I always thought she was great.”
Country Carter also comes on the heels of Beyoncé’s latest business venture: a hair care line called Cécred that launched on Feb. 20.