Until now I was amongst the handful of the people on the planet who managed to live my life completely unperturbed by either Beyoncé or Taylor Swift. I knew they are both big pop superstars du jour but even with the publicity industry in the full blast, it eluded me to see what was original or interesting about them. As I am nearing my mid-fifties now, I have a lifetime of listening various music genres behind me and it was always idiosyncrasy that would attract me, something that I found particularly memorable - out of curiosity I gave them both a listen and it was frustrating experience because it made me feel like alien from another planet, I ached to go back to anything else but this.
I was vaguely familiar with Beyoncé as a modern-day Diana Ross who flew solo out of the pop trio and who was somewhat annoyingly always ready to ham it up if occasion called for tribute to any music legend - Etta James, Tina Turner, Barbra Streisand, you name it - what was unsaid was her suggestion that she belongs to the same Olympus, because "look, I can do it too!" Suffice to say, I was never convinced and was even baffled that so many people were buying into what I felt was completely modest and perhaps even mediocre music talent.
The big hoopla was created around her latest album "Cowboy Carter" and its supposed seismic statement, because now everybody focused on Beyoncé being something of a modern day Joan of Arc as its all about black musicians breaking into country music, etc. The articles everywhere proclaim that notoriously close-gated country music was actually inspired by black musicians who were its originators and everywhere you look, they are literary quoting two black musicians who actually left any mark in country music (Ray Charles and Charley Pride) - going so far to dig up other black artists who occasionally tried and make A-HA point, like "look, they also did country!" but to me its just a modern-day rewriting of history and as it is, too many of us are still alive and remember that country never was high on the priority lists of black musicians who were focused elsewhere. So the selling point of "Cowboy Carter" is a black pop superstar turning country and while artist herself claims she hopes for some better, future times when skin colour won't matter, she doesn't mind being touted as the first black woman charting nr.1 album on country charts.
I was curious enough to give it a listen. To my surprise, it was actually the best thing I have heard from her EVER - it is not a country album by any stretch, because occasional banjo and a guitar don't make it country. She is still Beyoncé but only plays with country influences and out of this had created something quite original. She immediately got my attention with fantastic into "Ameriican Requiem" that owns a bit to "Love's In Need Of Love Today" from a classic "Songs In The Key Of Life" by Stevie Wonder but it quickly turns into something interesting, she is menacing, strong and powerful while asking "Can you see me? Can you stand me?" - it was a long time since I heard any new music that moved me so much and I must admit I have listened this album quite often. The highlights are playful "Texas Hold 'Em", very 1980s sounding "Bodyguard" and anthemic duet with Miley Cyrus "II Most Wanted" that i genuinely loved from the first listening. Not everything works: her takes on other people's material is uninspired - she doesn't bring anything really new to either "Blackbiird" by The Beatles or "Jolene" (clearly, she is no Whitney Houston), "16 Carriages" is a bit laughable attempt to claim working-class roots necessary for country credibility ("Had to leave home at an early age, underpaid and overwhelmed, only God knows, only God knows") where she makes it sounds like she suffered greatly and paid her dues all the time while she toured and lived protected as a star of Destiny's Child - it just don't ring true, its not like she was unwed young single mother breaking into Nashville, fresh from the hills and barefoot. But ok, no doubt she sees herself as a hard-working, wronged and unrecognised. The sheer length of the album is perhaps a mistake because everything would sound much more impressive if edited to one LP, instead of two - however, it also makes for satisfactory music experience because with time you might discover less obvious gems like "Oh Louisiana" or "Ya Ya". I honestly like this and returning to it quite frequently.
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