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The COWBOY CARTER Episode
381 Plays10 months ago
The wait is OVA ... COWBOY CARTER is here! Jeff has made his valiant return on the perfect weekend as Beyoncé releases her highly anticipated follow-up to RENAISSANCE. Recorded about 36 hours after the album was officially released in the states, Zach and Jeff give their reactions to each track off the album from AMERIICAN REQUIEM all the way to AMEN. The boys also take a few stabs at what they think Beyoncé might have up her sleeve for Act III and the alleged visuals that have been filmed to support the albums. Now, for this next episode, we want ya'll to sit back, inhale and go to the good place your mind likes to wander to. And if you don't wanna go, go find yourself a jukebox!
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Transcript
Welcome Back, Jeff
00:00:00
Speaker
Hi, everyone. Welcome back to Pop Theory. And welcome back, Jeff. Oh, my gosh. Welcome back, booby boy. I'm back. I'm back home. He's back home. He's back home. It's like you never left.
00:00:13
Speaker
Yeah, it really is. We had a wonderful array of guests. So thank you for filling in for me. Name them all right now. Name them. Yeah, there was that one and the other girl and it was great. It was great. No, it was so good. Yeah. Welcome back. Welcome back from your sabbatical. You look rested. You look, your hair is long.
00:00:35
Speaker
It's so long, hair long, money long. I'm happy to be back for our listeners in Estonia. I think they were missing, you know, the vital component. The Estonians were, were seething, I think for some beach balls. Beach balls. Yeah, for sure. For those that don't get that reference, that was Jeff's old screen name on AOL instant messenger.
00:00:57
Speaker
Why do we have to go there? Why do we have to go there? You're bringing up my dirty old usernames. Yeah, because I think it was funny. It was actually Snapchat. So my AOL screen name in like middle school era was slim 56 shady. So take that in. That's right. That's right. I was once an Eminem fan. Right. Right. It's now Snapchat. That's a beach balls.
00:01:22
Speaker
Yeah. And unfortunately it's still that because maybe you can change it, but at this point it
Beyoncé's Cultural Reset
00:01:27
Speaker
just is what it is. It is what it is, but you could not be back at a better time because there was a, there was a cultural reset that just happened yesterday. We've been, we've been experiencing this cultural reset for about 36 hours. Um, and that cultural reset is the one and only Beyonce.
00:01:45
Speaker
releasing her anticipated cowboy Carter. I know. Yeah, she's a new artist. Just came out into the scene. I I have not been happier with an album.
00:02:00
Speaker
in quite some time, probably since her own Renaissance. I was going to say since Renaissance. That's exactly the last. Well, that was the last time I remember being that excited about an album. Yeah. To be released. Yeah. Yeah. I just I could not have been more.
00:02:18
Speaker
As soon as you hit play, so let's actually let's scale back. Let's scale back for a second. You and I were texting on Thursday night, all excited about it. We were kind of chit chatting about it all day. And then you and I spoke on the phone and you were like, are you going to stay up for it? And I was like, I think so. But you know, my sleep schedule currently, like I've been going really early. So I was like, I'm trying really hard. I don't know if I told you this, I did fall asleep.
00:02:43
Speaker
And then you texted me at 1158 p.m. with the Oprah meme of her. Yeah. And that woke me right up. And I was like, you're right. You're right. And I opened up my that woke you up. It was like that Oprah meme in your bloodstream, like, like into your IV.
00:02:59
Speaker
It was and it woke me right up and I opened my clock so that like at right at midnight I could hit play. Sure enough opened up my Apple Music hit play at midnight and you and I listened to it together in bed and it was a moment in time.
00:03:18
Speaker
Well, I'm so happy I woke you up. You didn't tell me that. Yeah. So I'm the reason that you experienced it at the time in which it was released. Yes. Good. That's amazing. Yeah. I mean.
00:03:30
Speaker
Yeah, we're definitely gonna get into it, but you and I were, I mean, we've been anticipating this for, since the first act, because just kind of when's act two gonna come? When are the visuals gonna come? But as soon as the Super Bowl happened and she released those two singles, you know, we've just been waiting and waiting and waiting, you know, any scraps we can get, any like little breadcrumbs she gives us, we're just like so hungry. So hungry. It's felt like so long since those singles came out, even though it was last month.
00:03:59
Speaker
Right. Right. Yeah. Barely a month ago. So it just is like finally here. Like it just we've had been waiting and anticipating so long. We have because I think and I think what's been so exciting about this trilogy project is that there's so much secrecy behind it. We don't know what she has planned. We don't know there. I mean, there have been rumors circulating. Some of these rumors are are showing to be true because the rumor
00:04:26
Speaker
was that act one was house music act two is country and then act three is rock. So we're really hopeful that act three is rock. And these this trilogy project, though, I mean, other than knowing that particular stance, like it's just been shrouded in secrecy. So it's been really fun to kind of
00:04:50
Speaker
And it's had two years, like
Anticipation and Secrecy of Beyoncé's Trilogy
00:04:52
Speaker
two years since the first act. So I don't think we were expecting it to be that long. I wasn't. She's giving us whole full eras with these, you know, with the album release, singles release, you know, a tour. I'm wondering if we're going to get a tour with this album. That's the rumor.
00:05:08
Speaker
I, here's what I think. I think we're going to get three tours for each act and then we're going to get that final film. And the final film is going to be, I told you, I texted you this. That's all I'm thinking about right now. I'm like, this is going to be one of the most insane films ever period. And especially for music, like it's going to be a moment for music. Cause you know, she's constantly breaking.
00:05:29
Speaker
barriers and creating new trends. I mean, she dropped the digital drop, the visual albums. So for her to do this three act film, it's gonna be fucking insane. It's gonna be absolutely bananas. I really hope that this happens. And I'm curious too, if we get a tour for each project, are we also getting a concert film for each project?
00:05:52
Speaker
because it would feel strange to get one for one and not the others. So I'm just like so curious to know, again, there's so much that is unknown, which I think adds to the fun and suspense of all of this. I know for a lot of people they're like, I want more, I want more because we live in that time of this digital era of wanting to have everything be instantaneous. Just all the Easter eggs and stuff, it's fun. Yeah, but it's so fun.
00:06:18
Speaker
And I'm glad they said Easter eggs because happy Easter when everyone happy Easter this weekend. But I know part of me wonders is all of this super intentional. I know that Beyonce is really intentional with her music.
00:06:34
Speaker
But does she give the Easter eggs the way that Taylor Swift does? I think yes and no. I think sometimes I don't think that she's as like as wild and crazy as Taylor Swift is with Easter eggs. But I think that she does give clues obviously with the way that she's been dressing lately.
00:06:51
Speaker
Like, yeah, even, even the, cause she, uh, you know, what was crazy is like, she had this recorded before Renaissance. So she was like, I'm going to release that because, you know, I wonder if originally it was like, this is going to be the first act, but then she kind of recorded maybe, and who knows, maybe the rock album's recorded.
00:07:07
Speaker
you know like maybe they all got
Behind the Scenes of Beyoncé's Album
00:07:09
Speaker
recorded and she's like okay this is what the the shuffle the placement of how I want things to go yeah but that's been that kind of has been blowing my mind and I can't wait to get in the album and talk about some of the featured artists but I was thinking like how hard was it to hold that in
00:07:24
Speaker
Yeah, because this has been recorded, recorded for a while. Right. So here's here's what I'm kind of thinking. I think that that's partially true and partially. I think that just thinking about all of the logistics of all of this, the NDA is because, you know, Beyonce loves an NDA and the certain particular artists that are featured on this album. And if this album was in fact recorded back in 2019,
00:07:50
Speaker
I'm just sitting here thinking, I doubt that Tana Adele recorded her verse back in 2019. But she could have recorded it in 2021. Do you know what I mean?
00:08:02
Speaker
I am going to go ahead and assume that some of the featured artists on the album recorded their particular portions of the album relatively recently, I would say within the last year, even maybe even with the last few months. There are rumors that Miley didn't record her verse until after the Grammys this year.
00:08:22
Speaker
Um, but, but I, but again, I don't know. I don't know. We weren't there. We weren't there. So we, I, I'm unsure, but I just, I think that just thinking logistically to hold on, to make people wait five years. I'm an NDA to be like, you can't say anything.
00:08:39
Speaker
or else your features drop. But if there's anyone that's going to do that, it would be her, you know? Yeah. Yeah. For the sake of the art. Yeah. So I'm thinking at least I would say that conceptually the albums have already been created. I think that a lot of recording has been done. And now I think leading up to the releases, I think it's the fine tuning, figuring out guests and figuring out the sequencing of the albums and things like that. I think it's those like final production projects.
00:09:07
Speaker
Um, I'm so, yeah, I'm so curious as to what is already currently finished for act three. I'm already, I'm so curious as to who's going to be featured on act three. Yeah, because well, and we'll get into this, but a lot of this album, which it makes sense why this is, but a lot of, there's a lot of rock influence on this cowboy carter album. And there's a lot of, you know,
00:09:34
Speaker
like artists that could be could have been for the rock album. Yeah. Absolutely. Do you know what I mean? Absolutely. I feel like Miley Cyrus is a great example. Like that could have been on that kind of genre, you know. Yeah. Yeah. So same with Post Malone. Yeah. So I'm really curious. Like they were created
00:09:53
Speaker
A lot of the songs were created around the same time. And she's like, okay, these ones are going to lend better to the rock act, you know, and then this is going to lend better to this act too, because there was a lot of rock influence. Um, we'll get into it, but especially the Fleetwood Mac influence, which I, that was the first thing I heard listening to this, you know, especially with Miley's song, I was like, I love this because I really enjoy Fleetwood Mac. So I was like.
00:10:18
Speaker
That could have been absolutely a rock song. 100%. And I think what's interesting about country music and rock music too is that it all stems kind of from the same origins. And so sonically, there's a lot of similarities throughout it. I think American Rock Room, should we just get into it? Should we just start diving into the album?
Track-by-Track Breakdown of Cowboy Carter
00:10:39
Speaker
I think we should, I think we should. So, you know, I was thinking about how we should tackle this. I feel like we should tackle it organically, whatever. But if you just want to kind of go, if we just kind of want to like go, what do you think? Track to track? Is that the best way to do it? I think track to track. I think I'm down for whatever. And just kind of see where it goes. Yeah, I will have to say it. I've said this to you. I said this to my friend, Jill. And I do firmly believe this in my soul because I felt this in my soul with Renaissance. What did I say with Renaissance a day in?
00:11:09
Speaker
You said this might be my favorite Beyonce record. Yes. Yeah. So I am going to go ahead and say right now, like, cause I'm feeling the same soul like energy in this statement. American Requiem might be one of my top five favorite Beyonce songs of all time. That's a bold statement. That is bold statement. I'm not going to make any statements like that yet. I need some time with this album.
00:11:32
Speaker
I firmly believe in my heart and soul of heart and souls that it that that holds true for me. It is the for me was the perfect way to open this album. The way. Absolutely. The way that it starts out almost hymnal like with and what I love too is how American Requiem and Amen are bookends to one another. Basically, Amen is part of American Requiem and then Amen the last song on the album is
00:12:02
Speaker
kind of a reprise of American Requiem. It's hard for me to say American Requiem. It is hard to say. And but I just the way that that it just transitions into this like epic
00:12:15
Speaker
genre bending version of like a country rock song there's like I felt like there was like an 80s element to it as well like well you know you know you know why you might be thinking that because why what came to mind for me and it again this is where this song felt like it could be on the rock album as well yeah you know because
00:12:35
Speaker
It's it's very much like in the style of Bohemian Rhapsody. It's just like grand kind of opus. You know, it opens the it opens the entire album because the album really is like an Odyssey. It is an entire journey. I was trying to think of the word. I was thinking of words of like what can I use for the podcast because I'm like what it feels like this like giant journey. And it brought me back to high school. One of the few times I read was
00:12:58
Speaker
you know, Homer's the Odyssey, which you have to read in high school. But it's like this giant fucking journey. And that's exactly what this album is. And this feels like the way to start that. But it reminded me of Bohemian Rhapsody. It's just this giant fucking, like you said, hymnal, like grand opus of a song.
00:13:17
Speaker
Yeah, my friend Davis was cutting my hair just now just before we started recording and he was saying that the song kind of reminds me of that song that goes like, hey, what's that sound? There's elements of that that he felt like he kind of heard. For me, I kind of heard there were just certain parts that just briefly reminded me of Father Figure by
00:13:39
Speaker
George Michael. And I think for me, it's just more like there's just like this just very anthemic element to the song. Like it's just a big song. It's very big. Yeah, it's a big look at there.
00:13:50
Speaker
Right. And there's so many layers. And I love like the 60s kind of like like that. That's the stuff that I grew up hearing so much because my dad loves like 60s rock, you know, the Beatles, the who like all of those kind of bands. And you hear a lot of those elements. What's really interesting, too, is I saw a quote from her. I can't remember what what like magazine or interview it was exactly. But she was saying I wanted to keep a lot of
00:14:16
Speaker
the instruments very like raw, like they were like in the sixties. You know what I mean? She's like, I wanted to keep them really like those kind of like simple guitar strings that that you hear. And I think that's a big part of what makes this song very special. And this album is that it feels like I'm like, Oh my God, this is so like a moment in time. Like this feels sixties, it feels seventies, it feels eighties, like rock and roll country, which is exactly, you know, what I was hoping for in terms of like, I knew she would make it.
00:14:44
Speaker
more soulful country, like at it, because again, she's reclaiming the genre at its roots with her, what it is. And that's exactly what she did. Because if it would have been like Texas hold in the whole album, I would have been disappointed. You know, right. And I'm I was so grateful. It started off this way because it was like it was like instant relief. I'm like, oh, we're going to hear we're going to hear something interesting. You know, but this song is beautiful. It's like it really is.
00:15:11
Speaker
It's a it's a small journey within itself, the song and it's so multifaceted and so layered with different instruments. The harmonies are incredible. Did you I personally so we're still waiting for a full production and like an artist involvement credit thing. But so I personally I don't know if you heard this, I personally hear
00:15:33
Speaker
Kelly and Michelle in the background of American Requiem. So I'm waiting for confirmation. I don't have that good of an ear. I did not hear that. Yeah, I'm waiting for that confirmation. I'm very curious to see if that if I'm right in that or not. We'll see.
00:15:50
Speaker
Someone, Dixon, right, I saw, I was looking at the producers, that was one of them. Right, yep, Dixon. So, but again, it's the production and songwriting credits are incomplete currently on Wikipedia. I don't know why. I don't know if the physical copies will have this information listed. I'm hoping that they do. I feel like they would, you have to.
00:16:11
Speaker
You don't have to, apparently. You don't have to credit the people. It's not that they're not credited, but I don't know if you like now in this digital age, I don't know if you have to like put that physically. And the only reason why I know this is because Madonna's Rebel Heart album did not have any of the credits.
00:16:27
Speaker
published. Wow. Yes. It doesn't feel right to me. It doesn't feel right to me either. But I also know that I mean, I understand that with Beyonce being so intentional with her music these days, because of leaks, because of everything, Beyonce is so intentional.
00:16:45
Speaker
and wants people to experience music the way that we used to decades ago. So I understand because now if you're anyone like me or you, you do go to those songwriting credits and production credits and you probably already develop a preconceived notion
00:17:03
Speaker
of what that song is going to be purely by seeing who produced or wrote it, you know? And so I just feel like I understand if she, the reasoning for maybe withholding some of that because she doesn't want people to have a preconceived notion prior. You know what I'm saying?
00:17:21
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I can, I can understand that. Like, for example, there's like, they're like people are suspecting that Taylor Swift is somehow involved with bodyguard. Now it doesn't look like she wrote it, but people are thinking that she might've saw a background on it. And I can understand withholding that information because you want people to experience the song for it being the song, not because Taylor Swift is singing backing vocals. You know what I'm saying?
00:17:43
Speaker
Right and everything she does is like we said before like with intention always nothing's a coincidence you know it's always like an intentional process because she really is an artist an album artist and she's and she's a fan of music she is she i mean she opens she is music she is for me she is the entire music industry at this point
00:18:05
Speaker
There's no one else I'm excited to hear really what they have to do. Yeah. Like to this extent. Yeah. The historical references throughout the album, the intentionality with things like I was just looking at TikTok today about spaghetti and like spaghetti westerns. I had never heard of spaghetti. And you've never heard of spaghetti westerns. I could care less about country music or westerns. So I don't know anything about any of this. But being in pop culture, how have you never heard what a spaghetti western is? Have you seen a Tarantino movie?
00:18:35
Speaker
Yes, but I've never heard anyone call it a spaghetti Western. Zach. Ever. That is crazy to me. Yeah, I know. Especially because you're so in the know when it comes to pop culture. That is a very common thing. But I really want to stress that country and Westerns, for me, growing up, not my thing. So this is something that like- Not my thing either. Not my thing. And it created a very visceral reaction for me, anything that was kind of like this.
00:19:04
Speaker
I paid very little attention to anything. So that's why like hearing of this album was going to be country. I did have a, you know, early like when Renaissance came out and hearing that this album was going to be country, like I had a kind of like a, I don't know if I want to, I don't know if I want that. Yeah, we've talked about it on the pod. I felt that way. Like leading up to it, though, I
00:19:25
Speaker
got more and more excited about it because I then remember daddy lessons and how much I love daddy lessons. And so, but, yeah, I had no I didn't know what a spaghetti Western was. And that is so funny. That's crazy. Yeah, I'm very I mean, I'm very familiar with that was like I love Tarantino movies to that. That's like really what those movies like implement, you know, like they reference. And this album, this whole album is funny because I'm a big Tarantino fan. I was like every song in this album could be in a Tarantino movie. This could be in Kill Bill.
00:19:54
Speaker
This could be and kill like everything. I was like, this is amazing. But that's what I loved about it too. Like the references to like the spaghetti Western kind of sound, you know, the old school country, the soulful, you know, what's really interesting as I was reading.
00:20:09
Speaker
I was reading some sort of a journal a couple of weeks ago and it was saying like, you know, back in the day, like in the sixties and seventies, R and B was not very different from country at all. R and B stands for rhythm and blues, you know, blues country. There wasn't a lot of shift. And then eventually like around that, like.
00:20:26
Speaker
I think maybe the 80s or something, like they kind of just split apart. And now obviously they're very different. So the fact that, you know, she really leaned into its roots, which makes sense, but that rhythm and bluesy.
00:20:42
Speaker
you know, part of part of country, that soulful part of country that I actually really appreciate and quite love. So I was very, very happy that that came through on the album. Also, you know, it's a funny thought I had that could be a meme for you, but I literally felt like Stefan from SNL, this whole album, because I'm like, this album has everything rodeos, spaghetti westerns, Willie, Willie Nelson being country opera.
Beyoncé's Genre Exploration
00:21:08
Speaker
Literally, that's good. Maybe I will do that. I was like operatic vocals
00:21:15
Speaker
But truly, the way that she busts those out in daughter. Yes. Oh, my God. We'll get there. We'll get there. Do we do a track by track? Should we just do it like? Yeah, I think I think I think we're kind of getting there. So we covered American Requiem, which is an opus. It's beautiful. Zach's favorite may be one of his favorite songs. That's I can't say I'm not going to do that. I mean, I need some time with it. I'm 100 percent going to say it. I'm going to want it. We can and we can revisit that statement in six months.
00:21:42
Speaker
Yeah. You know, you know, we're famously, we say things AKA who did the Houdini. What do we want to call that? I, the Houdini method. I will say, I feel much more strongly about my statement that I said now than my Houdini statement. Sure. Yeah. Well, that just eats, you know, cute next to gorgeous. Exactly. You know, gorgeous is going to devour cute. So it's going to devour cute. So yeah, but going into Blackbird, when I found out this was a Beatles cover,
00:22:12
Speaker
This is my favorite Beatles song. I almost got this tattooed on my body at 18, some of these lyrics.
00:22:21
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. But I, I, I think I've said this before, like we've talked, we talked about the Beatles before, cause we were talking about the Taylor mania of it all in different episodes. And I had mentioned like, I am a fan of the Beatles, you know, um, are they one of my favorite artists? No, but growing up listening to a lot of their music, there's a lot of music I cherish and love. Some of their songs would probably make my top 100 songs, especially this one. Okay.
00:22:44
Speaker
So I was very excited to hear that this was going to be one of the, you know, one of the few covers on the album. And when I tell you, I'm excited to talk about this because she stayed so true to the song going back to, she wanted to keep the elements raw, those instrumentals very raw. It sounds exactly like.
00:23:05
Speaker
the Beatles song, like there wasn't a lot of like creative choices made, but the ones that were, were so perfect. Like she didn't, she didn't really, she like staged true to the song, which I so appreciated. And then when the girls had the feature, so all the, all the country girls that she featured, I was, I was like looking at their Instagram and you know, I was, I was thinking of them and just how this is going to boost.
00:23:29
Speaker
their audience in the sake of reclaiming this, you know, as the black genre that it is and, you know, curated by black people. It made me like emotional because I was like, I'm just thinking how important representation is.
00:23:45
Speaker
And in a space where it's been predominantly white for so long and like you're, if you're a black country artist, you know, unless you're Darius Rucker, like you're probably not going to be very successful and you have, and that's been shown time and time again, you know, so there was something so beautiful about the way she's reclaiming this genre and doing it flawlessly, by the way. And then.
00:24:06
Speaker
featuring these artists and giving them a voice. And now people are going to go and stream their music and listen to them. And this could, I mean, this is like, this is larger than an album. This is like, I think it's going to be like a cultural shift. I think we're going to start seeing more black country artists.
00:24:24
Speaker
I hope so. I really do. I really felt that way. And hearing the song, I was like, I was like, it just it just made me emotional. I was like, this is amazing. Yeah. And people are right now that the haters are very much gate keeping when it comes to the term country and like whether or not like this and this album is country. And my thing with all of that is.
00:24:48
Speaker
you know, we get really in the weeds when it comes to certain genres, specifically country, rock and dance music. People want to sit here and nitpick about what it actually is. And as you know, leading up to the album, she said this is in a country album, this is Beyonce album. And in the PR statement released from her record label talking about how this is a genre like this album experiments not only with country, but all sorts of genres.
00:25:13
Speaker
opera, as you mentioned, there's rock elements, there's funk, there's all sorts of trap. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, even dance music. And the thing is, is that people need to like understand that all genres of music are going to have elements of one another in it. Right. Right. And and so to the people who keep trying to gate keep about what this album is, chill the fuck out. It's meant for entertainment and people are enjoying it. And fuck you because know where it comes from.
00:25:42
Speaker
And know exactly where it comes from. And it's Beyonce said herself, if it's not country, what is it? She is country. It's just from Texas. Like, do you know what I mean? Like the fact those arguments are so bogus. But, yeah, you know, I don't even want to give them the time of day because they're just they're just so stupid. But, yeah, this was a great cover and stunning.
00:26:04
Speaker
Yeah, it's, it's great. You know, I love the Beatles song so much. It's so near and dear to my heart. So I was very happy to hear that. And then, you know, we've talked about 16 carriages, Texas hold them so we can kind of like, you know, say that for what it is, but, but I just want to say, but I, the one thing I want to say about it in the context in the album sequencing made me love the song so much more.
00:26:24
Speaker
I love this song. I love this song. I love it. And just the way, and I have to say these transitions are eating. They are so good. Just like act one, the transitions are immaculate. They're immaculate. You know what's crazy too is like act one felt like one big dance party because of the transitions. It was like one big track you could put on and just have a
00:26:43
Speaker
a fun time dancing to it. This feels the same way in that it just feels like a smooth, cohesive project and a big part of that is because of the transitions. But it's like one giant song. I think I told you when I was listening to this at the end of it, this felt like a movie for my ears. It was so smooth and consistent and the transitions are just perfect. Name another person that does it better.
00:27:11
Speaker
It's so good. I though the way it gets the way it kind of gives me feel like I love so like it goes into protector, right? It just kind of the first part of the album kind of feels like you're around a campfire. And everyone's just singing song. What did they call those back in the day? Oh,
00:27:29
Speaker
Uh, there was a term for it and it's, it's missing my, uh, I forget what they were called, but it gave me that vibe of like sitting on a campfire playing your guitar and you're singing these, oh my gosh, I almost had the word. I want to say swallows. It's not swallows.
00:27:46
Speaker
Of course, you want to say that word. But, you know, singing around and then it goes into once you hit, you've got My Rose and then Smokehouse or Susie, Smoke Hour, Willie Nelson, then that's where it turns into like the more like the radio, like, oh, it's like a radio show.
00:28:05
Speaker
intentional yeah that that interlude by the way fucking love it i love willy nelson on this album he's so funny i love his little like what did he say he's like you know my name i don't need to know yours i don't need to know yours yeah love i loved that i also just really quickly
00:28:20
Speaker
My rows might be my favorite interlude because the vocals on it and the harmonies are just so stunning. Like it does something to my ears. I love it. I loved it. When I've heard it, I was like, I remember when I listened to the album, it was like one of the ones I had to go back to immediately. Yeah. So stunning. Fantastic. Protector is also great.
Musical Collaborations and Criticism
00:28:41
Speaker
But yeah, the Willie Nelson interlude.
00:28:44
Speaker
And I love the way, this is like random, but I love the way she stylizes her music. You know, I would love to know the reasoning why it's in all caps and why, you know, why that is what it is. I'm so curious about that. And then the way that it's stylized with the star, like on two of the tracks, you know, Sweet Honeybuckin and this interlude, I'm just like, it's just a small detail, but it's so cool.
00:29:12
Speaker
Yeah, it's so cool. And with Willie Nelson, I love the way that he's like, you know, my name, I don't need to know yours. I think that that's a direct like reference to the people that are going to be trying to pick this album apart.
00:29:27
Speaker
And because she's got so much backlash from certain types of people going, quote unquote, country and doing this. And I love that she was like, well, let's have the legends of country music on this. Let me recruit the kings and queens of country to say, fuck you. Give you a bit on my side. Yeah. Oh, my God. You're so right. Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton being on this album. Major. Major. The two biggest living legends in country.
00:29:55
Speaker
Literally. And he's like, I don't need to know your name and you don't, we don't, no one needs to know their names. You know, you know, whose name we do need to know though. Beyonce Beyonce, Beyonce, Giselle knows Carter or as I call her Beyonce, Bon Jovi, Giselle knows Carter like an alligator tears.
00:30:14
Speaker
Is that the next, is that the next track? It's not. We've got Texas Hold'em and then Bodyguard. And we know Texas Hold'em, we love the single. I just wanted to make another note. Again, I think that both 16 Carriages and Texas Hold'em, I love them already, but like in the context of the album, it just elevates the song so much more.
00:30:33
Speaker
And that's what's great about Beyonce. You know, she's an album artist, but she's an artist first and foremost. And you do, you do have to listen to this project. You cannot skip around. Like if it's your first time listening to it, make sure you listen to it. Top to bottom. Top to bottom. Absolutely. Because you need to, that's, that's the way it's intended to be listened to. If without, without that, I don't know if I'd like it as much, you know, the context really doesn't matter.
00:30:57
Speaker
Contacts absolutely matters. And I mean, she said, you know, years ago and right after she released four and she did her HBO documentary, she was like, nobody makes albums anymore. The edge is really single and it burns out, really single, it burns out. And I love her intentionality ever since then that she has been on a mission to create albums in full bodies of work. Yeah, projects. And she's doing it perfectly.
00:31:18
Speaker
She never, she just never lets me down. She doesn't. Do you know what I mean? I'm just, I'm blown away because I don't even like country music. And so I was like we said, very worried, but just I'm blown away by this album and how beautiful it is. So yeah, Texas hold them right after that. Willie Nelson interlude. Yeah. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect choice. I love the placement of it.
00:31:37
Speaker
And then we go right into bodyguard. We can't talk. Because I'm gagging. The album has me gagging is what it is. So we got bodyguard, which was a standout to me. The first listen, that was a standout because again, Fleetwood Mac right in my ears. I'm hearing it and love. Love it. I love the song. It's great. It's a standout. It is a standout. It's it's breezy.
00:32:03
Speaker
I want to be sipping on some lemonade, laying out in the sun, listening to the song. I want it at the top down. I want to be swinging on a tire swing over a lake. That's how I feel listening to the song. Always do my baby. Just saying. Just saying. And at the time of this recording, everyone, it is alleged that Taylor Swift is singing background vocals on this song. This has not been confirmed. So we are excited to learn. We want to know.
00:32:32
Speaker
currently in the zeitgeist yet that is just allegations at this point. It's such a good song. It's like a song that reminds me of like childhood for some reason, because my parents play a lot of like easy breezy like country in the house and stuff. And I think of like Shania Twain, even even though she's more pop. But I just love that, that sound, that breezy sound. That's a good way to put it. Yeah, so breezy. Then we get into the legend.
00:32:58
Speaker
the legend who I saw an interview of her two years ago saying, have you ever collaborative Beyonce? Did you see this? And the way she reacted is so funny. She's like, Oh my God. No, but like, like you could tell like in that moment, I'm like, Oh, Dolly, you did a good job.
00:33:12
Speaker
holding onto that. You did a good job holding onto that because- I have not seen this interview. I need to see this now. I'll have to send it to you. Okay. But yeah, Dolly P, her little voicemail, she loves Beyonce. God, who doesn't love this woman? She's so good. She's loved by everybody. She's just, there's not one person I know that's like, I don't like her.
00:33:31
Speaker
Right, right. And the way it flows perfectly into Jolene. And I love this production note that they did with Jolene. I know what you're going to say. I knew you were going to say that. I literally, that's exactly I thought of you. And I also same words like Joe Jolene. It's so perfect. I wanted more of it. That was my one note. I wanted more of it, similar to like the la la la la la on Renaissance. Yeah, I wanted I wanted more of that because it was like
00:33:59
Speaker
Oh, I have goosebumps just thinking about it. Yeah, that that was everything. You're so right. And I thought of you. So the Jolene cover, you know, interpolation, she basically is not afraid of Jolene on the song. So here it's so here's my question. So again, famously not a country person. I am aware of Dolly Parton. Obviously, I am aware of Jolene, obviously, but I don't know the song Jolene.
00:34:24
Speaker
well I just know the chorus so I know that people are saying that there are parts that are rewritten do you know can you tell me like what what is the same and what is different there's a lot of differences so the chorus is the same where she's like Jolene Jolene as you probably have heard right that's I mean this is a huge song it's been covered five million times right so
00:34:45
Speaker
The differences are Dolly Parton's narrative is, please, Jolene, don't take my man. And that's throughout the verse. Like, please, you know, don't take him just because you can. That's one of the verses. Yeah. So Beyonce said, bitch, you think you can take my man? Think again. You know, and you know what I immediately thought of. I laughed so hard every time I think about this. Like, sometimes it'll be like 4 a.m. I'll wake up and I'll just laugh because we're just psychotic. But, you know,
00:35:12
Speaker
I'll think of that time, Rachel Ray, the horrible cook, literally tweeted the beehive went after her so fiercely. And she goes, she's like, and then someone was like, leave this white woman alone and let her put her fucking raisins in her macaroni salad. She did not, you know, she was not the one that fuck Jay-Z. Yeah. So I thought of Rachel Ray as Jolene and it made me laugh so hard.
00:35:39
Speaker
But yeah, the difference is like that the narratives are different. The verses are different. So, you know, Beyonce is singing in this again, very similar to Blackbird. It holds true to the raw instrumentals. It holds true to the the melody. It doesn't change very much at all, except towards the end, which, by the way,
00:35:57
Speaker
Oh, my God. The end is my favorite part. That was going to say the like the choir that she adds to the song. I was the male and female. Yeah. Yeah. Counterparts. So good. It's so good. I and she said that kind of throughout the album. There's a lot of elements of that adding like this like choir element to these songs. And I and I figured that that was probably an addition.
00:36:19
Speaker
I thought there would actually be more gospel on this being like a country album. I thought there was going to be a little more of that, but the gospel moments that we got, beautiful. Oh, beautiful. My asshole just fell out. I love that. Then right after Jolene, we get Daughter, a beautiful song.
00:36:47
Speaker
So wasn't a standout to me in the first listen, but you know, now what, this has been like what you said 36 hours or so since this album came out, it's been over a day. Um, for me now, after hearing this album, probably seven or eight times all the way through at least this is one of my favorites.
00:37:06
Speaker
It's just incredible. I mean, like we said, there's operatic vocals in the middle of the song. I'm so excited that we finally have a studio recording of this because she's been doing this in interludes and concerts for a while now. So to finally have it on a studio recording on the album of hers, chef's kiss.
00:37:29
Speaker
Beautiful. And you know, this one remind me of like a Tarantino film the most or like a spaghetti Western, just the instrumentals like that kind of like, you know, fast, like guitar. I don't even know what you call that. I don't know. It's a guitar, right? That like, it just reminded me of tumbleweeds. Do you know what I mean? That's what I, that's what I, what I pictured. But I was like, this is powerful. I feel like this is one of the most powerful songs on the album.
00:37:55
Speaker
100%. It's so good. It adds so much. It's so much. Again, you said it perfectly. It's cinema for your ears. And it's exactly that it gives it wraps you in emotions, it gives you a feeling it puts you into a time and space, you know, however you interpret it, it puts you there, right?
00:38:15
Speaker
Yeah, between this and Jolene, you get the vibe. Don't fuck with me. Do you mean? And this song is so grandiose. Like, it's just it's just amazing. And it just is a perfect placement, again, of a song in the track list. Yeah, 100 percent. And then it goes right into spaghetti, which again, back to spaghetti, the spaghetti western of it all, the tick tock that I was watching, they, you know, the intentionality of calling it spaghetti.
00:38:44
Speaker
because of it being like, you don't use, or how did they phrase it? They were like, spaghetti Westerns were made by Italians, I guess. And I guess the whole thing of like, you are creating something that's not really quote unquote yours and like the intentionality of that. And then the lyric that within the song is something about like, we've been plagued by plagiarism. And it's like, no sauce, no sauce, play spaghetti. And I'm just kind of like, it's so,
00:39:13
Speaker
Again, the layers to this is so perfect. I can't get over it. Yeah, absolutely. It's just wrapped up in all this intentionality. That's, I, that's a great point though. I didn't hear that. And so that's my first time hearing that. Yeah. We're going to get so much of that, so much of that is going to come out. We're going to see more and more and more of these little, you know, Easter eggs, I guess you want to call them, but this,
00:39:34
Speaker
Yeah. The, the plain Jane, no spaghetti made me laugh. I was, I was giggling. I was thinking of all these white country artists that, you know, or the CMAs or whatever that just treated her like shit. And she's like, you know what? You need some sauce. I'm going to give you spaghetti, but I mean, I'm looking right at Kenny Chesney.
00:39:52
Speaker
Cause he wouldn't like, oh, I like Kenny Chesney, but he went, he, when she performed at that country music awards with the chicks and it cuts to the audience and people are, there are a lot of people who are dancing and singing and clapping along and he was just standing there stoic as fuck, not smiling and looked pissed. Uh, that that's unfortunate. I, I feel like he's a stoic person, but he, he's one of the few country artists I kind of enjoy.
00:40:17
Speaker
he looked like he could have rather been elsewhere in that performance. And I don't say that, and I say that like I, you know, again, people in the audience, you know, they're not necessarily thinking about the camera being on them. So, and I get that people have resting bitch face and things like that, but I will say like, you saw all these other people like clapping and singing and whatnot. I mean, you had Matthew McConaughey, he wasn't smiling, but he was like doing this like funny, like percussion thing with his chest. And then it comes to Kenny Chesney and he just looked like he'd rather
00:40:46
Speaker
off himself, seemingly. Well, hopefully that's not how he feels, but I don't know. I haven't heard anything negative or positive about him per se, just kind of neutral, so I don't know. But yeah, this was a good palate cleanser for the album, almost halfway through here. That was a good place for a rap moment. 100%. And I loved the beats. The beats were very Y2K, which we love. We love. We love, we love. We love, we love.
00:41:15
Speaker
And shout out to Shaboozie, who was on the album twice. This is a new artist. Again, I'm happy. She's like, here's this person that's blending. Again, this album is very genre-bending, which was what we were hoping for, similar to Renaissance. It's not just one genre. So I love that she's bringing this person in who also has genre-bending music, country, rap, merging those worlds together. 100%. Kind of like Lil Nas X, in a way. Yeah.
00:41:44
Speaker
And I love that. Who could have been actually a great feature for the album? Yeah. I think that, you know, just again, highlighting these artists is a beautiful part of this project. Yeah. She didn't have to do that. But she's like, I'm going to take these independent artists, you know, and work with them. And it was a good mix of independent and, you know, big. Yeah, absolutely. I agree. I agree. And then that song takes us right. And oh, and I want to also highlight really quick Linda Martel.
00:42:11
Speaker
in the song who was a country pioneer artist who basically fell into obscurity for the last 50 years and she brought her and she features her in spoken word on not one but two tracks and I love the intro to spaghetti and her talking about genres and how they're a funny little thing.
00:42:30
Speaker
loved that. It was perfect. And again, it goes because she I think that Beyonce knew creating this album, that is going to be the biggest thing that people are going to try to tear this apart by being like, it's Nick Kenji. And people love to do that. I mean, I even had someone DM me being being like Beyonce said it's not a country album. Why are you calling it a country album? Because someone had there's obviously a lot of think pieces right now and a lot of comparisons to other
00:42:55
Speaker
pop stars who have infused country and in certain albums and things like that. So I shared one of them because I liked it because it was, you know, highlighting both artists and praising both of them. And they were like, she's not calling country. And I was like, why are you getting so wrapped up in that word? Like it's clearly many country elements in this album. It's it's it's soaked in country elements, soaked, soaked. Is it purely country in the way that you think it?
00:43:23
Speaker
No, but like what? What is this? This country nowadays, again, in the 60s, 70s, they would have been like, what the fuck is this? This is pop, essentially. Exactly. Like shitty pop. You know, we don't like it. Mm hmm. Sorry. Sorry. Hot take. Yeah.
00:43:38
Speaker
But like, that's not country. Country is like was bluesy. It was soulful. It was like, you know, it's roots, it's like bluegrass, like all of these things. You know, so for you to say it's not. And at the end of the day, when you're on Apple Music or Spotify, you have to categorize it. So of course, country to me is exactly.
00:43:56
Speaker
What it is, you know, if you want to categorize it with one word, if you have to, obviously it's multiple genres, which most things are, you know, most things don't have like one thing always. Yeah. It's country. I'm sorry. Exactly. And I would say, and I would say at least half of this album is true country to me. Like if you were to play it, I'd be like, yeah, that's country song. Obviously.
00:44:16
Speaker
100%. But going into alligator tears, this was, this was a standout for me because, and you, you texted me, you're like, there's something so nineties about this song. And yeah, it was such an, if so much of this feels nostalgic because of the raw instruments, I think, you know, that's a big part of it. Yeah. So, but, but I laugh cause I'm like, this is Beyonce Bon Jovi, Giselle, Giselle, Beyonce Bon Jovi, Giselle Knowles Carter. Right. Literally ate this up. Yeah.
00:44:44
Speaker
I don't really understand what the song's about. Me either. I was like, because at first I was like, oh, it's going to be about crocodile tears, like white people or something. Sure. And it wasn't. It was like I like a love song. Right. Kind of. I'm not really sure what's happening. It's kind of like the America has America's got a problem of the album where I'm like, this isn't what I thought it was going to be about.
00:45:05
Speaker
Right, yeah, I know I'm still in my in my exploratory phase of like trying to actually figure out what the lyrics are and like, and, you know, figuring out like this thing, like how to sing along with it and whatnot. So, yeah, I'm still unsure, but I remember loving it and remember
00:45:21
Speaker
And each time it comes on, I love the end of it the way that the the harmonies are at the end of the song. I just that part like kind of blew me away. I was just like, oh, she does too good. It's too good vocals. The vocals on this album are great per usual.
00:45:36
Speaker
Absolutely insane. Yeah. And then it goes into Smoke Hour 2. So we get another moment from Willie Nelson. Thank you, Willie Nelson, for your service. And then that goes right into Just For Fun, which is a duet with Willie Jones. And I'm not familiar with Willie Jones. He's also like an independent artist from my understanding. Okay. From the research I did. He's a country
00:45:59
Speaker
a black country artist, obviously. So, you know, again, highlighting artists for the album. Yeah, I love it. And at first I was going to say at first, just for fun was probably a moment where it's not that I disliked the song, but I was like, here we are, 15 tracks in and the album has been very, uh, I don't want to say down tempo because that's not necessarily true, but it's not like we haven't had, I mean, spaghetti was like the one like super uptempo moment that we had.
00:46:27
Speaker
And so I was kind of like, Oh, but that said that song has grown and grown and grown on me. Well, let's just say this too. We don't think any of the songs are bad. They're all great, but 100%. You know, so that, that's like, that's important to know. Like there's not a bad song or a skippable song or interlude on this album. So.
00:46:44
Speaker
This song to me though, I'm going to need more time with. I personally, this isn't one that I gravitate towards or I want to hear again, you know? Yeah. Okay. So I had that moment as well. I would say probably my first two or three listens. I had that moment. I was kind of like, Oh, like I was like, maybe this is one of the tracks that I could, I would be like, it's not that I don't like it, but I could do without now. But now I'm kind of like, Oh wait, hold on. I found myself singing it earlier and I was like, wait a minute. There's some good, some good melodies on it.
00:47:11
Speaker
Yeah. And then that takes us into one of the most talked about tracks on the album, Two Most Wanted, featuring none other than Miley Cyrus.
00:47:21
Speaker
Out of the spirit of not wanting to be obvious, we like the deep cuts, we like the cool, edgy stuff. I didn't want this to be one of my favorite songs, but it is. It's so good. It's Fleetwood Mac. It's giving fucking Fleetwood Mac down completely, immediately hear that. They have to be credited for that, I hope.
00:47:44
Speaker
I believe so because it interpolates, uh, landslide, right? Yeah. But the landslide in itself is one of the most emotional songs of all time. Like, I don't know anyone could cry at that song. I cry when I think of landslide, it makes me cry. And Fleetwood, Fleetwood Mac has that ability. They're just very, like, they're very powerful, you know, kind of voice Stevie Nicks and, um, the lyrics are always like top notch. So they tug at your heartstrings and just hearing this, like when it started and.
00:48:10
Speaker
Okay. So it immediately made me emotional because I thought of like landslide and I'm like, Oh, this is so beautiful. And then the harmonies between them, it works so well between them. Miley's like raspy, kind of rough, like deeper voice and Beyonce's beautiful, like clean vocals. Oh, it is so perfect. I had chills listening to them.
00:48:32
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's the it's truly a collaboration that I least expected. Never thought it would ever happen. Never even guessed it would ever happen. You know, outside of just stand up. Shout out to just stand up. But Beyonce's worst hair. But I. It works so well. I mean, this was the song that a lot of people thought was going to be a Gaga song. And we didn't. That was the one disappointment of the album.
00:49:02
Speaker
Right, and it was just and I would just put that more on gaga for kind of teasing it She's she on social media was like posting all of these like telephone Throwback things out of nowhere and people were like, oh my gosh Are we getting and then we saw a song called two most wanted which seems to refer to the telephone music video We were I mean I was one of those people that was like, oh my god, are we also little monster stands are
00:49:28
Speaker
insufferable and like if just because you hold up a peace sign like this at this football game doesn't mean oh balloons doesn't mean that there's a collaboration like shut up right but I mean yeah yeah exactly I mean and you know I'm I blame Taylor Swift for everyone thinking that everything's an Easter egg you know
00:49:48
Speaker
Right, because not every artist is that intricate with their details. But yeah, and then it goes right into another collaboration, Levi's jeans with Post Malone. This song loved instantly and has just grown and grown since. This song's cute. Levi's jeans is cute.
00:50:09
Speaker
For me, this is a summer, another, again, get me on that tire swing, give me my lemonade. I am, it is summertime, I'm obsessed.
00:50:19
Speaker
I'm not obsessed with it. It's good. Again, it's cute, cute, next to gorgeous, gorgeous being Miley Cyrus. Plus, here's the thing. I saw Post Malone live at a concert festival once. I think he's super talented. Not for me. I don't enjoy his music. Yeah, I am not a Post Malone fan at all. The problem with it for me, I think, is it's just giving Florida, Georgia line energy, if you know who that is. It is just an easy breezy summer anthem, but it's just not my type of music.
00:50:49
Speaker
It's cute. I like the lyrics. A lot of them are cute. And that's the best word I have to describe it. But it's not bad. Again, no song is bad. It's just not one I'm going to be gravitating towards.
00:51:01
Speaker
To me, I completely gravitate towards it. And I think part of it is because I think it's just, again, it's just a song that I did not expect to enjoy. And I think that's why I kind of like it so much is that I think that, you know, again, I'm not a Post Malone fan. In fact, I've gotten in arguments with friends about Post Malone and his music. And I was just like, I just don't get why people like him. And I'm eating my words right now because I think the song for me is fabulous. And so I am obsessed.
00:51:27
Speaker
This is the most generic song on the album. I think for me, interesting. Okay. This is going to be one that people like, this is going to be a hit. Yeah. A hit. She's got hits. She's got hits. Um, cause you know, those peasants out there like generic, they love just kidding. Yeah. I was like, wow, Jeff drag me. Um, and then that takes us right into flamenco. So flamenco is, I would say out of all of the interludes, the most forgettable.
00:51:53
Speaker
I would agree. I would completely agree. And in fact, I believe that Flamingco, the next few songs, Flamingco, the Linda Cart, or excuse me, the Linder. I always want to say Linda Cardinelli every time I say the Linda Martel show. Yeah. Yeah. And oh, Louisiana and Desert Eagle, I think are all actually omitted from the physical versions of the album. So I saw that. Well, I saw on Wikipedia, it says Flamingco is like the last track. Is it a song?
00:52:21
Speaker
I don't think I don't, that's not what I saw. Oh, I saw that when I was looking at it yesterday. That's what it said. Yeah. So I think someone, someone might be playing with the track list on Wikipedia, but whoa, look at, okay. I'm in Wikipedia right now. Look at this. This is Kyle by Carter physical edition. Last song is 16 carriages demo version with Kelly Roland, Michelle Williams, Latoya Tuckett and Latavia Roberts. I know I saw that and I've been trying to do. And so right before I saw that, right before we started recording.
00:52:47
Speaker
And I was trying to do some research trying to see how like how accurate that is. And I haven't been able to find anything yet. And then we started recording. So I haven't done anything further. But so cool. And then so I ordered the CD version. So I'm hoping that if that's true, then I'll have it. So I'll have you'll have one bonus song, whatever it is. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. So but I agree with you, Flamenco.
00:53:12
Speaker
Great transition, but it's not like I'm I'm not going back to that transition being like, this is it. This is the girl, you know. But what I am going to say is I love the Linda, the Linda Martel show and I love the way that intros. Yeah, yeah. Oh, my God. Yeah, this is great. This is when the album really like.
00:53:32
Speaker
takes it up a notch. This this is my most revisited place of the album, like right about here. Yeah, yeah. And yeah, yeah. Oh, my gosh. What a moment. So fucking fun. What a fun. This is very rock to very, very rock, very rock, very Tina Turner moment. Tina Turner, the creative choices, the affectations on her voice in the song in so many places. The song takes you on a journey, but
00:53:59
Speaker
The Elvis, the whole like that. Oh, my God. I screamed when I heard that. I was like, this is so funny. I was like, she is just having fun on this song. Pure fun or silly. Like, you know how we think like she's kind of like, if we matter, I feel like deep down, she's like a silly, weird person. Yeah. Like you think that I feel like she just let it rip. Yeah. One on the song. Yeah. She was just like, let's just fucking go there. Perfect sample of these boots were made for a walk in.
00:54:29
Speaker
yeah love it love it starts with that love that it starts with that and it's just you the song is so much fun it just makes me want to shake it I cannot wait to release the meme that I made with it I sent you it's one of my favorite songs on the album absolutely a standout yeah absolutely like the
00:54:49
Speaker
the ass shaker of the album, you know, like you want to get up and dance and like this. Also, like, again, with the creative choices, I love when she's like, I'm a clever girl. Like I love.
00:55:01
Speaker
I just love like the little spoken word pieces. Like the, when she kind of imitates the girls and the guys, you know, the girls versus the guys in the beginning. Oh my God. It's, it's great. It's great. It's a fucking rock and roll banger. It's so good. Uh, which then takes us to O Louisiana, which is so cute. I don't know why there's something about it. I'm obsessed.
00:55:25
Speaker
I am, too. I think for me, the immediate my immediate thought was it reminded me of that meme where someone like altered the audio to Hillary Duff being like, well, that's it. Like it's time for me to go home. You know, it's like like a drunk. Oh, my God. Like that to me is like they like altered. Who is it? Chuck Berry's voice? Yeah. Yeah. And I look. Yeah. It sounds like a chipmunk, but I'm obsessed with it. It's so good.
00:55:54
Speaker
It is so perfect. What a perfect interlude and transition, you know? Yeah. And I like how it sounds like he's saying, oh, Louisiana. Oh, my God. And the way it kind of like it's yeah, the way it's like slowed down, it feels so like late 60s, early 70s, like people are just like drop an acid, you know, left and right. Wood very Woodstock esque with the countryside as well, obviously. It's
00:56:20
Speaker
There's something about it. I keep having to listen to them. I listen to Yaya and then I listen to it after. It's like I have to listen to it after. It could have been a part of the song, honestly, probably. I think that's what it is. Her vocals go perfectly right into it. I think that it is the outro to the song that blends perfectly into Desert Eagle. Desert Eagle is probably the song on the album that was
00:56:45
Speaker
I was expecting it to be different and it is what it is. And it's great. It's sure. I think it's it's kind of like it's a little bit of its own type of interlude as well. I fucking love this. This one. I love that. You know what it is, too? Dosey Doe. The Dosey Doe. Oh, my God. Yeah. The melodies and harmonies in this one. But also just that, you know, I love a groovy funky song. You know, this I love. I love groovy. I love funk. I love psychedelic fun. And
00:57:11
Speaker
I immediately i'm curious to hear who the songwriters are producers on because it sounds like a thundercat song so there's oh interesting There's a black independent kind of indie artist. He's probably like over the years He's gained more of a following, but he's very I discovered him. I think through like tame and pala You know because obviously tame and pala is one of my favorite artists like psychedelic funk is one of my favorite genres so
00:57:34
Speaker
This sounds like he's all over it. I would be shocked if he wasn't on it. So I'm kind of hoping he is because I really enjoy him. Yeah. So I think that this just sounds like a Thundercat song. But yeah, the the grooviness of the song, the lyrics, the melody.
00:57:51
Speaker
that just the layering is such a short amount of time. Right. So, you know, very great interlude, very good interlude, and then goes right into Riverdance, which is a blend of country pop dance that works, you know, so good.
00:58:11
Speaker
So good. I mean, immediate stand out. Yeah. Bounce on the shit, dance, dance, bounce on the shit, dance, dance. Running through the river. It's so good. So good. So many elements. So many elements. I sent it to my sister because my niece is in an Irish Riverdance troop. And so I said, I expect full choreography to the song the next time I visit. So.
00:58:32
Speaker
They better, they had better river dance. And then that goes, also again, the transitions on this album are flawless blends perfectly into two hands to heaven. This was my favorite transition of the album still is I have to listen to these songs also. Like I kind of listened to them together, but
00:58:52
Speaker
This to me is a standout track. At the moment, it's my favorite song on the album. Oh, wow. I love the moment. It's my favorite song on the album. I think it's so fucking beautiful. And it's just it's again, it feels like a palate cleanser. It's like this R&B moment, which I really needed. And it came at the perfect time. And I'm like, just no, no notes. It's amazing. OK. So the one thing I didn't want to say about was the nails, the nail beat.
00:59:19
Speaker
No, very Dolly Parton. Yeah. Yeah. Two hands to heaven. What was I going to say? I had a really important thought and now we lost it, but that's okay. Yeah. This, this song for me.
00:59:31
Speaker
is one of my favorites and probably because I like probably because I'm not a country fan. So like just an R&B moment is everything to me. So maybe it's not that shocking, you know, but it's also kind of like a two part song. We can see like the first part of the song is very dancy and then the second part of the song slows it down and is a little bit more R&B. Can we give it up to for like two back to back five minute plus songs? Can we please like where is the standing ovation? Like, come on. Five plus minutes back to back.
01:00:01
Speaker
She said Oppenheimer sequel Oppenheimer like third song like I this is what I need. This is what I need. Yeah, damn. What if yeah, this is the you know, this is definitely a standout for me.
01:00:14
Speaker
stand out going then right into Tyrant, which is a fan favorite right now. People are loving Tyrant, loving the violin on it. I knew they were going to love it. Yeah. The way they like mix and mash and like chop and screw the beat. And it's like it's very country, but it's very like now, you know, it's very like trap beats done in an interesting way. You know, not just like boring, right? Not like someone we know with the initials AG anyways.
01:00:40
Speaker
Yeah, but I, I love this song. Also, I would say one that like stuck out to me. Yeah. And then we get into another three-part song. Not one, not two, but three parts. Sweet Honey Buckin.
01:00:56
Speaker
The pure honey of the album. The pure honey of the album. And 100 percent. Yeah. And I love the way Sweet ends and it goes into just that like hand clapping like Jersey Club beat goes right into the downtemponess of honey and then picks it right back up and goes back into Buckin. And oh my gosh, I mean, Pharrell is all over the song. Pharrell is all over the song. It's.
01:01:22
Speaker
It is crazy. It's like you said, it's three songs in one. Obviously, it's the pure honey of the album. But I wanted a little bit more of honey. That was my only note. I want a little bit more of that like slowed down like, you know, moment. Yeah. But wow. This is this for me is like. Yeah, this has got to be like if I had top three songs on the album, this is one of them. Yeah, it's like a mechanical bull like it's
01:01:47
Speaker
But the word buck in is so fun. And it's so fun. And I love that she just she I'll have I'll save this comment for the end of the the show. But I love the experimentation throughout the album. Yeah. And this was a perfect way to kind of like end the songs of the album, you know, minus like the intro and outro. Yeah. So fuck. It was such a moment. And I was expecting it like
01:02:15
Speaker
I think what's great about Beyonce is like, you know, whatever I think she's going to do, she just surprises us. And this was one of those moments where I'm like, wow, right at the end, you're going to give me this fucking banger. That's just let's fucking party. And I hope that I hope that act three is four songs in one with the word honey in the title. Right. Oh, my gosh. She needs that. We need to get that now because this also has honey in the title and it's the second to last track. Like, what is that about?
01:02:40
Speaker
Right. Is there intentionality there? I want to know. Right. She said, let me give my little beehive some honey. And then we get the closer of the album, Amen, which is a reprise of American Requiem. And it is stunning the way it ends, the way it ends with that beautiful.
01:02:59
Speaker
Oh, I want to talk to you about the beep. Hold on. Give me the beep. I want to talk to you about the beep, the beep. That's like the ready. Seco beep. And you know that it closes with the beep as well. What I find interesting is the placement of the beeps. So I was thinking about it today. I'm like the beep. There is no beep in American Requiem.
01:03:17
Speaker
Right. So it starts after the second track right before 16 carriages. Why is the reason it starts there? And then it, they, they have a beep at the end of sweet honey, buck in, and then once again at the end of a men. So what is it about those three beeps? There has to be a reason. Right now is right now is actually looking at me like I'm crazy and I'm like connecting bread. Like I,
01:03:39
Speaker
Like I'm staying up all night solving a murder, which you did. And we want to celebrate that. No, but I'm very curious about it, too. It feels very intentional, especially the way that the album ends with that beep. It kind of like crescendos in a way. And I love it. Good word. Good word. It's just a very sonically pleasing sound to me. Like it's very pretty sound, but it feels very intentional and feels very
01:04:09
Speaker
There's, there's some attention out there. It's there for a reason. You don't just put that in there. Exactly. And so I'm like, there's something here. There's something I feel like it's, I don't know what it is. I don't know. I can't explain it, but it feels like there is 100% a special reason why it's there.
01:04:24
Speaker
And I kind of wish that it was in Renaissance. I wish that I was like, oh my gosh, it wouldn't be cute if there was like this one particular sound throughout, you know, that reacts. Right. But but yeah, no, I loved, loved, loved the way it ends. And wow, what an album.
01:04:41
Speaker
Wow. What an album, not what I expected. You know, I knew it was going to be good because it's her, but I just, you know, I'm glad it wasn't just like country, country, country, like Texas hold them the whole time because I would have probably not have enjoyed it. So the fact that it was this, I literally, I, after listening to it.
01:04:58
Speaker
At midnight, I put my headphones down and I said, I took a moment. I got up, I smiled to myself and I was like, wow. Wow. That's what I said. I was like, what? Wow. I have no, I have no words. I was just like, I don't know what I just heard. Yeah. You've described it best twice now. You described it. I mean, earlier in our conversations, pre recording this episode, you had said that this album is like, you know, cinema, it's a movie for your ears.
01:05:23
Speaker
But I loved how you said at the beginning of this episode, you said this is like an Odyssey. It is the Odyssey. And it really is. It takes you on a journey. And that's what we love. And this is the comment that I want to make. This is my plea. This is my dear recording industry. This is what I want to say to you right now. This is what we need in music. This album
01:05:45
Speaker
I don't care what genre you create, we need more intentionality with albums like this, with music like this. We need the songs, people who are not afraid to experiment. We want people, oh, the Zencaster's giving me a thumbs up. We need songs that are long. We need songs that explore. We need intentionality behind everything. Let artists create their fucking art. This is what we want.
01:06:15
Speaker
You couldn't have said it better. That's exactly what it is too. This is a testament to what can happen if you go with your artistry. Every artist is
Innovation and Cultural Significance
01:06:24
Speaker
different. They're all valid, but when you copy the same trends over and over and over again, and you don't feel like you can experiment, you can't reinvent yourself, it leaves for a really lackluster, boring experience. At the end of the day,
01:06:41
Speaker
You know, I'm thinking of some recent albums here. They're just not very relistenable. They're not. This is very similar to Renaissance. This will live on forever. Forever. Because not only is it referential, but it's it's taking old references and making it entirely new. Yeah. And new experience. It's just it's just an experience. Yeah. I mean, and I do want to say too, like,
01:07:04
Speaker
Country like folksy is not my favorite genre. So, you know, will this be my favorite Beyonce album or most listened to? I would say probably not, but it's, you know, she has so many great records and, you know, obviously my, we all have different tastes and I do gravitate toward more like pop R and B more than anything. So of course I'm going to gravitate towards that sound. But when you can do this successfully and you make me like the album,
01:07:32
Speaker
with country and with these like folksy elements like i'm just blown away like this is going to live on forever it truly is incredible and the last thing i'll say about it is like she just continues to blow me away yeah you know she continues to
01:07:48
Speaker
be hungry and curious, which I love. And her, again, being a fan and appreciator of music and knowing the history, wanting to dive into the cultural significance, you know, figure out it all. Caring effort. Exactly. She literally is the Living Breathing Music Cares Project.
01:08:09
Speaker
You know She actually and I love that I love that you know you when you talked about artists early You know one of the things that she's also getting some criticism for on the internet is a lot of people are like I want Beyonce to make R&B music again and a lot of people are responding to that by saying There's a reason why beyond a beyond
01:08:32
Speaker
Beyonce has lasted beyond. A lot of her peers is because she's willing to go outside and explore territories outside of R&B and fuse them all together. Fuse them all together and still give it to you. There's still R&B on this album. Yeah. It's all over the album in a lot of ways. You know what I mean?
01:08:52
Speaker
And and I think that's really limiting to look at someone's skin color and think, oh, you have to be R&B music because you are black. Absolutely. And also, also just the fact that.
01:09:05
Speaker
This is like an educational project. 100%. The fact that you can throw an education, like I didn't know who Linda Martell was. Same. Do you know what I mean? I wasn't going through some of these songs, like Dolly Parton songs and things like that, and doing research and getting the history of these things. You know, the Chitlin circuit and all this stuff. Right. I didn't know about that. Learning about these things through music, there's something very special about that.
01:09:30
Speaker
Yeah, 100%. She's an educator. She's an artist. She's the sister I never had. She is the friend that everyone would want.
01:09:39
Speaker
Shoot, I wasn't going to cry here. It's truly it's truly a magical, magical album. And yeah, I'm curious to see where it will rank in my replay value. But I do love it. And I know I'm going to be playing it for some time. It's it's amazing. You know, there's other artists I feel like who
01:10:04
Speaker
I think this is a big reason why I like Lana Del Rey too. You know, even though she's not your genre is like, she is very referential. She's educated me on a lot of artists and is reinventing herself herself in a lot in a lot of ways. And so there's very few artists so that I can think of that are doing this to this caliber. You know, Beyonce does it best. So yeah, I'm just I'm just blown away. And it wasn't was what I was expecting. It's better. And
01:10:31
Speaker
I'm so excited for act three. I'm so excited for the continued like saga of this project. I know it's just Yeah, I have no words. I'm just I'm just amazed. You know, I think Renaissance is still going to be all I think Renaissance will always be my number one. I don't know if anything can top that, you know, I can't imagine it could but
01:10:54
Speaker
Wow. Like this is something I'm going to be listening to forever. It's just, it's just so special. And there's something about the latter half of Beyonce's career where since, since the digital drops, since she really like honed into her own artistry, there's something that feels timeless about it all.
01:11:10
Speaker
Yeah, she's taken the time to she cares. I mean, I think that all any mainstream act cares a little bit about mainstream success. I mean, that's how you stay in in, you know, your record deal. It's like, you know, she doesn't seem like she gives a fuck, though. She's like, I want to do what I want. She is doing it on her terms. And I love that. I love the way that she's a pioneer. I think she's a pioneer. I think like she truly is a pioneer in music.
01:11:37
Speaker
She's, I mean, again, she's, she's a, she has studied music her entire life. She studied those that came before her and she has notated everything that they've done and said, I'm going to do that. And I don't know if she's going into it thinking I'm going to do it better, but damn. Is she doing it well? Oh my God. She was born for this clearly. I do want to say the last thing too is like.
01:12:01
Speaker
I always rate music objectively. I know that we have our biases, but I wasn't sure how this was going to play out. Like if I didn't like the album, if it was all Texas Hold'em, I would have been honest about my review. Right. You know? Right. The fact that it just was this thing, this experience that we just had. Yeah. And it is what it is. Like it just makes me so happy, but I want like the audience to know it's like, I'm critical of these artists as a fan. Like I'm not going to just like something just because I like the artist. Right. And I genuinely think this album is incredible.
01:12:34
Speaker
I can't wait to, I'm like, can I listen to it right now? I want to listen to it again. It's all I'm listening to. It's all I'm listening to. In fact, I will say this and tell me if I'm crazy in saying this, but this album is so good to me that there have been moments where I've been like, okay, I need to actually take a pause from it because it's so good that like I want to ingest it all and like actually think about it and actually have a moment to breathe and then go back into it.
01:12:54
Speaker
Yeah, I do too. It's...
01:13:03
Speaker
Have you ever, do you ever feel that way with any music? Yeah, just things in life in general, I think you have to like, take a pause and re listen with fresh ears.
Closing Fun with Cowboy Carter
01:13:12
Speaker
Yeah, because because I listened to it, I want to say five or six times yesterday in full. And then there were certain moments that I like revisited. And I
01:13:26
Speaker
And yeah, I need, I need it. I just going to say it like I, and then today I've listened to it again, but then there are certain moments throughout the day yesterday where I was like, I need to like, just take a moment with it. Let's, so I think a good way to end this episode is we like to play a game called fuck Mary kill with everything that we do. We do. And since, since like all of these songs are songs we don't talk about enough yet. I think they're, they all get their moments. So we're not going to do that in this episode, but I think,
01:13:52
Speaker
We should do fuck Mary kill with the interludes. So I'm going to give you three interludes. Okay. Okay. And you're going to fuck Mary kill. And I know it's like Sophie's choice because we like them all. Yeah. But I'm going to go ahead and do that. Okay. Okay. And then you can give me your three. Okay. All right. So I'm going to give you these three. Ready? Okay. My Rose smoke our two. Okay. And Oh, Louisiana.
01:14:22
Speaker
Oh, wow. OK. Oh, that's hard. I think I'm going to marry. Oh, Louisiana. I think I'm going to fuck smoke hour two and I'm going to kill my rose. You. It's like my favorite one. I know. I know. I know. OK, so now I'm going to do this back to you. You're fucking really awesome.
01:14:44
Speaker
Hard. OK, no, no, no lube. OK, well, maybe we're going right in. He fell apart. He would. He would fall apart. He would fall apart. OK, so now I'm going to go to you and we are going to do smoke our Willie Nelson. We are going to do Dolly P and the Linda Martel show. Oh, that's hard because they all so I think I'm going to have to.
01:15:11
Speaker
married the Linda Martell show because she educated me on this person and their influence. And I think that's a key critical point of the album. Uh, I'm going to have to fuck Dolly P because I love miss Dolly P and she got to be there before Jolene, you know? So I'll kill the Billy Nelson one because there's another one. So he can, he can have, you know, he has two moments on the album. That's true. That's true. Good job. Thanks. I was trying to be logical about it, you know, since this, this game is very logical, clearly.
01:15:41
Speaker
Very, it is all about logic and reason. Yeah. And fuck Mary kill with interludes. One hundred percent. Well, Jeff, I'm so happy that you're back. Welcome back to the show. What a way to come back. I know. What a way to come back. You use. You really rode in there on your horse. I did rode your way back. You. I sure I put my I got on Chardonnay and I came here. You sure certainly did. One could say you found your way back. OK.
01:16:10
Speaker
well everyone thanks for listening uh go stream cowboy carter if you have not yet if you're if you haven't i don't know what you're doing with your life but make it right and eat some spaghetti and eat some goddamn spaghetti please all right until bye y'all howdy bye y'all