Beyoncé Almost Released 'Cowboy Carter' Before 'Renaissance'

Beyoncé held off on dropping Cowboy Carter because she “had to trust God’s timing,” and boy, did it pay off! Five years later, she unleashed what she hailed as “the best music I’ve ever made.”

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In a Parkwood Entertainment press release, Beyonce revealed the album took over five years to create.

Beyoncé initially intended to drop Cowboy Carter as the first act before Renaissance, but the pandemic threw a curveball, changing her plans.

“It’s been really great to have the time and the grace to be able to take my time with it. I was initially going to put Cowboy Carter out first, but with the pandemic, there was too much heaviness in the world. We wanted to dance. We deserved to dance. But I had to trust God’s timing.”

During the 2024 Super Bowl, all eyes were on Beyoncé and her brilliant team, who cleverly teased new music in a Verizon advertisement. Following the announcement, tracks like “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” were released, offering the Beyhive and fans worldwide a taste of what to anticipate next from the queen.

Features on the album include icons like Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton as well as Miley Cyrus (“II Most Wanted”), Reyna Roberts (“BlackBiird)”, Post Malone (“Levii’s Jeans”), Willie Jones (“Just For Fun”) and many more.

While some categorize Cowboy Carter as a country album, Beyoncé has emphatically clarified that it transcends genres, declaring, “This isn’t just a country album. It’s a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”

Beyoncé’s Approach To Creating Country Music In Her Own Lane

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She elaborated on her album creation process, expressing the liberation she experienced while crafting music that resonated deeply with her.

“The joy of creating music is that there are no rules,” Beyoncé noted in the press release. “The more I see the world evolving the more I felt a deeper connection to purity. With artificial intelligence and digital filters and programming, I wanted to go back to real instruments, and I used very old ones. I didn’t want some layers of instruments like strings, especially guitars, and organs perfectly in tune. I kept some songs raw and leaned into folk. All the sounds were so organic and human, everyday things like the wind, snaps and even the sound of birds and chickens, the sounds of nature.”

Beyoncé also discussed her approach of experimenting and crafting numerous songs, eventually refining them to curate the perfect fit for the album.

“My process is that I typically have to experiment,” she shared. “I enjoy being open to have the freedom to get all aspects of things I love out and so I worked on many songs. I recorded probably 100 songs. Once that is done, I am able to put the puzzle together and realize the consistencies and the common themes, and then create a solid body of work.”

In just one day since Cowboy Carter hit the shelves, the world has already fallen head over heels for it. Beyoncé noted, “People are going to be surprised because I don’t think this music is what everyone expects,” but it’s clear that this music is exactly what people craved at this perfect moment.

Have you listened to Cowboy Carter? Are you feeling it? Let us know your thoughts below!