Beyoncé Hints At Past Experience When She Didn't 'Feel Welcomed' That Inspired 'Act II: Cowboy Carter'
Beyoncé is opening up on the moment that inspired her forthcoming album.
The 32-time Grammy winner took to Instagram on Tuesday (March 19) with a post to mark the 10-day countdown till her next album, "Act II: Cowboy Carter." In her post, she explained the significance of the album and why she hopes it will diversify the country genre.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES. I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart," the post began, accompanied by a photo of her rocking a red, white, and blue cowgirl outfit on top of a white horse while holding an American flag. "That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant".
She shared this album has "been over five years in the making" and "was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t."
Due to that experience, Bey said she "did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive."
"It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history."
When the hitmaker first entered the county genre, she "faced criticisms" that have "forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work."
Still, Bey assured this is not a country album.
"This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!"
"Act II: Cowboy Carter," is slated to drop on March 29.