“I hate country music.” Yeah, so does the rest of the world. I cannot think of one person that listens to country music exclusively while also not acknowledging how corny it can come off as when done a certain way. There are a lot of artists who have done country right, like Dolly Parton or Chris Stapelton. If there is not already, there should be an unwritten rule that those people get left out of the “I hate country” sentiment. Then there are those artists who fit the stereotype of country that causes those extremely valid claims of despising music about beer, trucks and women all in that order. I will not give a list, but one musician that comes to mind immediately starts with “L” and ends with “uke Bryan.”
No one should be ostracized if they listen to country music; I sometimes partake in the occasional Bobby Bones radio station myself (sometimes being specifically when I am on a road trip anywhere south of St. Louis), and I do believe in giving unfamiliar things a chance. So, I ask you to bear with me while I introduce three new country albums from female artists coming out later this year or that have recently released that are gaining a lot of attention. Two of these women are not known for the country genre, which makes their coming projects even more buzz-worthy.
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has been in the music industry for over 30 years, starting out professionally in 1990 with the girl’s group Destiny’s Child. Since then, she has had an enormously successful solo career, with her latest album “Renaissance” released in 2022, preceding a world tour of the same name that grossed over $570 million. While being shown in the audience at Super Bowl LVII, she surprised the world with a new album announcement on Instagram: “Act II.” It will be released on March 29, 2024, conveniently rounding out Women’s History Month, I might add.
The album is the second installment of a three-part project, confirmed by the artist in a message to fans. Her wide audience, or the ‘Beyhive’ was also treated to two new songs off the album the same day that it was announced, “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em.” There has been a mixed reaction over Beyoncé releasing a country-genre album, especially since most of her previous work has been R&B, soul and pop-oriented. However, we must remember that Beyoncé is a Houston-native and has a lot of roots with southern culture and music. This is also not the first time she has ever released anything of the genre, with the song “Daddy Lessons” from her 2016 “Lemonade” album having a rather country twang to it. Although “Act II” may come as a surprise to some, it is not an unapproached topic or genre to Beyoncé herself.
From waitressing at a random Waffle House to wearing a mall-bought dress to the 2020 Grammys to opting for a diamond-covered mesh mask during a global pandemic, Lana Del Rey has always been a predictably unpredictable figure in popular music. She is known for her dream-like and nostalgic sounding music inspired by other famous musicians like Amy Winehouse and Lou Reed. Her most popular songs include “Summertime Sadness” and “Young and Beautiful,” but it seems that every month TikTok picks a new song of hers to trend.
Del Rey’s fans expect rather odd behavior from the singer, so when she announced her upcoming country-genre album in late January, it was no big surprise. “Lasso” is set to release around September of 2024, but knowing how reliable Del Rey is with album releases, no one can really know for sure. A lot of her music involves sounds and topics related to Americana and a more vintage feel, so her newest album will most likely be right up her alley in terms of subject and sonic composition.
Less of a surprise due to genre, but still anticipated, country music singer Kacey Musgraves teased and announced her latest album “Deeper Well” in early February. Also releasing a song of the same title with a paired music video, the industry was excited for the singer’s fifth studio album, especially since she has not released a full project since 2021. The album was released on March 15, a welcome introduction to this year’s uptick in country music from female artists.
Musgraves’ 2021 album “Star-Crossed” was disqualified from the country category at the 2022 Grammy’s for being too pop, so the question surrounding “Deeper Well” is whether it will be accepted by the country community as true to the genre, or will it be labelled as pop music, just like her previous projects? So far the album has been a hit, receiving positive feedback in terms of genre and is seen a shift toward country-folk-soft rock. While the album could be seen as a step for the singer back towards the country music genre, it is important to recognize the unique elements she continues to implement to differentiate her style as an artist. Either way, Musgraves is one of a small group of recent country music stars that are redefining the genre and attracting a new audience as well.
Three new albums from some of the world’s most talked about female musicians are taking the world by storm this year, making for an interesting discussion over who is qualified to produce certain genres, and if artists typically associated with non-country genres will get the same recognition as solely country stars. So, while you enjoy “Deeper Well,” mark your calendars for March 29 and sometime in September (depending on how manic Lana is feeling in a few months) for a revolutionary year of country music. Revolutionary is a term I use with hope, out of the hope I have that their music will not traumatize me in the way that Jason Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town” did.
