When Beyoncé announced that her next album would be country-themed, the reaction amongst fans and casual observers has been relatively mixed.
Some welcome the pop icon's creative swerve, while others are baffled why she'd bother with country, after the reaction she received while performing with the (Dixie) Chicks at the Country Music Awards
It seems that that same backlash only spurred Beyoncé on, and 'Cowboy Carter', as she explained in a recent post, "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. But, because of that experience, I 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."
It's also set to throw up a few surprises, as the tracklist announcement revealed yesterday.
Following speculation that she would cover Dolly Parton's iconic song 'Jolene' - which was mooted by Parton herself earlier this month - the tracklist reveal suggests that we will indeed hear her take on the 1973 classic.
There's also an unexpected collaboration with country legend Willie Nelson in the mix, too.
The good news is that there's just one day to wait to hear the whole album, as it's released tomorrow, March 29th.
