Beyoncé’s introduction to the country music world is a complete genre change for the artist and her fans. However, it is far from a bad album.
The album starts off with “AMERIICAN REQUIEM.” This song is a perfect introduction to the album. It has some rough patches, like the pre-chorus, but overall this song sets the mood for the album phenomenally.
The next notable song is “BLACKBIIRD,” which has an excellent pacing. Although the song’s lyrics are repetitive, the delivery from Beyoncé is so excellent that the lyrics can be forgiven. The features by Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts and Tanner Adell also add compliments to the song, as they crushed it with their respective verses.
“16 CARRIAGES” is a well-delivered solo by Beyoncé. She delivers with her vocals that compliment the song well. Hands down “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” is undisputedly the best song on the album. The pacing, chorus and vocals work together in harmony. The song has a country club vibe to it. It is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for country for a reason.
“II MOST WANTED” is the best song with a feature on the album. Miley Cyrus has already established herself in country music, so this was no sweat for her. She and Beyoncé did surprisingly well together, definitely one of the top three songs on the album. “LEVII’S JEANS” is a well-delivered feature too. Beyoncé does well with her verse. Post Malone unexpectedly doesn’t do as well as he could, but his verse nonetheless is tolerable.
“AMEN” closes out the album with a short, but sweet banger. Like “BLACKBIIRD,” the lyrics can be repetitive, yet it’s a good song nonetheless.
This album has plenty of good tracks such as “16 Carriages” and “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” but the album is massively overloaded. It has 27 songs in 79 minutes and also has too many interludes which disrupt the momentum of it. If Beyoncé chooses to venture into the country music scene, she can definitely do without them. Though, she certainly has the talent and skill to find her place and potential to be a big star in the country music scene. With everything said, this album deserves an 8 out of 10.
