Artists Fans Wanted To See On Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter”
Beyoncé is finally about to release her long-awaited eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, and fans have already begun digging through the tracklist to choose their favorite sonic expressions. The album touts a staggering 26 tracks, with features such as Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Willie Nelson, and several rising Black country stars. Still, a few notable performers are missing, who would surely have pleased fans far and wide. Since Cowboy Carter was announced, the BeyHive has been in a frenzy to debate and discover which of their favorite artists are on the genre-blending project. Here are a few artists who are absent from the album that fans would surely have enjoyed.
This one is a bit of a long shot, but if anyone knows about crossing pop-rap and country tunes together in one harmonious swing, it’s Lil Nas X. The 24-year-old rapper has made no secret of his love for Beyoncé and a crossover event between the pair would have made for a perfect viral event. Lil Nas recently tweeted, “Beyoncé finna make me put my cowboy hat back on,” following the announcement of Cowboy Carter, prompting some fans to presume the pair had been in the studio together cooking up country-style jams. Unfortunately, it seems that Lil Nas X made this statement just from a fan perspective. Still, if there were an artist to demonstrate the value of a remix, it would be Lil Nas X, so fans can still hold out hope that the “Old Town Road” rapper will appear on a Beyoncé track eventually.
Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion are two iconic contemporaries who represent the finest artistry that Houston has to offer. The pair previously collaborated on Meg’s “Savage” remix, with Beyoncé specifically bringing some country flare to the rap record in lyrics like “I say left cheek, right cheek, drop it low, then swang / Texas up in this thang / Put you up on this game / Ivy Park on my frame, gang gang gang gang.” The pair have reunited on stage as recently as September 2023 to perform the chart-topping remix together, leading fans to hope they had been in the studio working on more new tunes for Cowboy Carter.
3. Taylor Swift
While Taylor Swift has moved away from her country roots in recent years, the global superstar is still beloved by many country listeners. Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are two of the world’s most massive artists, each touting an incredible catalog and a base of ravenous, dedicated fans. While the pair may be too busy to combine their star power, it certainly would have been a massive moment for Taylor Swift to appear on Cowboy Carter. Unfortunately, it looks like the Swifties and the BeyHive will be battling it out for who has the bigger and better album this year instead of joining forces to celebrate the biggest cross-genre collab in recent memory.
While Jay-Z is not particularly known for producing hits within the country genre, fans would definitely have appreciated a feature on Cowboy Carter. The hip hop icon has been with Beyoncé for over 20 years, spanning a long history of chart-topping collaborations on records such as “Crazy In Love,” “03′ Bonnie & Clyde,” “Lift Off,” and “Family Feud.” Despite Jay-Z not laying vocals on the new album, his fingerprints are likely all over the project behind the scenes. After all, the album does advertise the 54-year-old’s namesake right in its title.
1. Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar seemed like an easy choice to drop a feature verse on Cowboy Carter, especially after the PGLang rapper has repeatedly referenced the Compton Cowboys and dubbed himself Cowboy Kenny in recent tracks such as “The Hillbillies” with Baby Keem. Kendrick has also recently taken to rocking cowboy boots and cowboy hats in music videos and concert stops, making him an ideal candidate for crossing over into the country genre. Furthermore, Kendrick recently collaborated with Beyoncé on her 2023 record “America Has A Problem (Remix).” The track serves as the third collaboration between the pair and sees Kendrick referring to himself as an honorary member of the BeyHive.
[Via]