Beyoncé has already put a few noses out of joint by making the second instalment of her promised 'Renaissance' trilogy a country album, and with Cowboy Carter set to arrive tomorrow, March 29, it's been revealed that the track-list includes a Beatles cover, which is sure to cause more conversation among the professionally outraged.
It was already known that the pop superstar covered Dolly Parton's much-loved classic Jolene for the record, her follow-up to 2022's disco-flavoured Renaissance, but with the album having already 'dropped' in New Zealand and Australia, fans have discovered that the song listed as Blackbiird is in fact a cover of The Beatles' Blackbird, written by Paul McCartney for the band's self-titled 1968 album, aka the 'White Album'.
The album features guest spots from Ozzy Osbourne-approved rapper Post Malone, on Levii’s Jeans, and from Miley Cyrus on II Most Wanted.
Last month, Beyoncé became the first Black female artist to have a number one song on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart when her single Texas Hold 'Em claimed the top spot.
"I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart," she subsequently posted on social media. "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."
"This album has been over five years in the making," she added. "It 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."
