In retrospect, the signs were already there that Beyoncé’s Renaissance project might have a country music element – indeed, they were signalled in a most Beyoncéan manner. She rode a horse, albeit one covered in mirrored glass and suspended in mid-air above a stadium audience; she wore a cowboy hat, albeit one covered in mirrored glass and paired with similarly styled lingerie. At last week’s Grammys she wore a Stetson and a cowboy-inspired suit, albeit one custom designed for Louis Vuitton by Pharrell Williams.
And sure enough, two very enjoyable new songs suggest the “second act” of Renaissance – a new album due on 29 March – looks set to lean towards country, with its tropes doubly rhinestoned by Beyoncé’s glamour, poise and anti-ironic feeling.
