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Beyoncé Shows Her Country Music Cards With ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ and ’16 Carriages’: Song Review
Two tracks from Beyoncé's (presumed) country album, 'Renaissance Act II,' offer a tantalizing preview of what could be a beautifully radical project.
The dispersion of talent in the known listings just tells us that she didn’t pull up to Music Row and see if Dave Cobb was available, or anyone else who might count as a usual suspect in maneuvering a crossover move. “Texas” has a kind of four-on-the-floor country stomp to it; once the banjo opening gives way to a serious beat, it’s easy to imagine a line-dance taking place: “It’s a real-life boogie and a real-life hoedown / Don’t be a bitch, come take it to the floor now.” Come the song’s coda, Bey readily concedes that there’s a fashion aspect to this (as you can tell from the dozen-plus shots already populating her website): “Spurs, spurs, boots / Photogenic, photogenic, shoot,” she sings at the close. At the outset, it sounds a hell of a lot more like a Joni Mitchell number than a Shania tune, to say the least, and even when the twin steels kick in, they’re low-key and sweet, not thrown in as easy C&W signifiers.
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