Everything We Know About Beyoncé’s Upcoming Album, Act II

After the 66th annual Grammy Awards on February 4, the internet began buzzing with suspicions of Beyoncé’s next album, before it was even announced. So, how did this hot topic become a part of the conversation? Fans are convinced that her next record will be a country album, and they have the receipts to prove it.

Beyoncé finally sounded the alarm for new music (like she did for her hair care line), but there aren’t too many details just yet. Ahead is everything we know so far.

On February 11, Beyoncé announced her new album.

Beyoncé had a Verizon commercial play during Super Bowl LVIII, and it seemed like she was teasing new music. She ended the ad with “Okay, they ready. Drop the music.”

Then, she confirmed the news with an Instagram Reel announcing her new album, Act II, which drops on March 29. And yes, it’s country.

She also announced two new songs, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” and “16 CARRIAGES.”

On March 12, she clarified the title: Cowboy Carter.

Then on March 29, she released the cover art and her purpose behind the album.

With the release of Cowboy Carter just around the corner, Beyoncé released the official album cover on her Instagram, writing a lengthy, sentimental note to her fans in the caption. In the photo, she carried an American flag while sitting on a galloping white horse. She wore a classic red, white, and blue western jumpsuit, complete with a white cowboy hat.

“Today marks the 10-day countdown until the release of act ii. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES. I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart,” she began. “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. 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,” she continued. “But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive.”

Beyoncé also opened up about judgement and negativity that she received as a Black woman in the country music world, and how that inspired her record.

“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work,” she explained.

The singer then revealed some exciting insight about the album: “I have a few surprises on the album, and have collaborated with some brilliant artists who I deeply respect.I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound.”

“I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE…I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop,” she added. “This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”

There are rumors that Taylor Swift could be a featured artist, but…

On February 13, TMZ posted an interview with Killah B, who produced and co-wrote “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” and their conversation left fans speculating that Beyoncé and Taylor could collaborate on Act II.

“Y’all just gonna have to wait and see,” Killah teased. “Let’s just sat [Beyoncé is] on the approach of shocking the world. I’ll let your imagination decide what that means.”

However, a source revealed to Entertainmemt Weekly that there won’t be any songs featuring Swift on the album.

Beyoncé’s cover of ‘Jolene’ might be on the album.

On March 11, Knox News reported that Dolly Parton worked with Beyoncé for Act II. Ever since Queen Bey announced her western album, fans were excited about the possibility of her collaborating with the iconic country singer.

“Well, I think she has!” Parton revealed. “I think she’s recorded ‘Jolene,’ and I think it’s probably gonna be on her country album, which I’m very excited about that.”

“We’ve kind of sent messages back and forth through the years. And she and her mother were like fans, and I was always touched that they were fans, and I always thought she was great,” the ‘9-5’ singer explained.

“I love her!” she said of Beyoncé. “She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.”

It could be part of a trilogy.

When Beyoncé announced her 2022 album Renaissance, she began referring to it as “Act I” on her website and social media.

“This three act project was recorded over three years during the pandemic,” she shared in a letter on her website. “A time to be still, but also a time I found to be the most creative. Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world. It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving.”

Would the next album be the second act in the trilogy? Or was she referring to something else altogether? Only time will tell.

Fans have a theory that her new album will be country.

Rumors that Act II of Beyonce’s trilogy project is going to be a country album really sparked after she attended the 2024 Grammys, but the possibility of a western work has been in fans’ peripheral for a multitude of reasons.

Just a few hours after she announced Renaissance, “a source familiar with the project” told Variety that the album would “feature both dance and country-leaning tracks,” or that the Western-style music would get its own album. Then, in a since-deleted tweet, a pop culture reporter for The New York Times wrote, “I’ll just tell you what I’ve heard about the other 2 acts of Beyonce’s 3-part Renaissance project (2nd act is an acoustic album, 3rd act is a collaboration with Jay-Z).” Nobody on Beyoncé’s team confirmed or denied the claims.

On top of that, Beyoncé isn’t exactly a stranger to country music. The track “Daddy Lessons” off of her 2016 Lemonade has some major Southern twang (despite the Grammys rejecting it for consideration for an award in the country category). She even performed the song at the Country Music Association Awards with The Chicks.

The internet also took Beyoncé’s 2021 Adidas collection as evidence. Her fourth collaboration, called “Ivy Park Rodeo” is inspired by “the Black Cowboy experience.” The promotional video is about as country as it gets.

Beyoncé has been known to give us a good Easter egg, like in 2014 when she teased her song “7/11” with some paparazzi photos of her sipping on a Slurpee. Or in 2021, when she told Harper’s Bazaar “I feel a renaissance emerging” when asked if fans could expect new music. When it comes to Beyoncé, sometimes you have to read between the lines, so the internet took her Grammys outfit as a hint that she’s about to release country music.

The singer wore a white cowboy hat with her custom studded leather jacket and skirt set from Louis Vuitton by Pharrell Williams.

Kevin Mazur//Getty Images

While the Houston-born singer has been dressing in Western-wear since her Destiny’s Child days, and she sported different styles of cowboy hats during her Renaissance era, fans took her attire as a sign.

Theo Wargo//Getty Images

Beyoncé has always paid tribute to her Southern roots, so a country album somewhere down the line only makes sense.