Beyoncé is only ten days away from the release of her upcoming album, act ii: Cowboy Carter, and today she has both unveiled the album cover and issued a statement explaining what made her record a country music album.
Mirroring the cover for Renaissance, the artwork for act ii finds Bey once again on a horse (a real one this time), decked out in red, white and blue holding up a Star Spangled Banner.
On her official site as well as socials, the superstar posted a message acknowledging the breakthrough success she's had on the country charts.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of texas hold ‘em and 16 carriages," she writes. "I feel honored to be the first black woman with the number one single on the hot country songs chart. 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."
Beyoncé also pointed out that she had been working on the album for five years, and that it was born out of feeling as if she wasn't welcome in the world of country music.
"Because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archive," she says. "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."
Adding, "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 also teased that fans can expect "a few surprises" with some "brilliant artists," explaining that the album picks up where Renaissance left off.
"I focused on this album as a continuation of Renaissance… I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you canb close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop."
Signing off, she clarified that "this ain’t a country album, this is a 'Beyoncé' album."
act ii is out on March 29.
See the post below.