Current obsession: Beyoncé's Texas Hold 'Em. Based on the responses I've seen across social media platforms, I'm definitely not alone in this infatuation. Kyle Denis from Billboard praised Beyoncé's "impassioned vocal performance", as well as the "slick harmonies" and powerful instrumentation on the track while several critics have also praised the authentic way in which the song pays tribute to the legacy of country music.
She announced Act II of her three-part Renaissance project (which started with her critically acclaimed Renaissance album and subsequent tour) in a Super Bowl commercial and released two singles, Texas Hold 'Em and 16 Carriages, during the game, giving us a taste the country-themed album that will be released on 29 March. These songs have definitely whet my appetite for a new Beyoncé era and put the album on my radar (the last time I purchased a full album was I Am...Sasha Fierce).
Lana Del Ray is also set to venture into country having announced that her tenth album, titled Lasso, will be released this year: "We’re going country. It’s happening. That’s why Jack [Atonoff] has followed me to Muscle Shoals, Nashville, Mississippi, over the last four years.” And I for one could not be happier because I've been waiting for something fresh from Lana for the past four albums!
The release of Beyoncé's singles as well as Lana's upcoming country album also prompted me to revisit other instances when some of my favorite pop divas explored or integrated the country sound and aesthetic in their work. Traditional country fans might argue that the examples below are not "real" country but the genre is made up of so many different styles, from ballads to dance tunes, and instruments, from fiddles to electric guitars, that it's almost impossible to narrow it down to a single definition - nor should we be limited by arbitrary "rules" of what is and what is not country music.
* Just Like Jesse James [Single] - Cher (1989)
During one of her many Farewell Tours, Cher described this track as "the most country song" she's ever done. It definitely has a country feel, from it's title, which is a reference to legendary Wild West bandit Jesse James, to the opening lyrics: "You're struttin' into town like you're slingin' a gun". However, there is another country-tinged Cher track, I Walk Alone (from the album Closer To The Truth), which combines country and pop elements, placing the banjo alongside dance beats. It's one of my favorite "newer" Cher songs.
* 5-6-7-8 [Single] - Steps (1997)
It's dance-pop meets country-pop with a good dose of banjos and violins. It's also camp AF. Gary James from Entertainment Focus noted that the song "had us reaching for our lassos and thinking perhaps Rednex had returned with a Cotton Eyed Joe for 1997".
* Don't Tell Me [Single] - Madonna (2000)
This is a standout track from Music that has stood the test of time; I love the unique electronica meets folksy-country sound as well as her country-western look in the iconic video. She revisited the look in the Celebration Tour, wearing a comically oversized cowboy hat and having a fake shoot-out with Bob The Drag Queen, dressed as a rodeo clown, while images of horses running through a western landscape played on screens.
* Just A Fool [Single] - Christina Aguilera feat. Blake Shelton (2012)
Christina doing a country duet with Blake Shelton was very unexpected yet it's one of my favorite tracks on her Lotus album. Shelton's raspy voice blends well with Christina's strong vocals, creating a beautiful country breakup ballad.
* Joanne - Lady Gaga (2016)
The album has been described as a melting pot of dance-pop, soft rock and Americana with elements of country. While some fans gave it a luke-warm reception, I loved it from the first time I heard it (and Gaga's pink, wide-brimmed cowgirl on the cover) and it's still an album I listen to regularly. Three of my favorite tracks, A-Yo, John Wayne and Million Reasons, are ones that feature strong country elements and references.
* Golden - Kylie Minogue (2018)
No one was expecting a country album from pop diva Kylie Minogue but she really delivered on Golden. She recorded parts of the album in Nashville after being inspired by the city's culture and music and later described the finished product as "Dolly Parton standing on a dance floor" (aside: I would lose my mind if Dolly ever did a full dance album!). While the album isn't traditional country, it's influences are clear throughout. Indeed, Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine had the following to say: "While country signifiers abound, from foot-stomping to fiddling, the songs on Golden also smartly juxtapose contemporary pop elements like soaring synth hooks and pitched-up vocals".
* Lady Cowboy (Giddy Up Remix) [Single] - RuPaul (2024)
This is a remix of the track that appears on Ru's compilation album, Essential Vol. 3. Ru debuted the song on a recent episode of RuPaul's Drag Race, taking to the main stage in a gold cowgirl ensemble (complete with sparkling gold hat) while the scantily clad Pit Crew danced around her in matching cowboy outfits. It's a super fun and catchy track with plenty of country references, from the opening lines, "Like an outlaw bustin' through that door / Hands up, root, scootin' on the dancefloor" to the "giddy-ups" scattered throughout.
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