Beyoncé is in her country music era. The global icon shocked the world – yet again – with a surprise drop of her two new singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.”
Both songs will appear on the Houston native’s new album, Act II, out March 29 via Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records.
“Texas Hold ‘Em” is a foot-stomping, party-ready tune guaranteed to have anyone doing their finest two-step on the dance floor.
With lyrics like, “It’s a real-life boogie and a real-life hoedown / Don’t be a b**ch, come take it to the floor now,” it’s quite clear that Bey wants listeners to shake away the stresses of everyday life.
Beyoncé co-produced “Texas Hold ‘Em” with Killah B and Nathan Ferraro. It features additional instrumentation by Rhiannon Giddens (banjo, viola), Raphael Saadiq (drums, organ, piano, bass), Khirye Tyler (piano, bass), Lowell Boland (piano), Killah B (drums), and Ferraro (bass, piano).
“Texas Hold ‘Em” was co-written by Beyoncé, Saadiq, Ferraro, Boland, Brian Bates and Megan Bülow.
“16 Carriages” is the more personal song of the two. Here, Beyoncé sings about her journey in music that dates back to her childhood and the sacrifices she’s had to make while pursuing her dream.
“It’s been umpteen summers, and I’m not in my bed / On the back of the bus and a bunk with the band / Goin’ so hard, gotta choose myself / Undеrpaid and overwhelmed / I might cook, clеan, but still won’t fold,” she sings.
In the second pre-chorus, Beyoncé sings, “It’s been thirty-eight summers, and I’m not in my bed,” which hints at the possibility that she wrote this song around 2019 when she was 38 years old.
What is certain, though, Bey co-produced the diaristic track with Atia “INK” Boggs and Dave Hamelin, who also co-wrote it with her along with Saadiq.
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“Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” arrive with an accompanying visualizer, which can be watched below.
As noted previously, the two tracks will appear on Beyoncé’s Act II, the second installment of her trilogy series and the follow-up to Act I: Renaissance.
Beyoncé released Renaissance on July 28, 2022. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 332,000 equivalent units.
Renaissance won Best Dance/Electronic Music Album at the 65th Grammy Awards in 2023. Beyoncé made history as the first Black woman to win a Grammy in that category, which first launched in 2005.
At the same Grammy ceremony, she took home trophies for the following Renaissance tracks: “Cuff It” (Best R&B Song), “Plastic Off The Sofa” (Best Traditional R&B Performance) and “Break My Soul” (Best Dance/Electronic Recording). The latter song, certified platinum by the RIAA, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August 2022.
Regarding Renaissance, Beyoncé stated: “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. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration.”
Circling back to Act II, the project was officially announced following Beyoncé’s Verizon commercial that aired during Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday (Feb. 11). The commercial itself hinted that new tunes were on the way. “Okay, they ready. Drop the new music,” Beyoncé said at the end of the clip.
While there aren’t many confirmed details about Act II, it’s likely that the project will see Beyoncé taking a deeper dive into country music. It certainly wouldn’t be her first venture into this genre either.
Her genre-blending sixth album, Lemonade (2016), included her fan-favorite country bop “Daddy Lessons.” She performed the song at the 50th CMA Awards with legendary country band The Chicks, who appeared on the remix.
Stream “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” by Beyoncé below.
