"Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter': A Controversial Country Transformation"

Beyoncé's new album "Cowboy Carter" confronts the rejection she faced in the country music genre, featuring a mix of country and pop-country tracks with appearances from genre elders and newcomers. The album reflects Beyoncé's frustration and defiance, but also shows moments of capitulation to seek institutional recognition. The project is haunted by the specters of rejection, with Beyoncé's bid to disprove them overshadowing her imagination. The album's cover art and narrative project an image of claiming cultural and national heritage, but the battle between Beyoncé and the ghosts feels like an afterthought.