The Non-controversy of Beyonce's Country Album

Some musical thoughts on a Friday.

An Introduction

I sat down to listen to a few cuts from Beyonce’s country album this morning. I wanted to know what all the hubbub was about.. Plus, I like music.

I started with the big hit, Texas Hold ‘Em.

It’s catchy as hell!!! Seriously! and pretty hot music video too!

Lyrically… eh… it’s pop with country-esque words and good acoustic instrumentation. I don’t find the lyrics that interesting. More on this below.

Here’s the video.

I then saw that she had covered Dolly Parton’s, Jolene. She modified the lyrics with a more defiant stance. Cool… It sounds good and lyrically I consider it better than Texas Hold ‘Em.

Here’s the video.

I then noticed that she had a duet with Miley Cyrus. Miley is close with Dolly and also covered Jolene but plays more in the pop/rock space these days… I think her song, Flowers is great! I keep thinking I’ll cover it.

The Beyonce/Miley collab is titled, II Most Wanted. It is lyrically more interesting, and a better overall song - and better country song - than the first two, in my opinion.

Here’s the video.

The worst/weirdest take:

John Schneider from The Dukes of Hazard had this to say… (emphasis in bold is mine)

The lefties in the entertainment industry just won’t leave any area alone, right? They just have to seize control over every aspect, don’t they?

They’ve got to make their mark, just like a dog in a dog walk park. You know, every dog has to mark every tree, right? So that’s what’s going on here.

But people coming into country music — because I know a little something about country music — they seem to think that it’s easy or it’s simple, or, somehow, it’s not as sophisticated as the music they sing otherwise.

To be honest, I know NOTHING about Mr. Schneider but this quote doesn’t play well and certainly doesn’t put him in a very favorable light.

First, there is no musical analysis happening here. If he wants to be a music critic, fine, but critique that thing. Oddly, he goes on to say that artists who move from country to pop or rock is fine but coming from “outside” into country… no you dint!!!

It’s the ultimate, “Don’t move into my neighborhood” trope imaginable.

Second, I’m not sure why his opinion is relevant. I’m not diminishing his right to speak his mind and I don’t believe I’ve ever heard one of his songs. But, his self-proclaimed, “I know something…” comment may or may not be true. It makes it hard to take him seriously when, rather than focus on the music or production, he begins his salvo using the term, “lefties”.

The rest of that phrase speaks to the bizarre paranoia that is today’s conservative politics. It may be flavored with a heaping spoonful of the evangelical church’s, “we are under attack for our faith” refrain. Whatever the source, it is an oddly revealing comment.

He then decries “them” - the lefties - as urinating on every tree. He says this unironically as he pees on your leg. Again… weird.

He isn’t bothered by someone coming into country, per se, just that they don’t share his political views. I suspect if Ted Nugent wrote a country song about toting guns in your tailgate, Schneider would be all-in! Again… he doesn’t seem to be, by appearance, a senile old-man shaking his fist at those “damned kids on the lawn” but he sounds like one.

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By the way, my opinion isn’t relevant either. When it comes to popular music, the opinion that matters is the listener’s. And, in that context, the listeners have spoken. Beyonce is a number one charting country artist.

I’m offering an opinion as one perspective… not THE perspective… because we are all friends and we can share our opinions.

And should you have a different opinion, that’s cool!

Perspective with other “controversies.”

Steve Earle had his songs recorded by country artists while being ostracized by the country music establishment and community. Both his heroin addiction and politics didn’t play well in clean-cut Nashville, where you can drink yourself to death but shooting up and being anti-war is a deal killer.

He is one of the greatest songwriters - country or otherwise - of all times. That’s not my opinion… that is fact!!!

Garth Brooks was criticized for several songs.

We Shall Be Free
When we're free to love anyone we choose
When this world's big enough for all different views
When we all can worship from our own kind of pew
Then we shall be free

Them are fightin’ words…. you can’t love anyone you choose… ;-)

His cover of Aerosmith’s song, The Fever, was criticized for being too rock n’ roll.

My Take on Country Music

If I’m going to be bothered by anything in country music, the last several years with its rash of bro-country, beer-drinking, tailgate mentioning songs, with a pop trap beat and auto-tuned vocals, has been abysmal.

But even then, that’s what the people listening to country are buying. Fine!

Or horrific lyrics, like this from Rodney Atkins’ song, Watching You.

Driving through town just my boy and me
With a happy meal in his booster seat
Knowing that he couldn't have the toy
'Till his nuggets were gone

Green traffic light turned straight to red
I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath
His fries went a flying and his orange drink covered his lap
Well then my four year old said a four letter word
That started with "s" and I was concerned
So I said son now now where did you learn to talk like that

That should have elicited a controversy with it’s lazy and simple-minded wordplay. But, instead, it became a number one hit! Good for Mr. Atkins.

The premise of the song is great.. ie: we are living examples to our children. Fine.. good. But, those or, in my opinion, some of the dumbest lyrics I’ve ever read. Not to mention, he’s lying… the light didn’t turn from green straight to red. He just wasn’t paying attention. Anywho.

On the other hand, you have people like Zach Bryan, who many say, may SAVE country music.

His song, I Remember Everything, featuring with Kacey Musgraves, is… wow!

Rotgut whiskey's gonna ease my mind
Beach towel rests on the dryin' line
Do I remind you of your daddy in his '88 Ford?
Labrador hangin' out the passenger door

The sand from your hair is blowin' in my eyes
Blame it on the beach, grown men don't cry
Do you remember that beat down basement couch?
I'd sing you my love songs and you'd tell me about

How your mama ran off and pawned her ring
I remember, I remember everything

Country Music or… Music

The worst thing about anything resembling controversy - or the real controversy - is that we have buckets of genres that mean less and less… or should mean less.

I’ve been on a Dwight Yoakam kick of late. He hit the scene in Los Angeles, playing traditionally punk venues around Echo Park, with what became known as, Cowpunk.

Mostly, he was playing country honky-tonk music with an unabashed punk attitude.

He wore his hat low and his jeans tight! Mmm mmmm.. What’s not to like‽¹ Deb is less convinced… as of yet!!

To that end, congratulations to Beyonce for breaking the country charts and breaking John Schneider’s and a few other’s minds in the process.

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I have some music ready for next week and we’ve scouted an area for a video… ripping off a bit of what Dwight did in the above video.

Take care and thank you for joining me on this journey.

With Love and Gratitude,
Matthew Moran
March 29, 2024

1. That’s a post-publishing edit. I realized that I changed the line I originally wrote and had an exclamation mark where a question mark belongs. But, in reality, the questiomation mark… or interrobang is a better choice.