I’m enjoying Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé’s new album more and more each day. And I love watching people discuss it on TikTok. Scholars and musicians are weighing in. There is so much to unpack, so much to learn, so many layers to unravel, but also there’s so much to enjoy!
One of the things I learned today was that the white horse Beyoncé rides on the album cover is named Chardonneigh and that it’s a special breed of horse – something that plays into the complex symbolism of the album. If you want to go on a deep dive google Operation Cowboy.
I painted this today while listening to the album. There’s so much I like about what Beyncé did, but you know what one of my favorite things is? Beyond the cultural significance and the meticulously constructed piece of art that is this album, there’s also the pure joy of an incredibly talented person having fun. Bey can do it all – rap, country, blues, classical even (in Italian, no less) – and she does do it all, because she can and because she’s enjoying it! I find that very empowering as a woman and a creative – to see a super accomplished female artist having fun with her tremendous skill set!
