Beyoncé Taps Into Her Texas Roots With Release Of Two New Tracks

Is pop icon Beyoncé entering her country era? The superstar dropped two new songs over the weekend that seem to suggest her upcoming project will delve deeper into her Texas roots than ever before.

“Texas Hold ‘Em”

The first track, titled “Texas Hold ‘Em,” opens with a run of banjo plucks before the renowned singer/songwriter lends silky vocals to the twangy dance track. She sings, “This ain’t Texas (Woo), ain’t no hold ’em (Hey)/ So lay your cards down, down, down, down.”

The single’s cover art blends Beyoncé glamorous style with the Western energy of the new tune as she’s captured rocking a metallic breastplate underneath a cropped black jacket, a black cowboy hat, and a black belt attached with a silver heart-shaped piece to cover her lower half. 

“16 Carriages”

Her second release to come from this weekend is “16 Carriages” – a powerful display of what it’s really like leaving home at a young age to pursue a musical dream. In the first verse, Beyoncé appears to reflect on her Destiny’s Child days when she was just 15 years old and forced to grow up quickly in order to keep up with the fast-paced lifestyle of the industry. 

“At fifteen, the innocence was gone astray/ Had to leave my home at an early age/ I saw Mama prayin’, I saw Daddy grind/ All my tender problems, had to leave behind.”

Beyoncé continues into the chorus with even more raw stories from the journey of her career as she sings, “Sixteen carriages drivin’ away while I watch them ride with my dreams away / To the summer sunset on a holy night / On a long back road, all the tears I find.”

Once again, the “16 Carriages” cover art pays tribute to the country style as it features a black and white photo of Beyoncé wearing a black cowboy hat and bedazzled western-style shirt. 

New Songs Debut After The Super Bowl

Both of these new tunes were co-penned by Beyoncé and dropped on Sunday (Feb. 11) immediately following her appearance in a Super Bowl ad with Verizon. The spot found her breaking the internet over and over again with a series of impressive firsts, such as running for president and being the first woman to perform from space, yet somehow, she still couldn’t manage to break the wireless carrier company’s powerful 5G network. At the very end of the clip, she offered one final attempt as she said, “drop the new music.” 

Shortly after, fans flocked to her website to see that it had updated to reveal her forthcoming new album, titled Act II, will be dropping on March 29. Act II is expected to be a country-themed follow-up to her Renaissance album, which dropped in 2022 as part one of what she revealed at the time to be a “three act project.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce)

The “Break My Soul” singer also caused a stir among fans in a new Instagram post that reveals the upcoming release date of her next project. She appears to give fans a glimpse into her new sound while driving around a desert area in a Taxi with a license plate that reads the title of her new song, “Texas Hold ‘Em.” A the end of the clip, she drives by a group of locals who are gazing at a large billboard that clearly stands out in the quiet town as it features a woman in a risqué ensemble with the same song title written above her.

Previously Collaborated With The Chicks

This isn’t the first time Beyoncé has dipped her toes in the country music realm. She previously exposed fans to a genre-bending sound through her 2016 album Lemonade, which included the song “Daddy Lessons” as well as a remix featuring The Chicks.

Additionally, she spawned conversations among fans when she stepped out to the 2024 GRAMMY Awards sporting a Western-style ensemble. Beyoncé donned a custom Louis Vuitton leather studded skirt suit designed by Pharrell Wolford’s Nude 8 tights and accessorized her look with Cartier rings and a Stetson cowboy hat. This cowboy-inspired look isn’t too out of the norm for “Queen Bey” as she also donned a variety of cowboy hats throughout her latest Renaissance World Tour. 

“Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” are available to stream now and mark the first taste of what’s to come from Beyoncé’s new album on March 29.