Grammy thoughts about Best Album
So I'm not a huge Beyoncé fan. I know Beyoncé's songs individually (Countdown, Love on Top, and Single Ladies), but I'm not the type to listen to her whole album. Cowboy Carter changed that. I think everyone was super perplexed that I’d never listened to Renaissance. Cowboy Carter was my first foray into Beyoncé’s music.
I was driving with my wife to my friend's house in New Haven from Boston, and I think it's the perfect length to listen to the whole album with no skips. The first time? I hated it. Then I listened to it again. Hated it less. Then again. And again. I enjoyed my time with Chappell Roan's The Rise and Fall of the Midwest Princess more, but there's something I like more about Beyoncé's album.
What I love about Cowboy Carter is knowing that it's this weird, over-bloated mess. Beyoncé's adaptation of "Jolene" is trash (We don’t want Jay-Z). Texas Hold 'Em is legitimately one of the stupidest songs I have ever heard (Catchy though!). But it’s such a weird, quirky album! Not true country, not true R&B. YA YA and Tyrant? Amazing. There are radio talk shows throughout. It genre-hops. There's a nice concert aria. Beyoncé makes funny sounds, and I love that. The transitions are just fun. The transition from II Hands II Haven to Tyrant is one of my absolute favorite musical moments.
It's this grand vision that I appreciate about it—so unabashedly flawed. It overstays its welcome, but man, doesn’t that best represent America? I was super shocked that some people were debating the Grammy win. I was super shocked that some people didn’t like the album!
But whatever, 2024 was a great year for music in general. Pop girlies ruling the world! Maybe this is a "I'm sorry" award for Beyonce for the Renaissance snub.
Oh yeah, 2024 was when I FINALLY listened to Renaissance.