Beyoncé has revealed the inspiration behind her upcoming country album.
The music icon has revealed details of her forthcoming country album, Cowboy Carter, in a new Instagram post.
"Today marks the 10-day countdown until the release of act ii (Cowboy Carter). Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of TEXAS HOLD 'EM and 16 CARRIAGES," Beyoncé began, referring to her recently released tracks from the upcoming album. "I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart."
"That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you," she continued. "My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist's race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant."
The Crazy in Love hitmaker then went on to explain that Cowboy Carter was the result of a bad experience.
"This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed...and it was very clear that I wasn't," she wrote, seemingly referencing the criticism she received after her 2016 Country Music Association Awards performance. "But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive."
"The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me," Beyoncé added, "act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work."
The performer then teased that the album will contain "a few surprises" and that she has "collaborated with artists who I deeply respect".
The post comes shortly after Dolly Parton hinted that the singer had covered her hit song Jolene for the new album.
Beyoncé released two singles, Texas Hold 'Em and 16 Carriages, from the new album earlier this year. The full album, which is the second part of a three-part project, will be released on 29 March.
