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Beyoncé with husband Jay-Z at the Grammy Awards: cowboy hat as a harbinger
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Kevin Mazur/The Recording Academy/Getty Images
When Beyoncé Knowles sat in the audience at the Grammy Awards a week ago and congratulated her husband Jay-Z on an honorary award, her outfit was surprising: she was wearing a huge cowboy hat. Now it is clear: it was a sign.
In a commercial during the TV broadcast of the Super Bowl in the USA, pop star Beyoncé, 42, announced a new album. In the commercial for a telecommunications provider, Beyoncé jokes around with comedian Tony Hale about how she could get everyone's attention on the Internet - Beyoncé AI? Presidential candidacy? Travel to space? After various suggestions, the singer finally says: "Bring out the music."
The reference to “Act II” and the date “29” appeared on their website at the same time. March". Music from two new songs was also released there, the titles of which "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages" immediately made fans speculate about whether it could be a country album.
A first listen to the two songs supports the impression: Country guitars are part of the sound structure in both titles. However, R&B and soul fans won't be scared off either. The songwriting team for both songs includes Raphael Saadiq, an R&B veteran who once started his career with the group Tony! Tony! Tone! began and wrote successful songs for Erykah Badu and D'Angelo.
"Texas Hold 'Em" is a faster country & western stomper, "This ain't Texas / Ain't no hold 'em / So lay your cards down down down," sings Beyoncé with a southern accent. “16 Carriages,” on the other hand, is a ballad. “I miss my kids / Overworked and overwhelmed,” complains the singer.
Beyoncé, who was in the audience during the Super Bowl at the stadium in Las Vegas, is one of the most successful musicians in the world, having sold tens of millions of records. In 2022 she released the album “Renaissance” – which will now have a successor with “Act II”.
Feb/dpa/AP