Only covered by a sash and with a cigar in her hand: This is how R’n’B star Beyoncé appears in a photo for her new country album.
Superstar Beyoncé (42) is always good for a surprise. After announcing that her new album “Cowboy Carter” is a country album, she’s now upping the ante visually. Because while the R’n’B singer recently had herself photographed as a rodeo queen for her latest work, she appears virtually naked in a second photo that has now been published. Only a blue, white and red sash with a very special inscription covers her flawless body. She holds a cigar in her hand. She receives more than just praise from some fans and a colleague.
Erikah Badu’s photo review: “Say something Jay”
In her latest photo pose, Beyoncé resembles the American Statue of Liberty. Difference: Her left hand is filled with her left breast instead of the American Declaration of Independence. In her right hand, instead of a torch, she carries a lit cigar, which could also be interpreted as a joint. In addition, Beyoncé’s head is not crowned by seven rays, but by a pony decorated with colorful beads. A look that fellow singer Erykah Badu (53) claims for herself. Badu also sharply criticizes the statement behind Beyoncé’s nude photo. She contacted Beyoncé’s husband Jay-Z (54) via X (formerly Twitter) and asked him to comment: “Say somthin Jay,” she writes.
“act ii” – after a house detour, now a country excursion
Fans around the world aren’t just wondering what Beyoncé wants to express with her nude pose. They are also surprised by the print on her sash: “act ii BEYINCÉ” is written there. “act ii” is explained by Beyoncé’s foray into other music genres outside of her traditional R’n’B realm. After an album in house style, the mother of three, who grew up in Texas, is now making a detour into the country world with “Cowboy Carter”. So far, like everything the multi-talented singer has touched, it has been extremely successful. The two singles released so far, “Texas Hold’Em” and “16 Carriages,” sold brilliantly. With “Texas Hold’Em” she was the first black woman to reach number one on the country charts.
Why “BEYINCÉ”?
Some fans think it’s a misprint: “BEYINCÉ” is emblazoned large on the sash, which alone covers Beyoncé’s otherwise naked body. Beyoncé and Instagram fans clarify: It is the maiden name of her mother, the singer Celestine Beyoncé Knowles-Lawson (70), better known as Tina Knowles. Her mother originally had the last name Beyincé. Beyoncé denounces that her mother is one of several family members whose last name was misprinted on her birth certificate.
Breaking further boundaries with the country album
Not the only faux pas: According to Beyoncé, the reason for a country album was, in addition to her love for the music of her home state, another, more negative one. She delved deeper into the history of country music through an experience in which she felt “unwelcome.” Fans speculate that this is from her 2016 CMA Awards performance with country music giants The Chicks. At the time, white country fans were up in arms against Beyoncé’s performance.
There was even discussion about removing her performance from the event’s recording. But Beyoncé is now turning her nose at critics thanks to her mega-success in the country genre: “The criticism I was confronted with when I first entered this genre forced me to overcome the boundaries. I hope that in “In a few years, mention of an artist’s race will be irrelevant in the context of releasing music genres,” said the singer.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
