Beyoncé’s highly anticipated new country album, Cowboy Carter, is inspiring shopping carts everywhere.
Since the release of the singles “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em” during Super Bowl LVIII and the official unveiling of the album title and artwork earlier this month, data obtained by Google Trends shows a major spike in search for western-inspired fashion, per a study conducted by Dalston Mill Fabrics and Journo Research.
The analysis found that a search for flared jeans is at an “all-time” high while denim vests are trending higher than they have in five years by 105 percent globally. Fans are also interested in double-denim looks, women’s cowboy boots and Beyoncé’s fashion evolution.
On the Cowboy Carter cover, Beyoncé is seen on the back of a white horse, dressed in a patriotic red, white and blue latex ensemble complete with chaps and high-heeled boots from the brand Paris Texas. She accessorized with a wide-brimmed cowboy hat as her platinum blonde hair cascaded behind her. She topped off the look by holding up the American flag.
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Though Beyoncé has favored cowboy hats throughout her career — a nod to her Texas roots — the topper has recently become her signature as she teased her current western era.
She famously rocked the western hat at the Grammys on February 4 and on the cover art for “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em.” She sent a Valentine’s Day message on February 14 in a black cowboy hat teamed with a black naked dress. At her 2024 Oscars Gold Party, she paired her black suit with a coordinating cowboy hat and dark sunglasses.
Of course, Beyoncé’s latest project is deeper than accessories. In her official album announcement post on March 19, the singer opened up about the inspiration behind Cowboy Carter.
“Today marks the 10-day countdown until the release of act ii. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES. I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart,” she wrote via Instagram. “That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. 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.”
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She explained that Cowboy Carter has been “five years in the making” and was “born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed.”
“It was very clear that I wasn’t,” Beyoncé continued. “But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.”
She continued, “The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”
Beyoncé added that Cowboy Carter is a continuation of her 2022 project, Renaissance, and she hopes the tunes will be an “experience” for fans. (Like Cowboy Carter, Renaissance inspired fans to channel their inner disco and don sparkly, metallic creation as the record is a celebration of the house genre.)
“This ain’t a Country album,” she concluded. “This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”
Cowboy Carter is now streaming on all music platforms.
