Cowboy Carter is better than most have anticipated for Beyonce’s first country album. 

With the first single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” being made fun of on the internet, expectations were not high for the rest of the record. Even though the single is not the greatest, the rest of the tracks are much better. 

Beyonce’s covers of “Blackbird,” originally by the Beatles, and “Joelene,” originally by Dolly Parton, are great surprises. “Blackbird” is especially relevant, as the song was written as an ode to women involved in the civil rights movement. 

“16 Carriages” is another upbeat song that could have been a better first single to get listeners more excited about this release. 

Although the record includes many good tracks with major featured artists, such as Parton and Miley Cyrus, the album is entirely too long. Twenty-seven songs for a total of 1 hour and 18 minutes is longer than most albums and longer than most listeners’ attention spans. 

Even though Cowboy Carter had a rough start, most songs match the expectations Beyonce has previously set for herself.