Beyoncé performs onstage at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sept. 1.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Beyonce is back with two new country tracks – Texas Hold ‘Em and 16 Carriages.
After a Verizon commercial starring Beyonce aired during the Super Bowl ended with the superstar saying, “They ready, drop the new music,” the question became – was she serious? Later, a cryptic Instagram video with country iconography appeared on her page, teasing Act II on March 29. (Beyonce’s 2022 album Renaissance is frequently referred to as Act I: Renaissance.)
At the end of the clip, a plucky acoustic guitar riff plays, and Bey’s unmistakable voice kicks in. She sings, “his ain’t Texas / Ain’t no hold ‘em / So lay your cards down down down,” in a Southern twang.
It appears on her official website as well. Under the “music” tab, two titles were listed – Texas Hold ‘Em and 16 Carriages, which later appeared as full songs on Tidal, YouTube and Spotify. The first is an uptempo country and western stomp. She sings in the earworm bridge: “And I’ll be damned if I cannot dance with you / Come pour some liquor on me honey, too / It’s a real-life boogie, and a real life hoedown / Don’t be a bitch, come take it to the floor now.”
The second, 16 Carriages is a soulful slow-burn with ascendent organs and steel guitar, Beyonce singing an ode to hard work and legacy. “I miss my kids / Overworked and overwhelmed,” she sings in the prechorus. “Still workin’ on my life, you know / Only God knows, only God knows.” A quick examination of the credits shows she may be working closely with Tony! Toni! Tone! ‘s Raphael Saadiq.
In a mostly fictional Verizon commercial that aired moments before the Instagram announcement, Beyonce tried several tactics to try to break the internet.
With former Veep star Tony Hale playing an adviser, she opens a lemonade stand, releases a saxophone album called Let’s Get Saxy, does her own version of the Barbie movie called “BarBey,” sells a cyborg version of herself, runs for “Beyonce of the United States,” and blasts off in a rocket to become the first woman in space.
After Hale tells her none of that worked, she says on the spaceship intercom, “OK, Bey ready: drop the new music.”
Beyonce was also shown soon on the telecast soon after at Allegiant Stadium watching the Super Bowl with husband Jay-Z.