As it makes its way overseas this month for its European run, Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit” is shaping up to be the blockbuster cultural phenomenon of the summer. During the first leg of its United States dates (including three nights at Soldier Field here in Chicago), it has scored a number of accolades, including the highest-grossing reported single-venue engagement ever for a female artist. Along with its larger-than-life spectacle and performance, the tour is also a fascinating cultural presentation of country music’s African American roots. If you missed the Chicago run, there is still time to catch the second half of the U.S. tour in July—and it’s well worth a road trip to see its dazzling visuals and thought-provoking messaging in person.
Much like the groundbreaking Cowboy Carter album, the tour boldly challenges the confining aspects of genre and the notion that Black artists have no significant place in country music. In an Instagram post describing the inspiration for the project, Beyoncé recalls the heavy criticism she received for venturing into the country genre. “Because of that experience,” she writes, “I did a deeper dive into the history of country music and studied our rich musical archive.” The Cowboy Carter tour brings this deep dive to life with a masterfully presented array of forms that have shaped country music—including blues, gospel, Irish step dance, bluegrass, flamenco, yodeling, and opera.
The show’s powerful opening arrangement of “American Requiem,” “Blackbird,” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” sets the stage for Cowboy Carter’s message of transcending the limitations of genre. From the moment she takes the stage, Beyoncé immediately voices her resistance to critics’ efforts to exclude her from country music in the lyrics of “American Requiem” (“they used to say I spoke too country and then the rejection came, they said I wasn’t country enough”), while the giant video display behind her flashes the message: “Never Ask Permission For Something That Already Belongs To You.”
As the show proceeds, Beyoncé honors Black country music pioneer Linda Martell, the first Black woman to perform at the storied Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The show also includes references to Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, James Brown, and Little Richard—major contributors to multiple genres of American popular music who never fully received the mainstream recognition they deserved. The influence of these artists on Cowboy Carter reverberates in her stage performances of “Oh Louisiana,” “Ya Ya (Why Don’t You Love Me),” “Just For Fun,” and “Flamenco.”
American folk and blues icon Lead Belly’s rendition of the work song “Looka Looka Yonder” serves as a prelude for “Alligator Tears,” signaling country music’s deep African American labor song and blues roots. Marian Anderson’s operatic “Deep River” plays behind the western burlesque segment, foreshadowing Beyoncé’s own impressive operatic vocalizations in “Daughter.”
The show’s visual presentation also includes intriguing bits of hidden African American history. The western film interlude includes The Horse in Motion, the 1878 clip known as the first motion picture, which features Black jockey G. Domm riding a horse. The tour’s “Chitlin’ Circuit” tagline is a historical reference to the nationwide network of venues that supported Black artists when segregation barred them from performing in spaces reserved for white artists. There are also multiple images of the Statue of Liberty, including a giant onstage bust of her with braids—perhaps a reference to the statue’s hidden history of being originally envisioned as a symbol of anti-slavery.
For Beyoncé superfans, her setlist inclusion of classics like “Bills, Bills, Bills,” “Crazy in Love,” “Single Ladies,” “Formation,” “Irreplaceable,” and “Love On Top” is sure to delight. There is also a reprise of the Renaissance album that ties Cowboy Carter back into the larger ethos of Beyoncé’s introspective look at her nearly thirty-year career. Her touching tributes to her family—and cameos from daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi—are also notable moments that reveal the everyday relatability behind the musical icon.
For the deep thinkers, Beyoncé’s attention to historical and cultural detail on this tour raises important questions around how we define genre and the complicated politics of who gets to sing what types of music (and who gets recognition for their contributions). Her skillful and sometimes humorous presentation of the cowboy archetype is a brilliant study in the way African American artists have long resisted their marginalization by leveraging the very images used to exclude them.
To appreciate the full context of Cowboy Carter’s historical and cultural references, Ken Burns’ 2019 Country Music documentary provides great background on African American contributions to the country genre. Francesca Royster’s Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions and Alice Randall’s My Black Country also offer solid frameworks for understanding the racial marginalization that Cowboy Carter disrupts.
If you’re looking for a concert experience to track down on a road trip this summer, Cowboy Carter is a worthy contender. Taking in the fervor of her superfans against her extraordinary visual aesthetics recalls the iconic tour performances of her own musical heroes, Michael Jackson and Prince (who are also honored during one of her retrospective interludes). In years to come, this era of Beyoncé’s creative output will likely be considered some of the most culturally influential music of our time. With its empowering messaging and captivating performances, the Cowboy Carter tour is a must-see for superfans and general music enthusiasts alike.