LU-MRRL Lecture Series: Beyonce, Cowboy Carter, and the Racial Politics of Music Genre

In celebration of both Black and Women's History months, this talk by assistant professor Dr. Mick B. Brewer will examine the recent winner for the 2025 Grammy Album of the Year, 2024's "Cowboy Carter," and its creator, recently named by Billboard as the Greatest Pop Star of the 21st century. A huge critical and commercial success, "Cowboy Carter" is Ms. Knowles' interpretation of the country music genre and the first by a Black person to win the Grammy for Best Country Album. The album has predictably faced backlash, most notably by those who consider themselves the "true" fans of the genre and, ultimately, its rightful gatekeepers. Brewer will discuss various elements that have made both the album and the artist cultural touchpoints, what the album's reception means for the future of the medium, and perhaps what it tells us about ourselves.