Beyoncé Teased Her Country Era — Which She Announced at the 2024 Super Bowl — at Last Week's Grammys

The pop superstar announced her new country-inspired album 'Renaissance: Act II' and dropped two new tracks during Super Bowl LVIII

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 04: Beyonce supports Jay-Z as he accepts the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award during the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Beyoncé at the 2024 Grammys. Photo:

Kevin Mazur/Getty

Beyoncé may have officially announced her new country era at the 2024 Super Bowl, but it seems she actually subtly said, "Howdy," to it last week.

The pop icon, 42, unveiled her new album Renaissance: Act II during an ad that aired during Super Bowl LVIII and proceeded to drop two surprise tracks: the country-inspired songs "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages," on Sunday. The announcement comes exactly one week after her choice of outfit at the 2024 Grammys had some people wondering if her next album would have fans saying yee-haw.

Last Sunday at the 66th annual Grammy Awards at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena, the hitmaker stepped out to attend the awards ceremony where her husband JAY-Z was honored with the Dr. Dre global impact award — and she wore a head-to-toe western-influenced look. The Grammy winner rocked a custom Louis Vuitton leather studded skirt suit designed by Pharrell, Wolford’s Nude 8 tights, jewelry by Cartier rings and a Stetson cowboy hat.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 04: Beyoncé supports Jay-Z as he accepts the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award during the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Beyoncé at the 2024 Grammy Awards.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

While the superstar wears a cowboy hat on the cover of her hit 2022 disco-and-house-inspired album Renaissance, many fans speculated that her commitment to cowboycore at the Grammys indicated she was going to be releasing more country-inflected music in the future.

The BeyHive's theory was confirmed on Sunday when she announced she was dropping new music, and promptly shared a teaser on social media, after her Verizon Super Bowl spot aired live during the game. The "Break My Soul" singer's post announced Act II of her album Renaissance is set for release on March 29 and offered a feel for her forthcoming country era.

Shortly after the album announcement, Beyoncé even treated fans to new music with the release of singles "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages," further illustrating her new country sound. Both tracks feature rustic, roots-heavy beats.

She leans into the giddy-up aesthetic on the single artwork for each track: "Texas Hold 'Em" shows the star wearing a metallic breastplate, along with a black cowboy hat, large earrings and a black belt completed with a strategically-placed heart-shaped pendant, and "16 Carriages" finds her in a black and white shot wearing a black cowboy hair with her hair styled in a wavy bob.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The new songs aren't the "Break My Soul" singer's first rodeo in the genre: She famously hails from Houston, Texas and released the track "Daddy Lessons" on her acclaimed 2016 album Lemonade.

Beyonce and Jay Z at the 2024 Super Bowl
Beyoncé and JAY-Z at the 2024 Super Bowl.

CBS

Renaissace: Act II comes nearly a year and a half after Renaissance arrived in summer 2022, which prompted the acclaimed Renaissance World Tour and its on-screen feature film, Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé.

The pop star announced the project as she, JAY-Z, 54, and their daughters Blue Ivy, 12, and Rumi, 6, attended Super Bowl LVIII together. The musicians (who also share son, Sir, 6) were photographed enjoying the game from the stands at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium.

The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers faced off in Super Bowl LVIII, which aired live on CBS and saw the Chiefs taking home the win.

Related Articles