GRAMMYs 2025: COWBOY CARTER, Beyoncé

Beyoncé is one of the biggest stars in the world, and she's mastered surprising the masses with her artistry for decades. Her latest album, country-influenced COWBOY CARTER, is a star-studded quest for freedom to embrace her roots and her future in one sweeping lasso. With COWBOY CARTER, Beyoncé proves that she's an artist full of grit, talent, and appreciation for self-expression in all forms, regardless of societal expectations and preconceived notions. With a whopping 27-song tracklist and features from Dolly Parton, Shaboozey, Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus, and Post Malone among others, Beyoncé's artistic integrity doesn't get lost but rather shines through as an extension of her personal integrity. COWBOY CARTER may be one of the most illustrious achievements of Beyoncé's ever-growing impact, and it proves she has one of the world's most powerful voices in every sense of the term.

Standout tracks: 'AMERIICAN REQUIEM' '16 CARRIAGES' 'DAUGHTER' 'YA YA'

My favorites: 'TEXAS HOLD 'EM' 'II MOST WANTED' 'TYRANT 'AMEN'

CREDIT: BEYONCÉ PRESS

Soaring with the most stunning and powerful of melodies, COWBOY CARTER begins with a near-religious experience in 'AMERIICAN REQUIEM.' Beyoncé commands attention to her voice like no other, and her "Can you stand me?/Can you stand for something?" is her call to arms. She also sets the scene for COWBOY CARTER's mission - to untie the ropes that have bound her until now: "They used to say I spoke too country/And the rejection came, said I wasn't country enough/Said I wouldn't saddle up, but/If that ain't country, tell me what is?"

COWBOY CARTER is quite simply a compilation of stories of the innate power of humankind, and beginning by returning to her roots brings Beyoncé to some of the most stunningly moving lyrical stories she's ever illustrated. Pre-released '16 CARRIAGES' is grounds for celebrating the struggle of ambition, particularly for women. Operatic, strings-led 'DAUGHTER' is bone-chillingly stunning, fleshing out the hurt of infidelity. 'SPAGHETTI' is jarringly rebellious, pointing fingers at criticisms regarding genre-hopping artists. Miley Cyrus duet 'II MOST WANTED' is a vocal sensation coupled with pared-back, exceptional bass-and-guitar instrumentation, illustrating the infatuation of falling in love young. And in classic Beyoncé fashion, she spins yeehaw in her own deliciously sensuous way on 'TYRANT.'

COWBOY CARTER also balances Beyoncé's own new compositions with her reinventions of country classics, including 'BLACKBIIRD' and 'JOLENE.' With monologues and interjections courtesy of country legends like Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton, COWBOY CARTER presents as patriotic towards country music itself. It's hard to touch classics like these, and 'JOLENE' may unfortunately be the point in the album where Beyoncé reaches just a little too far, trying to reinvent something that didn't need adjusting.

'SMOKE HOUR ★ WILLIE NELSON' transitions the project to the portion where it starts to get a taste of freedom. Foot-stompingly addictive 'TEXAS HOLD 'EM' leads the charge with groovy, seductive 'BODYGUARD' rising as the anthem for the sensation of peace in liberation. A nod to a more classic Beyoncé sonic, 'BODYGUARD' interlaces some of that country flavor in its lyrics: "Leave my lipstick on the cigarette/Just toss it, and you stomp it out, out/Inhalin' whiskey when you kiss my neck."

The epitome of COWBOY CARTER may just be entirely encapsulated in upbeat, flashy 'YA YA.' A R&B-pop hoedown, Beyoncé chants out zinger lyrics from "History can't be erased/Are you lookin' for a new America?/Are you tired, working time and a half for half the pay?" to "Baby, if you ain't got no grits, get the fuck up out the South/Life is comin' at me fast, keep my Bible on the dash/Pistol in my seat just in case I gotta blast/I just wanna shake my ass." You know what B? You tell 'em.

After over an hour of revolutionary music, COWBOY CARTER reaches its illustrious conclusion with 'AMEN.' Powerful and poignant, the closing track encompasses the achievement of the freedom that Beyoncé has so valiantly fought for across the record. Cowboys notoriously don't cry, but at the end of a work of art this profound, you may just find even the toughest wiping away a tear.

GRAMMY FOR ALBUM OF THE YEAR

COWBOY CARTER is undeniably one of the most impressive musical feats on the list of nominees for Album of Year. It's one of those albums that people will be talking about for decades to come. It offers a reinvention for an A-list artist in such a way that it's hard not to want to bow to her spur-studded feet. It's a celebration of music and humanity, interweaving Beyoncé's legacy with those of her inspirations. It's musically sensational across the board, from lyrics to instrumentals to vocals. Beyoncé holds the title of the most nominated artist in Grammys history, but the award notably missing from her collection of wins is Album of the Year. So it may be time for Beyoncé to check herself when she sang in 'SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN’, "A-O-T-Y, I ain't win." While she may be donning her cowboy hat rather than a crown, 2025 is looking like the year Beyoncé finally gets to take home the most coveted award in music.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: FULLY OBSESSED

GRAMMYs 2025: New Blue Sun, André 3000

Only once in a blue moon do we see a musical phenomenon like a 13-times-Platinum rapper becoming a Grammy nominee for an ambient album guided by minimalistic reed melodies. Actually, I'm not sure that musical phenomenon has ever happened ever in the history of music - with the exception of André 3000's debut, New Blue Sun. In the 16 years since Outkast’s groundbreaking hiatus, fans of André 3000 have eagerly awaited more than just his sporadic, jaw-dropping guest verses or a solo hit that channels the energy of Outkast's "Hey Ya!". But now, André has made a complete 180 from his past. He's embraced a free-spirited, nomadic existence resulting in his stunningly modern 87-minute breath-of-fresh-air debut.

CREDIT: @ANDRE300 ON INSTAGRAM

New Blue Sun isn't a project that can be consumed, understood, and appreciated in the same way as most other albums. It isn't composed to be "popular" or classic, but rather a beautiful listening adventure.

Despite its over-hour runtime, the album is composed of only eight tracks, averaging in length at about 11 minutes. Those tracks are an extension of the uninhibited atmosphere of the record with titles like "I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a 'Rap' Album but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time" and "That Night in Hawaii When I Turned into a Panther and Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn't Control ... Sh*t Was Wild." Each track is so long and explorative that they really don't present as individual songs, but rather as pieces to this ambient, meditative composition.

New Blue Sun is a simplistically enjoyable musical experience. It's a mental respite, balancing electronic, jazz, afro, and new age seamlessly. The tracks do all somewhat blend together, but that creates the immersiveness of the project as a whole. A huge part of the story of the conception of New Blue Sun is the flute, and André 3000 masterfully allows it to shine, as carefully selected reed melodies rise over the rest of the synthy, earthy sonic.

Perhaps best paired with an Erewhon smoothie and a hot-stone massage, New Blue Sun is a simplistically sunny sensation, full of the most pleasant of surprises from start to finish.

GRAMMY FOR ALBUM OF THE YEAR

This is not an album that is posed for winning the most coveted of music awards. But it is absolutely deserving of its nomination in this category as well as its nominations for Best Instrumental Composition and Alternative Jazz Album. New Blue Sun has an incredible story behind it that makes it a concept that would grab the attention of the Grammy committee. But it takes a little bit more than just a great back story and solid, good, inventive music to win Album of the Year, so hopefully it can take a win in either the Jazz or Instrumental categories.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: OBSESSED WITH SOME TRACKS

GRAMMYs 2025: Djesse Vol. 4, Jacob Collier

Over the last six years, 29-year-old music prodigy Jacob Collier has been navigating an audaciously sprawling endeavor: his Djesse project, released over four volumes of music. Each volume is a kaleidoscopic fragment of his vast musical psyche—Vol. 1 is orchestral, Vol. 2 flirts with folk, Vol. 3 dives into pop. And then there’s Grammy-nominated Vol. 4, which defies logic entirely. It’s a sonic vortex of 16 tracks that somehow juggles folk ballads, gleaming pop, doom metal, samba, rap, all interweaving the inclusion of the voices of 100,000 fans, recorded during his global tours. It’s everything, everywhere, all at once—it's utterly overwhelming, yet undoubtedly a record like any other.

CREDIT: @JACOBCOLLIER ON INSTAGRAM

Stand-out tracks: '100,000 Voices' 'Summer Rain (feat. Madison Cunningham & Chris Thile)' 'Bridge Over Troubled Water (feat. John Legend & Tori Kelly)'

My favorites: 'Little Blue (feat. Brandi Carlile)' 'Never Gonna Be Alone (feat. Lizzy McAlpine & John Mayer)'

Album opener '100,000 Voices' is quite simply a cinematic cacophony of music, interweaving elements upon elements of so many different musical genres. The result is undeniably impressive and unpredictable, yet almost overwhelming. The follow-up track, 'She Put Sunshine,' is immediately led into from the opener; '100,000 Voices' concludes its genre-somersaulting with near-metal instrumentation, which allows 'She Put Sunshine' to emerge as a breath of fresh air. But yet again, there’s so much going on production-wise that it's overwhelming to the ear and bogs down whatever story the piece is trying to convey.

While there are sonic choices that are meant to keep the listener engaged, questioning, and unsure of what's coming next, the greatest achievement of Djesse Vol. 4 is the way it celebrates music of all avenues. 'Little Blue (feat. Brandi Carlile)' is a rich, stunning acoustic piece, 'Wherever I Go (feat. Lawrence & Michael McDonald)' leans toward upbeat soul, while 'Summer Rain (feat. Madison Cunningham & Chris Thile)' is a soaring, ambient acoustic-alternative adventure. Somehow 'Rock Somewhere (feat. Anoushka Shankar & Varrijashree Venugopal)' creates a dance-pop sound rooted in lead instrumentals from a sitar and backed by Collier's richest vocals of the record. Romantic, groovy 'Never Gonna Be Alone (feat. Lizzy McAlpine & John Mayer)' is a glittering modern gem. 'Bridge Over Troubled Water (feat. John Legend & Tori Kelly)' is so powerful and harmonically entrancing it can be felt all the way down to the pit of your soul. And though it does stretch on for a bit longer than necessary, the album concludes with a poignant, hymnalistic conclusion in 'World O World,' which strikes even deeper knowing that the Djesse project that Collier has been pursuing for over half a decade has concluded.

Djesse Vol 4. is an undeniable celebration of music, old and new, crafted by an artist who knows no boundaries. The album is a music listener's playground, prompting complex digestion and processing of music on a level beyond most albums. But the album's strength is also its greatest weakness - both in the album overall, as well as in many of the tracks individually, there's just so much to hear that at times it borders on chaos. The album's purpose isn't to tell a story lyrically, invoke a sense of feeling understood by the listener, or master a genre. It's beautiful havoc that flexes a deep appreciation for music as a whole.

GRAMMY FOR ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Listening to Djesse Vol 4. is an experience in itself, which shows that Jacob Collier has created a true musical feat. Collier commits wholeheartedly to representing different artists, genres, production styles, and compositions. It's wildly ambitious but falls short of being more than just a sonic explosion of diversity. Jacob Collier's ambition and intention in creating Djesse Vol 4. make it a clear choice as a nominee for Album of the Year at the GRAMMYs. But does the album's grand ambition come at the expense of the individual track's quality? Probably. In its effort to create something universally impressive, it sacrifices some of the intimacy needed for a true modern masterpiece. Djesse Vol. 4 is a music critic's dream come which ultimately favors it as a formidable contender for Album of the Year, yet its lack of resonant personality (and an equally formidable pool of other nominees) makes it far from a clear winner.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: PROBABLY NOT LISTENING AGAIN