All Of The Drama Surrounding Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, Explained

Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" album may have been well-received by her loyal BeyHive, but that doesn't mean the project was released without its share of drama. For starters, the entire concept of the album was inspired by an unfavorable incident that she endured years ago. In a lengthy Instagram post ahead of "Cowboy Carter's" March 29 release, "It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed...and it was very clear that I wasn't."

While she didn't identify what happened, many have attributed this to the backlash she faced from country fans after performing with The Chicks at the Country Music Association Awards in 2016. She was subjected to racist attacks after the show, which became so profound that the CMAs removed the performance from its website. "Cowboy Carter" brought together several stars, such as Post Malone, Miley Cyrus, Willie Nelson, and even Dolly Parton. However, not everyone was pleased with Beyoncé covering one of the "I Will Always Love You" singer's most notable songs.

In the days leading up to "Cowboy Carter," which is a continuation of Beyoncé's "Renaissance" album, Dolly Parton hinted at her famed 1973 record, "Jolene," being on the album. Speaking with Knoxville News Sentinel in an interview published March 11, Parton shared, "I think she's recorded 'Jolene,' and I think it's probably gonna be on her country album, which I'm very excited about that." The record is Parton's most covered song, which shares a tale of a woman trying to steal Parton's husband, so it came as no surprise that the cover landed on the tracklist.

Some people online slammed Beyoncé, accusing her of spoiling the classic. One wrote, "There was no need to ruin 'Jolene' @Beyonce." Another declared, "The fact Beyonce has covered Dolly Parton's Jolene makes me so mad it's so bad." In contrast, Parton was proud of Beyoncé's rendition, writing in a playful Instagram post, "Wow, I just heard Jolene. Beyonce is giving that girl some trouble, and she deserves it!"

Fans also gave Beyoncé a hard time over the differences between the physical copies of "Cowboy Carter" and the digital release. Many buyers pointed out that the vinyl version didn't contain five songs that appeared on streaming platforms. The songs that were missing were "Flamenco," "Oh Louisiana," "The Linda Martell Show," "Spaghetti," and "Ya Ya." Some have speculated that this was due to the singer changing her album at the last minute, though this has not yet been confirmed.

The backlash became so profound that some fans even requested a refund. Per Beyoncé's website, all sales are final. Therefore, it doesn't appear that those who purchased physical albums will get their money back and must be forced to live without the songs. Despite the drama surrounding "Cowboy Carter," the album sold 500,000 copies, becoming eligible for RIAA gold certification. This signals another win for Beyoncé, who has made a stunning transformation over the years.