Beyonce goes country

[waichingliu81]

Thursday November 22, 2007 10:20 AM)

Pop superstar Beyonce is set to shock her hardened fans - with a country and western-inspired album.

The Crazy In Love hitmaker has reportedly enlisted the help of award winning singer/songwriter Amanda Ghost - the creative force behind James Blunt hit You're Beautiful - for the project.

According to sources, the singer opted for a new musical direction after singing a country version of her hit Irreplaceable at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles last weekend.

A source tells British newspaper The Sun, "Beyonce wants to try something completely different. She's a fan of country music and thought that would be an interesting and exciting way to go. She contacted Amanda early this week and she is going over to work with her on it."

http://uk.news.launch.yahoo.com/dyna/article.html?a=/22112007/364/beyonce-country.html&e=l_news_dm

[Dean Winchester]

I don't know how this is going to go over, but it's nice to see a huge diva in her prime take such a risk. You see people like Celine and Mariah who refuse to tamper with tried and true formulas and it gets boring after so long. I doubt I'd play a country cd anywhere as much as I played B. Day, but it shows she has some diversity and versatility.

[waichingliu81]

I don't know how this is going to go over, but it's nice to see a huge diva in her prime take such a risk. You see people like Celine and Mariah who refuse to tamper with tried and true formulas and it gets boring after so long. I doubt I'd play a country cd anywhere as much as I played B. Day, but it shows she has some diversity and versatility.

i think she will do quite well actually. you're right, it is quite a risk to take, but as we all know beyonce is a southern belle herself, as she was born in houston, texas, and i think that in particular might help her. and unlike many black r'n'b artists, she is willing to experiment and try different things, as opposed to doing the same type of music because otherwise, people will lose interest.

beyonce's great anyway, both musically as an artist and a person :)

[Dean Winchester]

i think she will do quite well actually. you're right, it is quite a risk to take, but as we all know beyonce is a southern belle herself, as she was born in houston, texas, and i think that in particular might help her. and unlike many black r'n'b artists, she is willing to experiment and try different things, as opposed to doing the same type of music because otherwise, people will lose interest.

beyonce's great anyway, both musically as an artist and a person :)
yea, I think in the long run this would look great on her resume because she's trying to do something different for once. You have no idea how much I would love Mariah to do a Jermaine Dupri-free album with some dance-pop and less r&b midtempo songs, but she would never do that because she is afraid to branch out of her niche. I think this is a reason why Madonna has lasted as long as she has, because no matter what, put her music at any five year interval and she's a totally different artist. She did the folk thing with American Life, she did the dance diva thing with Confessions On A Dance Floor, and yet her next cd is going to be the most r&b she's been since the 80's. Goldfrapp's new cd (which leaked even tho it's not supposed to be out until Feb) is the same way, instead of doing a Supernature II, they went and did a mellow folk type album. Yea, fans will be alienated but at least they refuse to be stuck in a rut making the same album over and over again. That is also a huge reason I prefer Prince to Michael Jackson.

[waichingliu81]

yea, I think in the long run this would look great on her resume because she's trying to do something different for once. You have no idea how much I would love Mariah to do a Jermaine Dupri-free album with some dance-pop and less r&b midtempo songs, but she would never do that because she is afraid to branch out of her niche. I think this is a reason why Madonna has lasted as long as she has, because no matter what, put her music at any five year interval and she's a totally different artist. She did the folk thing with American Life, she did the dance diva thing with Confessions On A Dance Floor, and yet her next cd is going to be the most r&b she's been since the 80's. Goldfrapp's new cd (which leaked even tho it's not supposed to be out until Feb) is the same way, instead of doing a Supernature II, they went and did a mellow folk type album. Yea, fans will be alienated but at least they refuse to be stuck in a rut making the same album over and over again. That is also a huge reason I prefer Prince to Michael Jackson.

generally, the secret to longevity when it comes to any successful artist or performer is diversity and also reinvention. madonna is a prime example of a singer who over the years, has produced music that is different from the last record she released. as for prince, his music is a fusion of rock, pop, funk and soul is a hit and which is why he is considered by many as a musical and lyrical genius. one other incentive is that unlike jacko, he can play an instrument

[waichingliu81]

beyonce and the scissor sisters- now that is ONE collaboration i'd like to see in the near future!:)

[catlover79]

Say WHAT??!!

[Cactus Jack]

beyonce and the scissor sisters- now that is ONE collaboration i'd like to see in the near future!:)
LOL WTF?

[Dean Winchester]

I dunno if Beyonce is willing to embrace her camp side enough to work with Scissor Sisters to be honest. She's not Kylie or Dolly

[PlayOn]

lol. Country is pretty much all I listen to so I may get this album a listen. But a pop/r&b star doing a country record, I don't know. I'll have to listen to the 1st single and hope they make a video for it. Any idea if it will street in '08?

[Dean Winchester]

well, seems like country stars make pop songs all the time (Shania, Faith, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood all have songs that really are mostly pop sounding), it was only a matter of time someone who isn't country did a country song.

[PlayOn]

well, seems like country stars make pop songs all the time (Shania, Faith, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood all have songs that really are mostly pop sounding), it was only a matter of time someone who isn't country did a country song.

Good point.

[platinumblondelife]

Yeah right... I thought Timbaland was doing her album.

[waichingliu81]

Say WHAT??!!

i actually think it would work, providing the song is really good and jake shears is a excellent lyricist anyway

[waichingliu81]

I dunno if Beyonce is willing to embrace her camp side enough to work with Scissor Sisters to be honest. She's not Kylie or Dolly

let's face it, she is a pop singer, just as much as an 'r'n'b one and the appeal she is receiving on the mainstream pop scene is huge. ok, she is not kylie, nor dolly, but then again neither is she gloria gaynor, who is famous for 'i will survive' and yet she is well known, in spite of the colour of her skin because of that song. but i am certain that beyonce will not flop and she does have that crossover appeal. she has done pop, gospel and r'n'b, so why not dance, country etc

[waichingliu81]

well, seems like country stars make pop songs all the time (Shania, Faith, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood all have songs that really are mostly pop sounding), it was only a matter of time someone who isn't country did a country song.

exactly. if country music stars can make and produce pop and dance records, then so can r'n' b, pop artists, providing the record is really good and it has the potential to become a big hit

[Dean Winchester]

let's face it, she is a pop singer, just as much as an 'r'n'b one and the appeal she is receiving on the mainstream pop scene is huge. ok, she is not kylie, nor dolly, but then again neither is she gloria gaynor, who is famous for 'i will survive' and yet she is well known, in spite of the colour of her skin because of that song. but i am certain that beyonce will not flop and she does have that crossover appeal. she has done pop, gospel and r'n'b, so why not dance, country etc
well, in America, there is a greater divide among urban and dance artists, and it's kind of sad to be honest. In America, dance music is generally stereotyped as "gay man's music" (even tho I guess I admit I eat into the stereotype, but I love a lot of it) and a lot of urban artists are afraid of becoming "gay icons" because they're also trying to appeal to the hip hop crowd, and US hip hop is generally very homophobic. You can tell this when Jay-Z released dance mixes of one of his songs in Europe, but you would never ever see him release such a thing in America. Jay-Z would suffer a backlash. Missy has gotten away with doing dance mixes because she's female and it's generally stereotyped and accepted that female artists are going to have gay fans.

I miss the 80's and early 90's when black artists and dance music went hand and hand, even a lot of the early rappers had their songs extended and remixed into more dancable tracks. But then after the early 90's, the divide has become great. People like Beyonce, Mariah, Mary J, etc... have no problem having their songs remixed into dance tracks, but they would never dare release a non-remixes style dance album out of fear of alienating the hip hop crowd which would rather bump to "Shake It Off" than "Hung Up". Even when Rihanna did "S.O.S.", a lot of urban radio stations turned their back on that song because it catered to the dance/pop market instead of the non-dance BS that Dupri does (I hate him for the way he attacked Madonna for doing a dance record, at least she did a CD that her core fanbase wanted to hear) and considers to be club music.

[waichingliu81]

speaking of successful black artists and making music catering particular audiences, another example is donna summer. she was a hit with the gay clubs as well as with white mainstream music fans and yet its because her records are so catchy and have that crossover appeal, that it has lived on for a long time and to this day still does.

and so with people like donna summer, tina turner aka so-called black singers, they were living proof that they can crack any market and be able to cater to that particular market. beyonce can repeat that feat with country music

[waichingliu81]

well, in America, there is a greater divide among urban and dance artists, and it's kind of sad to be honest. In America, dance music is generally stereotyped as "gay man's music" (even tho I guess I admit I eat into the stereotype, but I love a lot of it) and a lot of urban artists are afraid of becoming "gay icons" because they're also trying to appeal to the hip hop crowd, and US hip hop is generally very homophobic. You can tell this when Jay-Z released dance mixes of one of his songs in Europe, but you would never ever see him release such a thing in America. Jay-Z would suffer a backlash. Missy has gotten away with doing dance mixes because she's female and it's generally stereotyped and accepted that female artists are going to have gay fans.

I miss the 80's and early 90's when black artists and dance music went hand and hand, even a lot of the early rappers had their songs extended and remixed into more dancable tracks. But then after the early 90's, the divide has become great. People like Beyonce, Mariah, Mary J, etc... have no problem having their songs remixed into dance tracks, but they would never dare release a non-remixes style dance album out of fear of alienating the hip hop crowd which would rather bump to "Shake It Off" than "Hung Up". Even when Rihanna did "S.O.S.", a lot of urban radio stations turned their back on that song because it catered to the dance/pop market instead of the non-dance BS that Dupri does (I hate him for the way he attacked Madonna for doing a dance record, at least she did a CD that her core fanbase wanted to hear) and considers to be club music.

oh that's really sad to hear:( . dance music is massive here still in uk, but understand that in the States it is associated with gay men, thus prompting so many stereotypes of gay men dancing to so-called dance music as well as acts such as the village people for eg. as for hip hop, i've heard all stories that the majority of its lyrics are very homophobic and derogatory towards women in general. music is music- it doesn't matter if you're black, white, asian, straight, gay, bi, young, old- who the **** cares because it shouldn't really.

[SBTB Geek]

well, in America, there is a greater divide among urban and dance artists, and it's kind of sad to be honest. In America, dance music is generally stereotyped as "gay man's music" (even tho I guess I admit I eat into the stereotype, but I love a lot of it) and a lot of urban artists are afraid of becoming "gay icons" because they're also trying to appeal to the hip hop crowd, and US hip hop is generally very homophobic. You can tell this when Jay-Z released dance mixes of one of his songs in Europe, but you would never ever see him release such a thing in America. Jay-Z would suffer a backlash. Missy has gotten away with doing dance mixes because she's female and it's generally stereotyped and accepted that female artists are going to have gay fans.

I miss the 80's and early 90's when black artists and dance music went hand and hand, even a lot of the early rappers had their songs extended and remixed into more dancable tracks. But then after the early 90's, the divide has become great. People like Beyonce, Mariah, Mary J, etc... have no problem having their songs remixed into dance tracks, but they would never dare release a non-remixes style dance album out of fear of alienating the hip hop crowd which would rather bump to "Shake It Off" than "Hung Up". Even when Rihanna did "S.O.S.", a lot of urban radio stations turned their back on that song because it catered to the dance/pop market instead of the non-dance BS that Dupri does (I hate him for the way he attacked Madonna for doing a dance record, at least she did a CD that her core fanbase wanted to hear) and considers to be club music.


But why would urban radio play "S.O.S"? That song is PURE pop, and so was Rihanna at that time. In fact, I don't think it was ever sent to R&B/Hip-Hop stations, that just wouldn't make sense.

Anyhow... I agree... "Hung Up" > "Shake It Off" or any of Mariah's recent work. Confessions on a Dance Floor is such an underrated album.

[Dean Winchester]

But why would urban radio play "S.O.S"? That song is PURE pop, and so was Rihanna at that time. In fact, I don't think it was ever sent to R&B/Hip-Hop stations, that just wouldn't make sense.

Anyhow... I agree... "Hung Up" > "Shake It Off" or any of Mariah's recent work. Confessions on a Dance Floor is such an underrated album.
well, urban radio used to not be so anti-pop/anti-white sounding. Janet still made the top 10 on that chart back in the early 90's with "Black Cat", a total rock song. It seemed like once everything went gangsta in the early 90's, r&b/hip hop stations started being far more resistant to anything that sounds "white", when in the 80's they had no problem spinning Hall and Oates, Madonna and George Michael songs that had a bit of a funky beat. Yet today even Justin is very hit and miss on urban radio because urban stations were afraid "SexyBack" sounded too dance and "Summer Love" sounded too pop. If Top 40 stations were as bigoted at this point in time as urban stations are, there'd be an outrage. Imagine Top 40 radio boycotting Justin because My Love sounded "too urban", it's a load of bull IMO. If George Michael's Faith was cut out for urban radio 20 years ago, why not play Maroon 5 on urban stations today?

[MonarC]

This could be just a rumor. I think it would be cool to see Beyonce as a country star. She would break some records and some hearts. :lol:

[waichingliu81]

This could be just a rumor. I think it would be cool to see Beyonce as a country star. She would break some records and some hearts. :lol:

perhaps so. but if it happens, i'm sure she's going to do well