If “Becky with the Good Hair” thought she had a close shave on Beyoncé’s explosive 2016 album Lemonade, she might want to run for cover.
The American superstar has used her new country record, Cowboy Carter, to dig her spurs into the mystery woman, who she first took aim at in track Sorry, when she wrote about the rumours of cheating in her marriage to Jay-Z — again.
And in a classy touch, Beyoncé — who has just had a huge hit with No1 single Texas Hold ’Em — pulled in country music legend Dolly Parton, far right below, to help her do the dirty.
Appearing during an interlude on the 27-track record, out today, Dolly references lyrics from her 1973 hit Jolene and says: “You know that hussy with the good hair you sing about? Reminding me of someone I knew back when.
“Except she has flaming locks of auburn hair.”
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With Dolly’s permission, Beyoncé has also reimagined Jolene to great effect, adding — no offence, Dolly — some much-needed fire and fury to the lyrics.
While Dolly’s version painted her as being pretty wet, Beyoncé’s is fierce, with her snarling: “I know I’m a queen, Jolene. I’m still a Creole banjee bitch from Louisiana — don’t try me.”
Appearing to reference her 16-year marriage to Jay, Beyoncé also changes the lyrics and sings: “The games you’re playing, nothing new, I know you don’t want no heat with me, Jolene.
“We been deep in love for twenty years. I raised them man, I raised his kids. And I know my man, better than he knows himself.”
Beyoncé, below with Jay-Z, also pulled in big-gun collaborators in Miley Cyrus, Willie Nelson and Post Malone for Cowboy Carter, and covered Blackbird by The Beatles to beautiful effect.
The record is steeped in country, but smacks of Beyoncé at her best, with her searingly honest lyrics cutting through on tracks such as II Hands II Heaven, Alligator Tears, II Most Wanted, which features Miley, and Bodyguard, which nods to Jay once again.
On the latter, Beyoncé appears to try to shut down the cheating rumours for good, singing: “I’ll defend you in the gossip.
“You know how people like to start s**t. I don’t like the way she’s looking at you. Somebody better hold me back.
“Turning tear for a double and talking, I’m about to lose it, turn around and John Wayne now.”
In Spaghetti, Bey also fires out a warning, singing: “They call me the captain, the catwalk assassin.
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Thе games you’re playing, nothing new, I know you don’t want no heat with me, Jolene
Beyoncé
“Would name on that’s snapping, then here come the yapping.
“All of the snitching, and all of this bitching.
“Just a fishing expedition, dumb ambition in the kitchen. C**ty, country, petty, petty, petty.
"All the same to me, Plain Jane, spaghetti.”
As well as her marriage, Beyoncé hints at her sizzling sex life with Jay — sorry Becky! — in Desert Eagle and her Post Malone collaboration Levi’s Jeans, and opens up about her relationship with her dad Mathew Knowles in Daughter.
The album, like most of Beyoncé’s recent records, will, of course, divide opinion.
But most importantly, thanks to the unyielding power of her music and influence, Cowboy Carter will see Queen Bey retake the genre for the African American community who made country music what it is today.
Tracks such as Ya Ya — which references The Beach Boys’ 1966 hit Good Vibrations — and Sweet Honey Buckin’ speak volumes.
Despite holding the record for the most-ever Grammy wins with 32 gongs, Beyoncé has never clinched Album of the Year — a fact called out by Jay-Z at last month’s ceremony when he picked up the Global Impact Award.
And the point is hammered home by Bey on Sweet Honey Buckin’, with her singing: “A-O-T-Y, I ain’t win, I ain’t stung by them, turn that s**t on the chin.”
If that didn’t make it clear enough, Cowboy Carter’s opening song, American Requiem, ought to do the trick.
Opening up about her struggle to be heard and recognised, Beyoncé sings: “They used to say I spoke, ‘too country’.
“Then 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?
“Tread my bare feet on solid ground for years.
“They don’t know how hard I had to fight for this.”
Trust me, Beyoncé. They do now.
