More than a year after its release, "Cowboy Carter" is still sparking conversations and upending perceptions about genre, authenticity and who gets to claim country music as their own. The album's gumbo of sounds rattled radio programmers,

In a stadium of strangers dressed in fabulous fringe, denim, boots, cowboy hats and other adornments in keeping with the Cowboy Carter aesthetic, I rediscovered something that I had long misplaced: Ebullient joy.

US singer Beyonce accepts the Best Country Album award for “Cowboy Carter” on stage during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)