Beyond Country: All The Genres Beyoncé Explores On 'Cowboy Carter' | GRAMMY.com (2024)

"Genres are a funny little concept, aren't they? In theory, they have a simple definition that's easy to understand. But in practice, well, some may feel confined."

With those words, spoken on "SPAGHETTII" by Linda Martell — the first commercially successful Black female artist in country music and the first to play the Grand Ole Opry solo — Beyoncé provides a proxy response to her original call on Instagram 10 days before COWBOY CARTER was released: "This ain’t a Country album. This is a “Beyoncé” album."

She delivered on that promise with intent. Through a mix of homage and innovation, Beyoncé's latest is a 27-track testament to her boundless musicality and draws from a rich aural palette. In addition to its country leanings, COWBOY CARTER includes everything from the soulful depths of gospel to the intricate layers of opera.

Beyoncé's stance is clear: she's not here to fit into a box. From the heartfelt tribute in "BLACKBIIRD" to the genre-blurring tracks like "YA YA," Beyoncé uses her platform to elevate the conversation around genre, culture, and history. She doesn't claim country music; she illuminates its roots and wings, celebrating the Black artists who've shaped its essence.

The collective album proves no genre was created or remains in isolation. It's a concept stoked in the words of the opening track, "AMERIICAN REQUIEM" when Beyonce reflects, "Nothing really ends / For things to stay the same they have to change again." For country, and all popular genres of music to exist they have to evolve. No sound ever stays the same.

COWBOY CARTER's narrative arc, from "AMERICAN REQUIEM" to "AMEN," is a journey through American music's heart and soul, paying tribute to its origins while charting a path forward. This album isn't just an exploration of musical heritage; it's an act of freedom and a declaration of the multifaceted influence of Black culture on American pop culture.

Here's a closer look at some of some of the musical genres touched on in act ii, the second release of an anticipated trilogy by Beyoncé, the most GRAMMY-winning artist of all-time:

Country

Before COWBOY CARTER was even released, Beyoncé sparked critical discussion over the role of herself and all Black artists in country music. Yet COWBOY CARTER doesn't stake a claim on country music. Rather, it spotlights the genre through collaborations with legends and modern icons, while championing the message that country music, like all popular American music and culture, has always been built on the labor and love of Black lives.

It's a reckoning acknowledged not only by Beyoncé's personal connection to country music growing up in Texas, but the role Black artists have played in country music rooted in gospel, blues, and folk music.

Country legends, Dolly Parton ("DOLLY P", "JOLENE," and "TYRANT"), Willie Nelson ("SMOKE HOUR" and "SMOKE HOUR II"), and Martell ("SPAGHETTII and "THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW") serve mainly as spoken-word collaborators, becoming MCs for Queen Bey. Some of the most prolific country music legends receiving her in a space where she has been made to feel unwelcome in music (most notably with the racism surrounding her 2016 CMA performance of "Daddy Lessons" with the Dixie Chicks) provides a prolific release of industry levies. Martell, a woman who trod the dark country road before Bey, finally getting her much-deserved dues appears as an almost pre-ordained and poetic act of justice.

"BLACKBIIRD," a version of the Beatles' civil rights era song of encouragement and hope for the struggle of Black women is led softly by Beyoncé, backed by a quartet of Black female contemporary country songbirds: Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts.

Beyoncé holds space for others, using the power of her star to shine a light on those around her. These inclusions rebuke nay-sayers who quipped pre-release that she was stealing attention from other Black country artists. It also flies in the faces that shunned and discriminated against her, serving as an example of how to do better. The reality that Beyoncé wasn't stealing a spotlight, but building a stage for fellow artists, is a case study in how success for one begets success for others.

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Gospel, Blues, & Folk (American Roots)

As is Beyoncé's way, she mounts a case for country music with evidence to back up her testimony. She meanders a course through a sequence of styles that serve as the genre's foundation: gospel, blues, and folk music.

"AMERIICAN REQUIEM" and "AMEN" bookend the album with gospel-inspired lyrics and choir vocals. The opener sets up a reflective sermon buoyed by the sounds of a reverberating church organ, while the closer, with its introspective lyrics, pleads for mercy and redemption. The main verse on "AMEN", "This house was built with blood and bone/ The statues they made were beautiful/ But they were lies of stone," is complemented by a blend of piano, and choral harmonies.

Hymnal references are interlaced throughout the album, particularly in songs like "II HANDS II HEAVEN" and in the lyrical nuances on "JUST FOR FUN." In the later track, Beyoncé's voice soars with gratitude in a powerful delivery of the lines, "Time heals everything / I don't need anything / Hallelujah, I pray to her."

The gospel-inspired, blues-based "16 CARRIAGES" reflects the rich history of country songs borrowing from the blues while simultaneously calling back to songs sung by field laborers in the colonial American South. "Sixteen dollars, workin' all day/ Ain't got time to waste, I got art to make" serves as the exhausted plea of an artist working tirelessly long hours in dedication to a better life.

Rhiannon Giddens, a celebrated musician-scholar, two-time GRAMMY winner, and Pulitzer Prize recipient, infuses "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" with her profound understanding of American folk, country, and blues. She plays the viola and banjo, the latter tracing its origins to Sub-Saharan West Africa and the lutes of ancient Egypt. Through her skilled plucking and bending of the strings, Giddens bridges the rich musical heritage of Africa and the South with the soul of country, blues, and folk music.

Pop, Funk, Soul & Rock 'n' Roll

All in, Beyoncé is a pop star who is wrestling with labels placed on her 27-year career in COWBOY CARTER. Fittingly, she brings in two other pop artists known for swimming in the brackish water between country and pop, Miley Cyrus and Post Malone. Her intentional inclusion of two artists who have blurred genres without much cross-examination begs the question, Why should Beyoncé's sound be segregated to a different realm?

On "YA YA" Linda Martell returns as the listener's sonic sentinel, introducing the track like a lesson plan: "This particular tune stretches across a range of genres. And that’s what makes it a unique listening experience." The tune sinks into the strummed chords of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" before leaping into a fiery dance track that features reimagined lyrics from the Beach Boys, with soulful vocal flourishes and breaks that show the throughline connection between '60s era rock, funk, and pop music.

Robert Randolph lends his hands on "16 CARRIAGES" with a funk-infused grapple on his pedal-steel guitar. It's a style he honed through his early years touring and recording with his family band and later in his career as an in-demand collaborator working with names including the Allman Brothers, and Norah Jones.

The lesson is solidified as the album transitions into an interlude on "OH LOUISIANA," featuring a sped-up sample of a classic track by Chuck Berry. This moment emphasizes the pop superstar's nod to civil rights era music history, spotlighting a controversial artist celebrated for his pioneering contributions to rock 'n' roll. (It's a part of music history Beyoncé knows well, after starring as Etta James in the 2008 film Cadillac Records, a veiled biopic of the legendary Chicago label Chess Records.)

Classical & Opera

Opera was missing from many listeners' Beyoncé Bingo card, but didn't surprise those that know her background. Beyoncé was trained for over a decade starting at an early age by her voice teacher David Lee Brewer, a retired opera singer who once lived with the Knowles family.

COWBOY CARTER gives sing-along fans a 101 opera class with "DAUGHTER." In Italian, Beyoncé sings passages from the 1783 Italian opera "Caro Mio Ben," composed by Giuseppe Tommaso Giovanni Giordani. The aria is a classic piece of vocal training that fittingly shows off her full range — taking us back to the earliest days of her vocal teachings.

Hip-Hop & R&B

Midway through the album on "SPAGHETTII" Beyoncé announces, "I ain't no regular singer, now come get everythin' you came for," landing right where expectations have confined her: in the throes of a romping beat, experimenting with sounds that blend hip-hop with R&B and soul. The track notably highlights the talent of Nigerian American singer/rapper Shaboozey, who also shows up to the rodeo on "SWEET HONEY BUCKIN'" brandishing his unique mix of hip-hop, folk-pop, and country music.

Beyoncé worked with longtime collaborator Raphael Saadiq on this album, a career legend in the R&B industry, who lends his mark to several tracks on which he wrote, produced, and played multiple instruments. Beyoncé also utilizes the Louisiana songwriter Willie Jones on "JUST FOR FUN," an artist who draws on a contemporary blend of country, Southern rap, and R&B in the hymnal ballad.

The violin-heavy "TYRANT" and "SPAGHETTII" both underscore hip-hop's long love affair with the classical string instrument (See: Common's "Be," and Wu Tang Clan's "Reunited" as the tip of that particular iceberg) with a blend of soulful R&B lyrics paired with beat-based instrumentalization.

In a world quick to draw lines and label sounds, Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER stands as a vibrant mosaic of musical influence and innovation. Ultimately, Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER isn't seeking anyone's acceptance. As a Texan once told she didn't belong, her critical response claps back at this exclusion. It's also a reminder that in the hands of a true artist, music is limitless.

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With a strong will and brazen sense of humor, Miranda Lambert has always proudly represented her native Texas with her music. But the country star's tenth album might just be her most inspired by the Lonestar State yet — which is exactly why it's titled Postcards From Texas.

Recorded at Austin's famed Arlyn Recording Studios, Postcards is full of hard-driving honky-tonk sounds and references to home running through every lyric. Along with being Lambert's first album with Republic Records — her new label home after 20 years on Sony Music Nashville — Postcards also marks the singer/songwriter's first solo studio album recorded in Texas since her 2001 independent, self-titled debut. Similar to that album, Postcards is a record as Texan as they come, and marks a full-circle moment for the trailblazing artist.

"I just felt like finally, I'm home," Lambert told Variety earlier this year. "I feel like that on the label; I feel like that recording it in Texas. And this music really reflects what made me the artist that I am."

Postcards takes listeners on a road trip-like experience with songs referencing familiar Texas towns like Luckenbach ("Looking Back On Luckenbach") and San Antonio ("Alimony") along with more obscure places like (90 miles from) Pecos ("No Man's Land"). The "I've Been Everywhere" narrative is a combination of her previous two records — 2021's The Marfa Tapes and 2022's Palomino — that see her jamming around a campfire alongside frequent collaborators (and fellow Texans) Jack Ingram and Jon Randall one moment, and running down the highway coast to coast the next. Only on this trip, all roads lead to Texas.

Lambert's affinity for home comes at a time when the three-time GRAMMY winner is at peace in her life and career perhaps more than ever, thanks to her new label and marriage to former NYPD officer Brendan McLoughlin. In turn, Postcards From Texas is a testament to just how far she's come since trying to break through as a female country artist in Texas in the early 2000s ("The Texas scene wasn't a place for girls at all back then," she told NPR in 2019).

Despite any setbacks in her home state, Lambert moved to Nashville in 2003 following a third place finish on the now-defunct singing competition "Nashville Star," which helped her land a deal with Sony Music Nashville later that year. Even as an aspiring artist, she made it clear that nobody was going to tell her what to look like, sound like, or who to write with, swiftly turning her into a modern-day outlaw.

Her strong-willed nature culminated in a big way on her 2005 Sony debut, Kerosene. With Lambert co-writing all but one of the 12 tracks (and single-handedly penning five), the record introduced Lambert's fiery, no-BS persona through songs like the GRAMMY-nominated title track, "New Strings" and "Me And Charlie Talking." The moment marked a passing of the torch from the likes of Shania Twain and The Chicks — both of whom captivated fans in the '90s with their empowering anthems of womanhood — to Lambert, who began to gain a reputation by listeners and industry heads alike as a free spirit that wasn't to be messed with.

While 2007's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend doubled down on her unabashedly bold image (see "Gunpowder & Lead"), Kerosene's follow-up also hinted that Texas will always be on Lambert's heart. The earnest ballad "Famous In A Small Town" saw her reminiscing on what she left behind at home, a sentiment she revisits on "The House That Built Me," a tear-jerking ode to her childhood home from her third studio set, 2009's Revolution. The latter would go on to become her first No. 1 country hit and first GRAMMY-winning song, proving that she can be equally as impactful with vulnerability as she can with vengeance.

Lambert found a successful balance of both on her next two albums, 2011's Four The Record and 2014's Platinum, as well as her work with Pistol Annies, her trio with Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley launched in 2011. And while 2016's The Weight Of These Wings kicked off with the playful single "Vice," much of the two-disc album offered more poignant balladry as Lambert reflected on her very public divorce from Blake Shelton.

"Every record I've ever made has been a reflection of where I am right then in my life, however old I am," Lambert told Billboard in 2016. "And I've never held back at all. But this time with what I happened to be going through in my life, being honest was never really a choice. Everybody knew anyway. So I just said, I'm gonna journal it, and — good days and bad days — use it for my art."

One of the album's most affecting tunes is the two-time GRAMMY-nominated single "Tin Man," which also ended up being very fortuitous for Lambert thanks to co-writers Jack Ingram and Jon Randall. But before they became her right-hand men, she recruited another new collaborator for her seventh full-length album, 2019's Wildcard: Jay Joyce.

Joyce helped Lambert expand her sound into the rock and pop space more than ever before ("Mess With My Head," "Locomotive"), resulting in a fittingly more upbeat feel for the singer, who found love again with McLoughlin and married in 2019. As her first album without longtime producer Frank Liddell at the helm, it was also an indication that the singer/songwriter was ready to evolve. But Ingram and Randall were the Wildcard collaborators (both co-wrote "Tequila Does"; Randall was also a co-writer on "Pretty Bitchin'") who would ultimately serve as Lambert's guiding light for what was to come.

The trio's collaborative album, 2021's The Marfa Tapes, first brought Lambert back to her Texas roots, written and recorded together in the titular small West Texas town. Utilizing only two microphones and an acoustic guitar, the record was as raw and real as it gets, and took on a distinctly Texas flavor through songs like "Waxahachie," "Amazing Grace (West Texas)" and "Am I Right Or Amarillo" — the last of which features a town that would later pop up again on Postcards' lead track.

The next year, Lambert revisited three of The Marfa Tapes' songs on her eighth solo effort, Palomino ("In His Arms," "Geraldine," "Actin' Up"); the rest of the album's 15 tracks included narratives about living life on the road on your own terms, like "If I Was A Cowboy," which saw Lambert reclaiming her outlaw swagger.

The mix of The Marfa Tapes' acoustic ballads and Palomino's stories from the road coalesce into one on Postcards From Texas. Often pulling from her own journey, Lambert hones in on a Texas-sized sense of place — literally and figuratively — with stories about rogue hitchhikers running from the law ("Armadillo") and high-stakes divorce settlements ("Alimony"), as well as callouts to various cities and state landmarks along the way.

Meanwhile, other songs see the re-emergence of the hard-headed Lambert that fans first met with Kerosene and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Tracks like "Dammit Randy" — a co-write with Randall and McLoughlin — show her walking away from someone in disappointment who's no longer serving her, whereas the fiery "Wranglers" has her fully embracing her younger self, confirming that part of her is here to stay no matter what (because "Wranglers take forever to burn"). It's a side of Lambert that has ebbed and flowed over the course of her career, but throughout Postcards, it's evident that a return to Texas played a big part in reinvigorating her signature sass.

"The woman scorned thing kind of worked for me in my career, so going away from that for too long feels like something's missing in my records and missing in my set and missing in myself," Lambert admitted during a recent interview with TalkShopLive. "When I heard 'Wranglers' I was like 'Oh, there it is. She's back.' [Laughs]."

Collectively, Postcards sees Lambert arguably more inspired than she's ever been — happily in love, with a fresh start at a new label, and back in Texas where her story began. She's proud of where she's been and where she is now, and being back home solidified that.

"I've been making records now for 20 years, so it makes sense to go back to some of the emotions I felt as an artist and as a person through the years and put them in one place," Lambert asserted to TalkShopLive. "I think Postcards From Texas does that."

When Jimmy Buffett passed away on Sept. 1, 2023 at age 76, the decorated singer/songwriter, performer, author and entrepreneur left behind a legacy that unified a swath of musical genres and people.

The man behind "Margaritaville" — the song and later the brand — and so many other tunes that bridged folk sensibilities with country and rock touches, sometimes called "Gulf & Western," was much more than the beach-obsessed character he played in song. Although he had plenty of industry successes, notching 13 Billboard Hot 100 hits, a pair of GRAMMY Award nominations, while selling more than 20 million albums, his fans loved him for how he made them feel.

In song, he was a true storyteller that was clever, funny and introspective; in performances, he was the quintessential Parrothead to the core. As the ringleader of the party, he was generous enough to share the spotlight with members of his Coral Reefer Band as well as the fans who dressed up, tailgated outside the venues and spread their joy to others.

Both sides of Buffett were crucial building blocks in the business empire he built around his persona as the laid-back, casually philosophical beach bum. The Margaritaville restaurant and resort chains, his Landshark Lager beer and many other ventures made him a billionaire, while his storytelling prowess made him one of few authors to top both fiction and nonfiction bestsellers' lists. While his legacy may be both musical and merchandisable, the endearing qualities of the Parrothead personality he created is the real reward for his fans.

Below, remember Buffett's illustrious career through 15 classic songs — just a glimpse of his genius that made it okay for country singers to loosen up, for rockers to pick up an acoustic guitar, and for the Parrotheads to while away their days in the sun.

"Why Don't We Get Drunk," 'A White Sports Coat and a Pink Crustacean' (1973)

While Buffett's first two albums showed glimpses of the celebrated artist he would become, his songwriting largely hewed close to the earnest observations typical of early-seventies folkies. By his third album, though, he had grown into his winking style of satire and breezy, Nashville-meets-Key West flair.

This cut from A White Sports Coat and a Pink Crustacean combined both, and created the template for hundreds of bleary-eyed sing-alongs to follow. "The Great Filling Station Hold-Up" may have been the proper album single, but "Why Don't We Get Drunk," its controversial B-side, became the bigger tune — and the one featured on his seven-times Platinum compilation, Songs You Know By Heart.

"Come Monday," 'Living & Dying in ¾ Time' (1974)

As Buffett pulled away from his folk sensibilities, Nashville-style balladry became a big part of his sound. "Come Monday" brings orchestral strings into the mix to help express the yearnings he felt while stuck in "a brown L.A. haze," pining for his love back home. The song resonated with new fans, becoming his first Top 40 single, as it peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"A Pirate Looks at Forty," 'A1A' (1974)

It probably wasn't a stretch for Buffett to sing so convincingly from the perspective of a seafaring, modern-day pirate. He considered his own later entrepreneurial forays an adventure on the high seas of life. But back in '74, he was so inspired by the real-life stories of a Key West smuggler and rapscallion he befriended that he wrote "A Pirate Looks at Forty" from his perspective.

A key cut on his second long-player of '74, A1A, "Pirate" is empathetic to the dashed dreams and yearnings of a man looking back at his wins and losses. And despite the eventual billionaire fortunes of Buffett himself, his narrator determines the balance is a draw.

"Margaritaville," 'Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude' (1977)

Buffett's next album, Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude, launched his music career into the stratosphere — and its success had a lot to do with "Margaritaville," a Top 10 hit and the basis of the global brand he later built.

Essentially, "Margaritaville" established the beach-boho lifestyle as an aspiration for millions. Against a backdrop of tropical instruments like steel drum and marimba, Buffett sang of the quiet pleasures of an unhurried life, unconcerned with the tides and buoyed by his favorite blender drink. In 2016, the tune was voted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, while the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry in April 2023.

"Son Of A Son Of A Sailor," 'Son Of A Son Of A Sailor' (1978)

Whether Buffett's soft and breezy music can be considered "yacht rock" is a subject of debate, but he certainly rocked a yacht or two in his day — and he dressed the part for the cover of his album Son Of A Son Of A Sailor. The title track is a definitive take on his love of the wandering life, untethered from the anchors many cling to and always in search of the next port of call. A master of ballads whimsical and wistful, Buffett manages to be both at once here.

"Cheeseburger in Paradise," 'Son Of A Son Of A Sailor' (1978)

Before it was a menu item at his Margaritaville-branded restaurants and resorts, "Cheeseburger in Paradise" was a mirage Buffett dreamed about while marooned at sea. As the story goes, a misadventure in the Caribbean left Buffett with only meager rations to survive. And when he finally struck a landing on dry ground, his first meal inspired one of his most enduring songs: an easy-rockin' Top 40 hit about cheeseburgers that somehow isn't a novelty cut — a hat trick only Buffett could pull off.

"Fins," 'Volcano' (1979)

As the lead tune from his 11th album, Volcano, "Fins" entered the pantheon of Buffett concert staples immediately and helped inspire plenty of Parrothead ephemera, as well as the title of the 1990 live album Feeding Frenzy and his Landshark Lager brand. But none of that would be important if not for Buffett's song about a hapless woman who travels to the beach to relax, but instead is encircled by "sharks that can swim on the land." With "fins" to the left and right of her, she's "the only bait in town."

"Boat Drinks," 'Volcano' (1979)

Buffett had a knack for coining phrases — and "Boat Drinks" certainly qualifies among the best. What makes a boat ride better? Boat drinks, of course.

An album cut from Volcano (also featured as a B-side to the single "Survive"), Buffett ironically wrote the song while on a winter sojourn in Boston, exiled from his native habitat and wishing the city's fresh blanket of snow were the sugar-white sands of Florida. Musically, the tune is a quintessential cut from his whirlwind late-seventies period, when Caribbean themes and sonic textures became his calling card.

"It's My Job," 'Coconut Telegraph' (1981)

Long before Mac McAnally joined Buffett as a sideman in the Coral Reefer Band, Buffett sent the young artist a note praising his songwriting. Then, for his 1981 album, Coconut Telegraph, Buffett boosted his new friend's fortunes by recording "It's My Job," a tune McAnally wrote about taking pride in your work — however menial or miserable it may be — while working on a hot Mississippi highway in the summertime. The tune reached No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Buffett's last appearance on the chart until 2003 (more on that later).

"One Particular Harbor," 'One Particular Harbor' (1983)

The 1980s were the beginning of Buffett's transition from chart champion to blockbuster concert draw. But he still had plenty of gas in the songwriting tank, as songs like "One Particular Harbor" proved.

Inspired by his travels in Polynesia, Buffett sings in Tahitian about the "abundance of the sea" after leaving behind the mainland. While the song was a minor hit on Adult Contemporary radio, it became a fan favorite and a mainstay of live shows from the era.

"Jamaica Mistaica," 'Banana Wind' (1996)

Like on "Cheeseburger in Paradise," Buffett's penchant for seeing the humor in the unfortunate dustups of his real life shines on the Banana Wind cut "Jamaica Mistaica." In this case, Jamaican police opened fire on his plane, believing he was a smuggler or criminal straight out of his own song "A Pirate Looks at Forty." Set to a reggae beat, though, Buffett lets listeners in on the joke — an endearing quality that earned him the love not only of Parrotheads, but also an official apology from the Jamaican government.

"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," Alan Jackson's 'Greatest Hits Volume II' (2003)

By the dawn of the new century, Buffett's beach-bum aesthetic had conquered Nashville, the town he left in the early '70s to find his identity as an artist in Key West. And "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," recorded with country star Alan Jackson and featured on his Greatest Hits Volume II, was exactly the new Buffett-style anthem Music City needed.

It was also what Buffett's 21st century career needed: "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" earned the veteran singer his first No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart as well as his first GRAMMY nomination (in the Best Country Collaboration With Vocals Category) and his first Country Music Association Award (for Vocal Event of the Year). Later, the song notched the No. 3 song of the decade on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, proving Buffett's staying power amid shifting musical trends.

"Bama Breeze," 'Take the Weather With You' (2006)

After Hurricane Katrina made matchsticks of Buffett's home territory in 2005 — the beachfront bars of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida where he cut his teeth — he responded with the album Take the Weather With You and its leadoff track, "Bama Breeze." The country-rock tune extols the virtues of the so-called "Redneck Riviera" and coming of age as the sun came up outside the dive bars of the Gulf Coast, many of which were now ruined. The song also nods to the fans who have stuck by him since the beginning: "At the Bama Breeze, you're one of our own down there/ You'll never drink alone down there/ Good god, I feel at home down there."

"Knee Deep," 'You Get What You Give' (Zac Brown Band, 2010)

"Bubbles Up," 'Equal Strain On All Parts' (2023)

Although the public wasn't aware at the time, Buffett was dealing with the effects of Merkel cell carcinoma — the disease that claimed his life — throughout his final years of touring and recording music. Released two months after he passed, Equal Strain On All Parts, his 32nd and final album, arrived like a comforting voice from beyond to Parrotheads and casual fans alike.

On "Bubbles Up," Buffett was in a particularly reflective mood, facing his own mortality in his most measured, reassuring manner. The title phrase came from his survival training — if he were to find himself submerged in water, either from a boat or plane wreck, his trainers advised him to follow the bubbles up to the surface. "They will always point you toward home," he sings, "no matter how deep or how far you roam."

For a songwriter and performer who spent his life showing the world how to relax, enjoy life and see the humor in life's challenges, the reassuring sentiment — to quote the title of his 2004 album — underscores that a License to Chill has no expiration date.

Warren Zeiders has a whiteboard in his house where he writes himself daily reminders. But there's one that always stays: a quote that reads, "Nothing changes if nothing changes."

That sentiment couldn't be more fitting for the 25-year-old, whose life has changed drastically over the last few years. After an injury derailed his plans to pursue a career in lacrosse, Zeiders pivoted to music in 2021, and immediately made waves with the viral single "Ride the Lightning." Just three years later, he's one of country music's most unique new male voices, who has already scored a No. 1 hit and headlined multiple sold-out tours.

"I'm a firm believer, in three years of doing this, that this is what I was put here on this Earth to do," Zeiders tells GRAMMY.com. "I couldn't envision myself doing anything else. It's so funny how things have a way of working out."

What's perhaps even more remarkable about Zeiders' country music success story is that he had never even written a song prior to 2021. Stats aside, it's undeniable that he's a star — from the compelling grit of his voice and his candidly emotional lyrics, to his onstage swagger. Music clearly comes naturally, because Zeiders has already released his second album.

Relapse, the follow-up to 2023's Pretty Little Poison, offers a deeper look into Zeiders' artistry, from the racing, pop-tinged title track, to the impassioned ballad "High Desert Road," to the harrowing confessional "Devil I Know." It further proves he's equally unafraid to be raw in his storytelling and to push his vocal ability, both attributes that have helped him break through in the booming country music scene.

Just four days after Relapse arrived, Zeiders hit the road with Jelly Roll on The Beautifully Broken Tour. The Pennsylvania-born singer will serve as direct support on the two-month trek, which will hit arenas around the United States including New York's famed Madison Square Garden — adding more huge milestones to his already stacked resume.

"It does nothing but motivate me and want me to push that much harder," Zeiders says of the tour. And with The Relapse Tour already set for the spring of 2025, he's ready for things to only keep getting bigger. "I'm a personality that always likes to be growing, expanding and trying new things. So we'll see what the future holds."

Ahead of releasing Relapse, Zeiders reflected on his major achievements over the past year. Below, hear from the budding star himself about landing a No. 1 hit with "Pretty Little Poison," winning his first award and more.

Releasing His Debut Album, 'Pretty Little Poison'

I think a lot of people forget I was an athlete my whole life. I was playing lacrosse for 12 years. That was my livelihood, that was my passion, that was everything to me. Obviously I love music and I love what I get to do, but music wasn't a lifetime goal when I was a little kid. It wasn't until COVID had hit where I started posting videos on social media, and things started to kind of snowball.

I firmly believe that the good Lord always did have music on my heart, because I always loved to sing and play guitar, but it was just nothing that I ever thought was worth pursuing. That all to be said, I think I did have a healthy chip on my shoulder [about my first album]. I did want to solidify myself [as] not a flash in the pan, not just a dude who had a viral moment on social media. I took that and kind of just ran with it, and was like, I know the gift that I believe that the good Lord gave me, and my fan base is growing, and people are showing up to these shows.

So when it came to making my debut record, I really did take my time on that. I was very selective with the songs, and [tried] to make my first cohesive body of work. It was one of the most stressful times of my life, because I was so hard on myself — and always have been, whether it was in sports or now doing this — but I really did want to prove it to myself, and want to prove it to the people that were already believing in me.

When that album finally came out, I felt so much relief for a moment. [I also know] that now is the time to continuously push the record and let people know it's out. But it's made me grow so much in my artistry and have more faith in myself.

I actually got really, really sick when my album dropped. The following day, I was like, deathly sick signing thousands of records for fans. I wasn't contagious, but it was just a fun story to look back on. It's God's sense of humor, just letting you know you're still alive.

Earning His First No. 1 At Country Radio With "Pretty Little Poison"

I remember posting it for the first time on Instagram. I can vividly remember the clip; it was of me in the vocal booth singing. That song, I must have sang over 100-plus times [in the booth]. I was beating myself up so much to the point of, like, I'm not believing the person singing this song right now. I was having to get myself back into that headspace [of] when I wrote it.

I took that clip and threw it up on social media. It got a decent amount of views, but it was nothing crazy. It wasn't until almost a week later, when I posted another video of me in the studio, sitting with my engineer at the time, in the studio, listening back. And I remember texting my manager, being like, "Um, this thing's going uber viral right now," and he was like, "I think we got one."

We were seeing the thing unfold before its release, and then when it came out, through the streaming numbers and the interactions on social media, we knew that we had something special. I had faith in it from the beginning, and seeing what it was doing performance-wise, on the streaming side, I was like, This is a great piece of art to take to country radio… It'll be my first kind of splash into the scene. And lo and behold, 34 weeks on the charts, and it's a No. 1 — a pretty fast climb.

The night it officially went No. 1, I had my dad out on the road, which was super cool. We were playing a place called Emo's in Austin, Texas. I vividly remember popping off a bottle of champagne after the show and giving a speech, and then we went across the street and played a couple rounds of pool. [And] my momma surprised me when I got home that weekend. She made me breakfast and had number one balloons and everything.

Shout out to my CEO, Aaron Bay-Schuck, over at Warner L.A. When we first met, he was like, "You get about one victory lap for each win." I'm a firm believer in that, just from my athletic background. It's one thing to soak the win in for a second, but the reality is, the job's never done. As a guy who has been doing it for a short term, but I plan to be for a long time, and I have very high goals for myself — that is, stepping into arenas and stadiums one day myself. It's gonna take time, a lot of effort, but the job's never done.

Making His National Television Debut On "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

It wasn't that I was nervous, it was just a new experience, and it was trusting in my ability and trusting in my gift and being like, This is another day in the office. The song was officially already No. 1, and that gives you a little bit more confidence when you're singing it for the first time on live television.

I was actually supposed to play "Kimmel" the year prior, but the writer's strike had occurred. Once they got back on the air, it lined up almost a year to year to the date, of me finally getting onto Jimmy Kimmel. Rather than playing it on live television when the song had recently just come out, ["Pretty Little Poison" was a] No. 1 song, and [had] hundreds of millions of streams, and [it was] double platinum.

Unfortunately, Jimmy wasn't there by the time we got in to record. And we waited as long as we could to hopefully see if he was going to be back, but, you know, I can relate — we all have our busy schedules. We had to catch a flight. We were flying back to Nashville, and me and some of the guys on my team, we got to watch [the performance] on our Southwest flight. It was super cool.

Winning His First Award, The CMT Music Award For Breakthrough Male Video

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Two days prior, I did some interviews, and they were like, "How are you feeling about your first nomination?" I was like, "I'm excited to accept my award on Sunday night." The only moment of doubt I had was when it finally came down to the nominees for my [category]. I was like, Man, you're up against great competition here. Those few moments were up, and they said my name. And I was like, Okay, that's right.

My mom, dad and sister were all at the CMT Awards — mom and sister were, like, 10 rows behind us, but me and my dad were in the seats with all the artists. My dad has always been my best friend and my biggest supporter, and I attest a lot of my success to how he and my mom raised me — my work ethic, my drive and my faith, and how I view life and what I want to achieve.

That being said, I did get emotional when I accepted my award. I stood up and gave [my dad] a really big hug, and I could already see him tearing up. And when I went to take the stage, I was like, Just make sure you give thanks to God, and keep it short and sweet. I want to make sure I thank the fans a lot. And it was second nature to say something about my dad.

I have a wall dedicated for "Pretty Little Poison" plaques, and then I have some mantles in my kitchen/living room space. I've got the CMT award next to my first vinyl of the Pretty Little Poison album, my Opry sign from when I played it for the first time, my letter that I wrote to my fans when the Pretty Little Poison album dropped. Just a lot of cool, fun stuff. It's the inner athlete of me. [Laughs.]

Creating (And Releasing) His Second Album Amid His Breakout Year

I was [still] learning my voice. Your voice is a muscle. [Singing is] my daily grind of working out — the time and the energy, and just putting in the hours of work. My voice had developed so much from posting videos on social media to then going out and singing night after night. You're constantly growing and figuring yourself out.

The same applies to the writing mentality. The more you do it, the more you know what you want to say. It's been a lot of fun, and I've really gotten a good grasp on what I wanted to say on that first record, and now, this new one.

I like to say there's a lot of different facets to [my] artistry. I'm really excited about this album, but there are definitely other things in the works for the near future. So let's just say what's coming out in August is a great sampler — some tastes and flavors of what's to come.

Obviously, there's music in this new [album that's] a reincarnation of Pretty Little Poison, lyrically and musically. But then there's stuff that's acoustic driven, like "Addictions," [which is] meant for you to soak in the words that I'm saying. But then there is stuff like "Relapse" that fits more into that modern — I don't even know if I want to say pop, but it's a different side of me.

I've been very hands-on with my producers on this music. And whether somebody likes this song or doesn't like this song, they can find something in this project that they like. It's gonna keep the fan base that's already pre-existing and it's going to bring in a new side too, which I'm really excited for.

Hitting The Road With Jelly Roll

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Here's what I'll say: it won't be new to me in numbers. What'll be new to me is the atmosphere.

I've been doing the whole headlining thing since I started hitting the road, minus, obviously, festivals and stuff like that. But these will be the biggest arenas I've stepped into, and being direct support for Jelly Roll, who is having an iconic year, I think it just was a match made in heaven for us to come together and hit the road.

The rooms are getting bigger, but it just gives you that much more of a taste to be like, Let's go put on a hell of a show. Before you know it, you keep working your ass off, and we'll be playing these places and headlining them ourselves.

I've gotten a chance to talk to Jelly Roll and his bandmates quite a bit, and they're just good people. I'm sure there'll be a bunch of fun going on behind backstage and in the parking lots — I guess he's bringing a portable gym, ice baths and saunas. And I'm like, "Dude, you're speaking my love language." So I'm sure there'll be a lot of stories to tell — and not tell.

Thomas Rhett married his wife, Lauren, in 2012 — the same year he launched his career in country music. Naturally, the majority of his catalog has been inspired by their relationship. Over a decade into their marriage, Rhett has officially dedicated an entire album to the love of his life, the aptly titled About A Woman. And is she surprised? Absolutely not.

"A lot of people are like, 'Oh my gosh, does she just melt when she hears these songs?' And I'm like, 'Maybe back in the day, but not anymore,'" Rhett tells GRAMMY.com with a laugh. "It's actually gotten to the point where she's like, 'How do you continue to write about me?'"

But unlike Rhett's GRAMMY-nominated ballad "Die a Happy Man" or his 21st country radio No. 1, "Angels (Don't Always Have Wings)," About A Woman is largely full of upbeat tracks — something that did surprise his wife. "That was her favorite part," the singer adds. "She wants to know there's some fun that can be had with a love song."

From the racing, pop-tinged melody of "Fool" to the bluesy, howling hook of the title track, About A Woman is a feel-good celebration of love. Thomas and Lauren's love story — which dates back to grade school — is most vividly reflected in "What Could Go Right," a retelling of the night they went from friends to lovers. Other personal touches are scattered across the album, including "Church," an ode to their favorite artist, Eric Church, and "Overdrive," which features an anecdote from a high school party.

Of course, there is one ballad on the album, the heartfelt closer "I Could Spend Forever Loving You." But while Rhett was making About A Woman, he knew that the best way he could accurately portray their relationship was with uptempo songs.

"It kind of feels like we're 21 again — there's a lot more flirting going on, there's more dates, there's more adventure. Even though we have four children, our love level today feels very young and wild and reckless," Rhett says. "That was a fun thing to get to capture on a lot of these songs. I was writing from this giddy phase."

Ahead of About A Woman's Aug. 23 arrival, Rhett sat down with GRAMMY.com for an in-depth chat, well, about a woman. Below, hear from the singer himself on how his wife inspired some of the songs on the album.

"What Could Go Right"

I've been trying to write this song for, like, five years. There was a moment when I was 21 years old — and if you don't know anything about me and Lauren's story, we grew up knowing each other, and I always was head over heels for her. We dated a little bit in high school, but it was kind of a young, dumb high school relationship.

We still remained best friends — she would date somebody else, I would date somebody else, but we would always double date with each other. And I think that she was fully over me in her mind, but there was like this little part of me in the back of my mind that just never got over her.

Right before her last semester of college, I texted her, and I was like, "Hey, this is gonna sound really awkward, but I don't know that I can be your friend anymore, because I'm actually, like, in love with you." I think she didn't know how to respond to that.

So I called her dad, and I was like, "You think I should tell her?" And he was like, "Well, if you don't tell her tonight how you feel about her, I'm gonna tell her." And I was like, "Well that would be even more awkward."

The night her sister graduated high school, the crowd had started to die down, and Lauren's dad looked at me and he said, "Now's your time." I remember walking out there and kind of just laying it all out. And she looked at me, and she was like, "I feel like you just ruined our friendship." And I said, "Well, I would rather ruin our friendship today knowing that we can be friends later, rather than pretend to be your buddy, but I really just want to make out with you."

I pulled the cheesiest line ever — it felt like Ryan Gosling out of The Notebook — I was like, "I dare you to kiss me. And if you don't feel any fireworks, if you don't feel any butterflies in your stomach, then let's just move on." And she was like, "Alright, we'll give it a shot." So we kissed, and that was the beginning of everything. We started dating the day after that, and six months later, we got engaged, and, nine months after that, got married, and here we are with four children, 12 years later. And it all started because of that night.

That's why that song resonates with me so much. It kind of reminds me of [my song] "Life Changes" — it's just so vividly detailed that it could only come from my mouth. For me and Lauren both, that song holds such a special place in our hearts.

"Overdrive"

It was my junior year, and my wife was the homecoming queen — everybody in our school wanted to date Lauren. She was just so breathtakingly gorgeous, and her heart was so real and authentic.

I remember driving to this party that everybody was going to, and Lauren texted me, like, "Can you pick me up and take me to this thing?" So it was this feeling of being 16, 17 years old, just like, Man, I know that it's your boys before everybody else, but in this case, I'm dropping y'all. The hottest girl in my world just asked me to pick her up to take me to this party, so I'm getting there as fast as I possibly can.

I think the only line that does not directly correlate to my wife is in the second verse, when it says [something] like, I had to put you on my shoulders because you're wearing high heels to a bonfire party. My wife would rather die than put high heels on and/or put makeup on.

"Gone Country"

If I'm being completely honest with you, it is the only track on the record that does not directly relate to my wife. When I listened to that chorus, I was like, Man, our genre is having such a massive moment. And there's so many stories I've heard of girls or guys from the city meeting a girl or a guy from the country, and falling in love with the simplicity of the lifestyle.

At the end of the day, I didn't need it to fit the rest of the story. I couldn't get enough of the song, so I was like, You know what, I'm gonna let this one slide a little bit.

My wife is as country as crap. [Laughs.] When I played this for her, she's like, "This is not about me, right?" I was like, "No, this is about people just really wanting to be inundated in the country music culture."

We're pretty dadgum equal [when it comes to being country]. I was born in Valdosta, Georgia, which is a real southern part of Georgia, but I grew up in Nashville. My dad's probably the biggest redneck that I know, alongside Lauren's dad. But we both grew up hunting, fishing, riding four wheelers, catching bream out of some stale pond and frying them in Crisco, eating biscuits and gravy for breakfast. She would say that she's more country than me, but I'm just going to let her believe that. Happy wife, happy life.

"Beautiful As You" (The Instagram Version)

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Our whole relationship has been based on picking on each other. Even in middle school when I first got to know her at church camp, she would always look at me and be like, "You're shorter than me." That was how we started our friendship, and that's kind of how we flirted with each other.

It's a really good feeling to know that we have never lost that bit of our relationship. We both have the same humor — like, on Instagram, when we see memes and we show them to our whole family, and me and Lauren are dying laughing. That's how you know that you're made for each other, in a certain way.

It's always fun to kind of slide one in that's unflattering of Lauren — because the irony of that is, there's really nothing that's unflattering about her, and there's so many things that are unflattering about me. So when she wants to get me back, it's such a more in-depth getting back than me getting back at her. [Laughs.]

"After All The Bars Are Closed"

I can list like, five to 10 moments — even in the last six months — where that was our story of just like, "Hey, the kids are down. Let's go build a fire and let's sleep outside tonight." Whereas, even two years ago, it was like, get me to my pillow as fast as humanly possible, because life was just so fast and chaotic.

Last year, we did this road trip out West. We did Zion National Park, went all over to the National Parks in Utah, New Mexico and Colorado. Those nights where we were hiking all day, and our kids are so worn out — that was when me and Lauren would go grab some random craft beer out of the fridge, [sit] on the back porch, and get out our star app and try to find as many as many constellations as we possibly could. And [we'd] get to reminisce about the week, and laugh, and flirt, and kiss. Those things sound really normal for a newlywed couple, but when you experience a lot of years of marriage and start to have kids, you realize those moments can be very few and far between, if you don't make a diligent point to make those nights happen.

Lauren loves to play board games. [When] the rest of our family is, like, dead tired, Lauren looks at me, she's like, "What game are we gonna play?" and I'm like, "Are you not exhausted?" And she's like, "Yes, but this is where my cup gets filled up for the next day."

As sort of PG as all of that sounds, that is sort of my rendition of "After All The Bars Are Closed." I had this conversation with Julian [Bunetta, Rhett's longtime co-writer/producer] a lot, but it's like, "Man, how do you take things that are actually happening in your life and have them apply to an 18-year-old kid?"

So "After All The Bars Are Closed" was just like, "Everyone's down for the count, but me and you still have energy to keep this party going" — which can relate to people in their mid 30s and 40s, but also can relate to kids going to the bar when they're 18 years old and wanting to go find the field to park in afterwards.

"Church"

I was about to headline Stagecoach for the first time, and I got this chorus and verse sent to me by a couple of guys that I've written with a ton. Me and these co-writers really bond over being Eric Church nerds. When I heard this hook [with] all these super inside Eric Church references, I knew from that moment that this was going to be — besides "What Could Go Right" — the [song] that [Lauren] goes back to the most.

The majority of me and Lauren's high school and college really revolved around two people: Corey Smith and Eric Church. So I have all these memories of seeing Eric Church with my wife, or her buying me a copy of "These Boots," and me buying her a copy of Chief, and just spending our days memorizing these words. It was always my mission to learn so many Eric Church songs so that I could play them around bonfires and parties.

As I've been in this career for 15 years, me and Lauren have gotten to know him and his wife pretty well. I remember finishing that song and sending it to Eric, and getting his stamp of approval on that song was one of the biggest highlights of my career. His music meant so much to our love story, and I have so many memories that are attached with Lauren to his music, that this song just had to be on the project.

"Somethin' 'Bout A Woman"

It was like, 1 o'clock in the morning after a show. I'd learned these random jazz chords that day that I started kind of playing. My bus driver's name is Rhett — he's 82 years old, and he drove buses for, like, Mötley Crüe and Dolly Parton — and I looked at Rhett, and I said, "What should we write about?" And he just looked at me, and he said, "I don't know. I guess something about a woman." And this song fell out in 30 minutes.

I love this track so much because it's something I've been trying to write for a long time, but it's never really come out in a unique way. This song has such a vibe, so much sauce. It's like, Steely Dan meets the Rolling Stones meets my love for R&B. It's kind of my best attempt at doing what Chris Stapleton does every day.

"I Could Spend Forever Loving You"

We went into that session not even thinking we were writing a song for this record. Our ultimate mission was to try to write a song we could get in the "Yellowstone" [TV show] soundtrack.

I'm obsessed with love films that end with the couple being old together. I'm obsessed with nostalgia, and I'm obsessed with things working out in a positive light. I cannot wait to be 40. I can't wait to be 50. I can't wait to be 60. Because it's just sort of like, "Hey, we made it another decade!"

I dream about sitting on the front porch in the middle of the country with Lauren, in a rocking chair, watching our kids who we raised, and looking at our grandchildren. I'm obsessed with the thought of knowing that we're gonna finish this race really strong.

That's where the inspiration of "I Could Spend Forever Loving You" came from. It's like, there's gonna be ups and there's going to be downs, but we can kind of weather any storm — because we've already weathered plenty of storms.