New Beyoncé album may include song with Willie Nelson

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Beyoncé released the list of songs that will appear on her new album “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” and fans are buzzing ahead of its release Friday over the possibility of one track featuring a collaboration with another legendary Texas musician.

The Houston native posted what looked like a vintage concert poster on her social media accounts Wednesday. It included a song called “Smoke Hour” with the words Willie Nelson under it, prompting many to wonder if he’ll join her on the track.

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One of Dolly Parton’s most famous, recognizable hits “Jolene” is also listed on the track list along with the words “Dolly P.” That also raised speculation about the country music icon lending her voice to the record, but it’s unclear whether that’s the case.

Fans will be able to confirm that when they’re finally able to listen to “Cowboy Carter” at midnight Friday. This hotly-anticipated album will follow “Renaissance,” which came out in 2022 and led Beyoncé to become the most decorated artist in Grammys history.

The singer first announced the news of an album after starring in a Verizon commercial during the Super Bowl that ended with the superstar saying, “They ready, drop the new music.”

One of the new singles from this record, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” earned Beyoncé another spot in the history books. She became the first Black woman to claim the top spot on the Billboard’s country music chart.

In a lengthy Instagram post last week, she shared the album cover featuring her atop a horse while wearing a cowboy hat and a red, white and blue outfit. She wrote the album had been in the works for five years and “was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed.” Many interpreted that as her referring to the hate she received from performing at the 2016 Country Music Awards with The Chicks.

“I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE,” Beyoncé wrote in her post. “I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop.”

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