If You Like Beyoncé, Check Out…

By Abena Oppon

With the imminent release of Act II: Cowboy Carter, there is no better time to break down Beyoncé’s unique discography which covers almost every genre you could think of.  Both RENAISSANCE and Cowboy Carter see Beyoncé taking on fairly new genres for her. While she has dabbled in Country music briefly, she is diving into it (in the vein of Black is King) to honour her community and heritage: the black progenitors of Ballroom and House to the long history of Black Texan cowboys. With the release of Cowboy Carter and the reveal of the cover art, she will definitely be serving 100% commitment to the visuals and styles associated with the genres. 

In this month’s column, I’ve focused on all aspects of Beyoncé’s music, new and old, hoping to recommend sounds from all corners of her discography.

Chloe x Halle

Siblings Chloë and Halle Bailey broke out like many artists of a similar age: on YouTube. Their covers of pop hits of the time like Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and Rihanna’s ‘Diamonds’, showed that from an early age they had strong, skilful voices, that complemented each other well. After gaining attention from their YouTube covers, they were signed to Beyoncé’s management label, Parkwood Entertainment. In some ways they sound as if Beyoncé’s voice were split into two people: Halle has the angelic range, while Chloë has the richness. 

However, the stunning interplay between their voices is only half of the appeal of their music. The pair are also interesting songwriters, tackling a breadth of genres on their two albums such as Pop, Contemporary, RnB, Soul, and Drum n Bass.  Fans of Beyoncé’s classic pop numbers, such as ‘Love on Top’, ‘Irreplaceable’, and ‘Halo’, will like ‘Don’t Make It Harder on Me’, and ‘Wonder What She Thinks of Me’ from their deeply underrated sophomore album Ungodly Hour, which was one of many albums unfortunately swallowed by the pandemic in 2020. Fans of the tenderness of Beyoncé’s ‘XO’ would enjoy the titular ‘Ungodly Hour’, and ‘Cool People’ from their debut, The Kids are Alright. 

Outside of their music together, both Chloë and Halle have solo careers. Chloë’s solo persona channels the confidence and sexiness of Beyoncé while incorporating more contemporary, trendy sounds. Her debut solo single, ‘Have Mercy’ is perfect for fans of Beyoncé songs such as ‘Formation’ and ‘America Has a Problem’, as all have an arresting sense of confidence where the listener cannot help but pay attention to the song. The slow and slinky ‘FYS’ is perfect for fans of ‘Partition’ and ‘All Night’. The bouncy ‘Treat Me’ is perfect for fans of Beyonce’s early, more playful songs, such as ‘Freakum Dress’ and ‘Crazy in Love’. While Halle’s solo output is far slimmer, her most recent single ‘In Your Hands’ is like a cross between ‘Forward’ from Lemonade and ‘Best Thing I Never Had’ from 4; the sparse instrumentation lets Halle’s voice take the forefront as she sings acrimoniously of a partner who has hurt her.

Diana Ross

Beyoncé and pop legend Diana Ross are connected in many ways. For one, they both had their starts in girl groups — Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, and Ross, The Supremes — and when the groups disbanded, went on to become the most successful from these groups. Beyoncé even played the allegorical Diana Ross character in the movie version of the musical Dreamgirls. Both are powerhouse vocalists — Diana Ross’ soft soprano is surprisingly powerful on songs like ‘I’m Coming Out’ — and have become iconic figures in the LGBT+ community. 

Fans of disco-influenced songs from RENAISSANCE such as ‘Cuff It’ and ‘Break My Soul’ might like ‘I’m Coming Out’, an iconic gay anthem, as well as ‘Upside Down’. While much of Ross’ music is pure pop, she made the transition to disco impeccably and produced many classics on her 1980 album Diana.

Fans of ‘Listen’ from Dreamgirls might like the theatrical ‘It’s My Turn’, while fans of Beyoncé’s more classical Pop (such as ‘Love on Top’ and ‘If I Were a Boy’) may like Ross’ cover of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, the upbeat ‘Chain Reaction’, and ‘Endless Love’, a collaboration with Lionel Ritchie. Fans of sensual ballads like ‘Plastic off the Sofa’ may like Ross’ ‘You Are My Everything’.

Yola

Singer-Songwriter Yolanda Quartey, stage name Yola, has had a slow rise to stardom, unlike the previous artists. Her first solo release came in 2016, 11 years after her emergence into the music industry, where she played in bands and occasionally wrote songs for other artists.

Cowboy Carter will return Beyoncé back to the genre of country. It is not one she has dabbled much in — the supremely underrated ‘Daddy Lessons’ from 2016’s Lemonade was her only foray into the genre before the singles for Cowboy Carter were released. Fans of ‘Daddy Lessons’ will love Yola’s ‘Stand for Myself’. Both songs are about becoming stronger. On ‘Daddy Lessons’, Beyoncé sings of how her  “daddy made a soldier out of [her]” — the whole song works dually as a country cliche but also a striking metaphor for Matthew Knowles’ crafting of her into a pop star. On ‘Stand For Myself’, Yola grows self-assured after leaving a lover. It incorporates more blues and gospel elements than ‘Daddy Lessons’, harkening back to early Rock and Roll as well as Country.

Fans of ‘TEXAS HOLD ‘EM’ would love ‘What You Do’ from Yola’s first EP, Orphan Offering. This is a classic jaunty rock-country number, accented with an infectious fiddle melody. Fans of  ‘16 Carriages’ would love the softness of ‘Home’, the soulfulness of ‘Faraway Look’, and the slow build of ‘Heed My Words’. If Beyoncé’s foray into Country music has left you curious, Yola’s discography is an accessible and authentic starting point.