Is Beyoncé Incorporating Música Mexicana on New ‘Cowboy Carter’ Album?

Could Beyoncé dabble in música mexicana on her new album? After the pop icon revealed the Cowboy Carter tracklist today (Mar. 27), her Latine fans think she’s hinting to that in her exploration of country music.

Beyoncé first teased her country-influenced album last month with the singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.” After she made history as the first Black woman to hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” her achievements opened up an important conversation around the genre’s Black roots. Though she has called Cowboy Carter a “Beyoncé album,” she appears to be shedding light on country music’s overlooked history. Latines are also a foundation of the genre, with música mexicana essentially being country music in Spanish. That’s especially the case with Tejano music from Beyoncé’s home state.

Beyoncé got her Latine fans excited about the possibility of música mexicana on her album with the tracklist announcement. In the corner of the poster is a photo of Beyoncé holding an accordion. That instrument is used widely in genres like banda, norteño, cumbia, and Tejano music. Being from Texas and having met Selena before her passing, Beyoncé is very well-versed in the world of música mexicana. In 2007, she even released a norteño remix of “Irreemplazable,” the Spanish version of “Irreplaceable.”

“BUT DON’T THINK I DIDN’T SEE THAT ACCORDION. Tejano Beyoncé confirmed???” journalist Cat Cardenas wrote on X (formally known as Twitter). “I’M SO READY BEYONCÉ CUMBIA NORTEÑA OTW,” Tomás Mier responded. 

Even before seeing Beyoncé with an accordion, her Latine fans were already speculating about her return to música mexicana. One person reposted a norteño remix of “Texas Hold ‘Em” by EZ Band. Another person wrote in Spanish, “Entering my ranchera era again was thanks to the queen Beyoncé.”

We’ll soon see if the speculations turn out to be true with Cowboy Carter dropping this Friday, Mar. 29. What is confirmed is that country music legend Willie Nelson will feature on the song “Smoke Hour.”