[Source.](https://thefederalist.com/2024/04/26/beyonces-cowboy-carter-is-all-hat-and-no-cattle/) > From Johnny Cash to LOCASH — one element crucial to country music is a straightforward storytelling style that speaks to the heart with simple, relatable lyrics, whether it’s George Strait crooning about oceanfront property in Arizona or Garth Brooks sending his love down to Baton Rouge. Although country music itself has changed as a genre over time and there might be disagreement among fans as to what can be classified as “real” country, I think it is fair to say that part of the genre’s appeal lies in the absence of abstractness and cryptic messages. I know many people who don’t love country music but still appreciate the honest, unpretentious story that country music always seems to convey. No complicated plot lines. No confusing lyrics. > It’s hard to resist bopping along to Beyoncé’s first hit of her new album, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” but when I pay attention to the lyrics, I have absolutely no clue what I’m singing about. Maybe I’m naïve, but I’m pretty sure it’s nothing wholesome like “Breaking Up In a Small Town” or “Buy(ing) Dirt.” > It’s hard to shoot a BB gun and not hit a country song talking about mommas and pick-ups and back roads. But, Beyoncé insists on hammering us with “b-tches” and Lexuses and the 405. > Probably the most egregious offense against country music on Beyoncé’s album is her depiction of women. Contemporary country music typically admires women rather than denigrating them, albeit maybe in a simplistic, sometimes out-of-touch way. But I don’t believe I’ve ever heard country lyrics refer to a woman as a “f-cking animal” or a “f-cking centerfold.” Lovely.