the artistry of cowboy carter is monumental. sampling black bird - a song about the struggles of a black woman during the civil rights movement - and using it to pass the torch to a new generation of black country girlies. a dolly and willie nelson - two elder statesmen of the country genre - feature thereby confirming the genre as country to anyone who would dare argue otherwise. the linda martell show being in reference to linda martell the first successful black woman in the country circuit. the track list design paying homage to chitlin circuit; a series of venues in the Jim Crow south that would host black musicians during segregation. a good vibration by the beach boys sample. and a goddamn jolene sample (and dolly doesn’t just let anyone sample her discography). there are so many layers to cowboy carter i fear i may be analysing for a good while.