The Queen Bey is back... y'all.
This week sees the release of Beyoncé's eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter. As the title suggests, the pop icon and Texas native is going country. The album's first two singles — "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages" — are certified bangers that show that she's more up to the task for what might seem like an extreme genre shift to casual listeners. But big artists making massive sonic shifts isn't anything new.
Heck, just last year country icon Dolly Parton released her first rock album — Rockstar (a bit on-the-nose, Ms. Parton) — after avoiding the genre for 48 albums. But for every genre switch that goes swimmingly (Machine Gun Kelly from rap to pop punk, for example), there are loads that flop (KISS going disco, anyone?).
With Beyoncé on the brain, we thought we'd brainstorm some other modern artists who might have a blast switching away from their best known musical styles.
BILLIE EILISH
POP -> ART PUNK
As a pop superstar known for her atypical helter-skelter style, Eilish has long flaunted somewhat of a f— off outsider edge. A perfect realm to lean into that vibe with less of a polished pop edge would be to take a page out of Pussy Riot's book and create some noise punk chaos. To properly achieve this, she'd probably need to put together some sort of distinctive outfit with a mask so that people would at least have a chance to appreciate the music on its own before folks start stanning for it just because it's Elish. Something tells me she also could throw a good elbow or two in a mosh pit and might get a kick out of busting her lip while doing so.
SHARON VAN ETTEN
FOLK SINGER-SONGWRITER -> SYNTH ROCK
Easily one of the best songwriters of the past decade and a half, Van Etten knows how to craft an absolutely gutting and gorgeous folk tune. But on her 2022 album We've Been Going About This All Wrong, the standout track by far was the lone outlier in the bunch — the synth heavy jam "Mistakes." The single was so good it made you wonder why SVE didn't do the whole album in that style. If she decides to take that big swing, there might be a classic dancefloor album percolating in that noggin of hers.
RUN THE JEWELS
HIP-HOP -> ROCK
Considering we live in a world where hip-hop beats reign supreme, it's a bit strange that elite rap producers rarely let their rhythms venture into other realms. Run the Jewels' El-P is one of the best beat crafters in the business, so having him lay a foundation upon which rock guitars, bass, etc. could be laid is a potentially intriguing prospect. Add in Killer Mike's vocal delivery — already more ferocious than most rock singers — and you've got the start of a very enticing sonic stew.
FATHER JOHN MISTY
INDIE ROCK -> PARODY SONGS
When Father John Misty peacocked his way into the pop culture consciousness, he did so with two satirical classics: Fear Fun (a tongue-in-cheek mocking of the rock star mystique) and the masculinity-skewering I Love You, Honeybear. There was just one minor problem — a lot of people didn't get the joke. Instead they took the songs literally and thought FJM was a pompous and pretentious arse. Perhaps if Father John leans into his inner Weird Al people will finally get the joke. (Probably not though.)
ALISON WONDERLAND
EDM -> CHAMBER POP
In the dance music world, Aussie Alison Wonderland stands out from the pack of button pushers and knob twisters by interjecting live elements including her own vocals and cello playing. With a clear ear for the melodic, she could harness those skills to make a much more analog album of sweeping chamber pop music.
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
GARAGE ROCK -> DEATH METAL
Duh.
ANDREW W.K.
HARD ROCK -> EDM
When Andrew W.K. broke through in 2001, his hard rocking tunes about partying, partying and... uhhh... partying were a refreshing blast of knucklehead bliss. But the kids these days? They certainly aren't listening to rock music when they want to get their party on. While he did start an acclaimed (now defunct) New York City Dance club in 2008, Santos Party House, it may now be time to fully embrace the dance floor and start dabbling in making electronic dance music. When it's time to beat drop he will always beat drop hard!
TEGAN AND SARA
INDIE POP -> CHILDREN'S MUSIC
The Canadian twin sister duo have already gone through two major genre shifts, starting out in the folk realm before moving to indie rock and eventually pop. But there's something about them — along with their ace melodicism — that would make them ideal to put out a record for the kiddos. Bonus: Their duo singer dynamic would allow them to portray characters in song and play off one another.
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
INDIE ROCK -> SYNTH POP
Ben Gibbard's emotional lyricism has been at the core of classic indie albums like Transatlanticism and Plans. That said, his sad boy music could probably reach such great heights if there was a little bit of danceable fun injected into the mix. (For some reason this one really feels like mailing it in...)
PHOEBE BRIDGERS
INDIE ROCK -> HARDCORE PUNK
Punisher's album-closing "I Know the End," showcases Bridgers' ability to belt out a shredding scream. If she gets sick of making tunes that get categorized as "sad girl music," perhaps she could do "mad girl music" instead. A good hardcore screamfest can sometimes be even more cathartic than bawling one's eyes out anyway.
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
ROCK -> SLACKER INDIE
Few elements of a massive band have been so routinely mocked as the lyrics that RHCP singer Anthony Kiedis writes. They're often word salad collections of California-centric verbiage that focus more on rhyming than making any lick of sense. It's a joke to many because of the sincere gusto with which he spits them out. But there's another artist who emerged from California around the same time who pens oft-nonsensical verses focused more on word sounds than anything else: Pavement's Stephen Malkmus. His band's laissez faire attitude gives him far more leeway when playing with a sometimes goofy vernacular. The key for Kiedis being taken more seriously might be for the Chili Peppers to not actually take things so seriously.
TAYLOR SWIFT
POP -> COUNTRY
I dunno... just have a feeling she'd be good at it. ♦
