As the entire world already knows, Beyoncé is in her country era. After hard-launching her new album — the as-yet-untitled second part of the three-act project she began with the Billboard 200-topping Renaissance back in 2022 — during the 2024 Super Bowl via a Verizon commercial, Queen Bey has released two new versions of the set’s lead single, “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
Appearing on streaming platforms during the final few hours of Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14), the a cappella and instrumental versions of “Texas Hold ‘Em” provide listeners an opportunity to appreciate the building blocks of Beyoncé’s new sound. Her slick harmonies and impassioned vocal performance soar on the a cappella version, while Rhiannon Giddens‘ plucky banjo and Raphael Saadiq‘s regal organ keys shine in the instrumental version.
While new versions of “Texas Hold ‘Em” appear on all digital streaming platforms, fellow new single “16 Carriages” did not get the same treatment. On her Instagram Story (Feb. 14), Beyoncé shared a link to the new versions of “Texas Hold ‘Em” shortly after sharing an adorable Valentine’s Day-themed Reel set to the soundtrack of her new country bop. “Happy Valentines Day to you, sending lots of love,” she captioned the video collage, in which she sported a now-signature cowboy hat, no less.
“Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” serve as the first tastes of Act II, the March 29-scheduled follow-up to 2022’s Renaissance, which claimed four Grammys, including a historic win for best dance/electronic album. That record also spawned a record-breaking tour, which, in turn, gave way to a box-office-topping documentary concert film. Moreover, Queen Bey snagged a pair of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits — “Break My Soul” (No. 1) and “Cuff It” (No. 6) — from Renaissance, as well as additional top 40 hits in “Alien Superstar” (No. 19), “Church Girl” (No. 22), “I’m That Girl” (No. 26), “Energy” (No. 27, with BEAM), “Cozy” (No. 30) and “America Has A Problem” (No. 38, with Kendrick Lamar).
Stream the a cappella and instrumental versions of “Texas Hold ‘Em” now:
