READING - Cowboy Carter
1. What is the central argument made in the passage regarding
Beyoncé's relationship with the country music genre?
A. Beyoncé is seeking full integration and acceptance within the
country music industry.
B. Beyoncé is using country music as a platform to reclaim and
celebrate the genre's Black roots.
C. Beyoncé is attempting to bridge the divide between her own
musical identity and the conventions of country music.
D. Beyoncé is primarily interested in expanding the boundaries
and definitions of what constitutes country music.
2. Which of the following best describes the significance of
Beyoncé's performance of "Daddy Lessons" at the 2016 Country
Music Awards?
A. It was a symbolic gesture of the country music industry's
willingness to collaborate with pop artists.
B. It was a provocative political statement that challenged the
genre's traditional conservative leanings.
C. It was a strategic move to gain acceptance and exposure for
Beyoncé's experimentation with country music.
D. It was a celebration of the shared musical heritage between
country and Beyoncé's own artistic influences.
3. How does the passage characterize the historical relationship
between Black musicians and the country music industry?
A. Black musicians have been consistently recognized and
celebrated for their integral contributions to the genre.
B. Black musicians have faced systemic barriers to visibility and
representation within the country music industry.
C. The influence of Black musicians on the development of
country music has been widely acknowledged and celebrated.
D. Black musicians have been actively excluded from the country
music industry due to prevailing racial stereotypes.
4. What is the significance of Beyoncé's inclusion of banjoist
Rhiannon Giddens on her album, according to the passage?
A. It reflects Beyoncé's desire to incorporate traditional country
music elements into her own sound.
B. It demonstrates Beyoncé's commitment to highlighting the
contributions of Black artists in the genre.
C. It is a strategic move to gain acceptance from the country
music industry by featuring a respected country artist.
D. It is a nod to the country music influences that have been
present in Beyoncé's music throughout her career.
5. How does the passage characterize Beyoncé's approach to country
music in relation to the country music industry?
A. Beyoncé is seeking to fully immerse herself in the country
music genre and be accepted as a country artist.
B. Beyoncé is positioning herself as an outsider who is using
country music as a means of reclaiming and celebrating its Black
roots.
C. Beyoncé is attempting to bridge the gap between the country
music industry's conventions and her own distinct musical
identity.
D. Beyoncé is primarily concerned with expanding the boundaries
and definitions of what constitutes country music as an art form.
6. According to the passage, what factors have contributed to the
lack of visibility and representation of Black musicians in the country
music industry?
A. The genre's rigid, centralized power structure and prevailing
stereotypes about the genre's demographics.
B. The reluctance of country radio stations to embrace
experimentation and diversity within the genre.
C. The industry's preference for promoting white performers over
Black artists, even when their commercial success was
comparable.
D. The unwillingness of the country music establishment to
acknowledge the significant contributions of Black musicians to
the genre's development.
7. How does the passage suggest Beyoncé's approach to reclaiming
the Black roots of country music is distinct from previous efforts by
other Black artists in the genre?
A. Beyoncé is more directly confronting the country music
industry's power structures and conservative leanings.
B. Beyoncé is more successful in gaining widespread recognition
and acceptance within the country music mainstream.
C. Beyoncé is more explicitly aligning her artistic vision with the
Black empowerment and social justice movements.
D. Beyoncé is more successful in integrating traditional country
music elements seamlessly into her own musical style.
Correct answers:
HERE
LISTENING - FORMATION
1. What messages/ themes did Beyonce want to express through the
song and video? How are they conveyed?
2. Are those messages/ themes similar to your initial reaction to the
song and video?
3. Why do you think the song and video became controversial?
4. In this song and video, Beyoncé makes use of images and words to
make a statement about social changes across cultural and historical
contexts.
5. What statements about race, gender, and class is she making with
the scenes that depict Beyoncé and a group of African-American
women dressed up in a sitting room in a Southern, plantation-style
house?
6. The last few scenes of Formation’s music video show a child dancing
in front of a line of police officers dressed in riot gear. What is the
symbolism of the hoodie that the boy is wearing, and the “hands up”
gesture that he and the police officers strike at the end of his dance?
How does this relate to the graffiti message on the wall in the clip
that immediately follows? What commentary do these scenes make
about patterns of unnecessary force and racial injustice in law
enforcement?
7. Some critics felt that Beyoncé’s tone was too strong and political in
this video. For instance, the National Sheriff’s Association called for a
boycott of the song. After Beyonce’s performance of “Formation” at
the Super Bowl, Sgt. Ed Mullins told CNN that, “To taint police officers
globally in the Super Bowl is really wrong.” Do you feel Beyoncé
crossed a line with her message? How is being against police
brutality different from being against police? Should entertainment
(such as sports and music) be kept separate from politics? Why or
why not?
8. Despite “Formation” focusing a lot on racial issues, Beyoncé’s
feminist messages were also still evident throughout this song.
Beyoncé included the voices of genderqueer Messy Mya and Big
Freedia in her song’s introduction and interlude. How else does the
song or video celebrate black femininity? How are diverse images of
gender, sexuality, and class represented in the video?
CREDITS: https://criticalmediaproject.org/beyonce-formation-2/
