Guggenheim “did not authorize” Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ advert projection on museum

22 March, 2024

Beyonce at the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Crypto.com Arena on February 5, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)

Guggenheim have shared that they “did not authorize” Beyoncé‘s ‘Cowboy Carter’ advert projection on the museum.

On Wednesday night (March 20), a promotional advert for the pop icon’s upcoming country album was projected onto the museum in New York City. “This ain’t a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album,” as well as the LP’s title and release date of March 29 (pre-save/pre-order here) were projected onto the building. The phrase was a reference to her Instagram post which she posted earlier where she addressed the backlash she received over exploring the country genre.

Advertisements for the album also appeared on other New York City museums such as the Whitney Museum, New Museum and the Museum of Art and Design. Beyoncé’s album cover was projected onto the buildings’ exteriors.

In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, Guggenheim explained that the institution “was not informed about and did not authorize this activation. However, we invite the public — including Beyoncé and her devoted fans — to visit the museum May 16–20 when we present projections by artist Jenny Holzer on the facade of our iconic building to celebrate the opening of her major exhibition.”

Earlier this week, Beyoncé revealed the artwork for ‘Cowboy Carter’. The cover sees the singer in a white cowboy hat with long platinum blonde locks while wearing a red, white and blue leather outfit holding an American flag and wearing a “Country Carter” sash while sitting upon a white horse.

Speaking about the backlash she received for creating a country album, she wrote: “The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”

The singer also revealed that there are “a few surprises on the album” and shared that she hopes that fans will be able to hear the “heart, soul, love and passion” she poured into the album.

“I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE…I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop. This ain’t a Country album.” she concluded. “This is a “Beyoncé” album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”

‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ has also been a particular success on TikTok, having also recently made Beyoncé the first Black woman to reach Number One on the US country chart with the track.

Earlier this week Azealia Banks hit out at Beyoncé’s pivot into country music, which she branded “white women cosplay”.

It also comes after she claimed the singer is “setting herself up to be ridiculed” by venturing into the country genre.

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