Beyoncé Says She Was Inspired To Make ‘Act 2: Cowboy Carter’ After an Experience Where She “Did Not Feel Welcomed’

Beyonce, who tends to be quieter when speaking out publicly, recently shared that ‘Act 2: Cowboy Carter’ came about after she went through an experience where she did “not feel welcomed.”

In a lengthy Instagram post, the iconic singer wrote that the idea for the highly anticipated follow-up to “Renaissance” formed after she was involved in an unnamed incident. “It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed… and it was very clear that I wasn’t,” she said. “But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce)

Beyonce didn’t say more about the incident. However, she may be referring to her “Daddy Lessons” performance at the Country Music Association Awards when she performed with Dixie Chicks in 2016. The performance sparked much criticism from many country fans on social media about her appearance, along with reports of some in the industry who didn’t like the star was devoted to a pop artist, Variety reported.

“The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,” she wrote. “Act II is a result of challenging myself and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”

She also disclosed that she started working on her “Act 2” project five years ago and that fans can expect some surprises, including several collaborations. “I hope that you can hear my heart and soul, and all the love and passion that I poured into every detail and every sound,” she wrote. “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.”

She ended her post with a bold statement: “This ain’t a Country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.”

“Act 2: Cowboy Carter” is slated for release on March 29. Read he full post below.