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Tyrant (Beyoncé and Dolly Parton song)

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"Tyrant"
Song by Beyoncé and Dolly Parton
from the album Cowboy Carter
ReleasedMarch 29, 2024 (2024-03-29)
Studio
GenreSouthern rap
Length4:10
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Lyric Video
"Tyrant" on YouTube

"Tyrant" is a song by American singers Beyoncé and Dolly Parton, taken from Beyoncé's eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter (2024).

Background and composition

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The song was written by Beyoncé, Cam, The-Dream, Dominic Redenczki, Ezemdi Chikwendu, and produced by the singer herself with D.A. Got That Dope, Dave Hamelin, Khirye Tyler, and Kuk Harrell.[1] Musically, the song pays homage to Dolly Parton's technique of rubbing the nails of the hand to reproduce a sound, invented for her song "9 to 5" (1980).[2] It is a Southern rap track[3] built on a looped violin sample and programmed trap beats[4] using a Roland TR-808 drum.[5][3] In a interview D.A. Got That Dope explained that he sent the song beat to The-Dream in 2023, without knowing it was selected by Beyoncé since her team invited him to Parkwood studio to hear the final result only some weeks before the album's release.[5]

The song featured vocal contribution by Parton in the first half of the track, addressing Beyoncé as Cowboy Carter and inviting her to "strike a match and light up this juke joint!".[6][7] The song is the second contribution by Parton on the album track order, after her speaking interlude "Dolly P." which introduce Beyoncé's cover of "Jolene".[8]

Critical reception

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Kyle Denis of Billboard defined the song a "spiritual successor" of Renaissance's tracks "Thique", in wich the singer "sing-raps over a sexy, fiddle-laden trap beat".[9] In another article, Denis noted that there were shared lyrics in songs from Renaissance, such as "Cuff It" and "Alien Superstar".[10]

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian also praised the song, associating it to Renaissance music influences.[11] Mawunyo Gbogbo of ABC News Australia appreciated the song which musically "straddles both country and hip hop" and that "it hits you in the chest with that beat instantly and conclusively".[12]

Charts

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Chart performance for "Tyrant"
Chart (2024–2025) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[13] 71
Global 200 (Billboard)[14] 64
Ireland (IRMA)[15] 77
Portugal (AFP)[16] 122
UK Singles (OCC)[17] 83
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[18] 17
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 44
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[20] 12
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[21] 18

Certifications

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Certifications for "Tyrant"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[22] Gold 20,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Dailey, Hannah (April 2, 2024). "Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' Songwriting Credits: Here's Who Wrote Each Song". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  2. ^ Campoamor, Danielle (March 30, 2024). "Yes, Beyoncé Used Her Nails as Percussion in Cowboy Carter". Marie Claire. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Power, Ed (March 29, 2025). "Beyoncé: Cowboy Carter review track by track – when it breaks loose, it's like rain after a thunderstorm". The Irish Times. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  4. ^ Johnston, Maura (March 29, 2024). "Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter ranges far and wide". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Thompson, Erica (March 31, 2024). "Chicago's D.A. Got That Dope produced Beyoncé's 'Tyrant', the violin-heavy banger on Cowboy Carter". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  6. ^ Lang, Cady (March 29, 2024). "How Beyoncé's Interludes Help Tell the Story Behind Cowboy Carter". Time. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  7. ^ "'Cowboy Carter' collaborator Dolly Parton reacts to Beyoncé's 'Jolene' cover: 'Wow'". USA Today. March 29, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  8. ^ Peters, Daniel (June 2, 2024). "Dolly Parton was surprised Beyoncé changed lyrics for 'Jolene' cover". NME. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  9. ^ Denis, Kyle (March 29, 2024). "Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter': All 27 Tracks Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  10. ^ Denis, Kyle (March 29, 2025). "Here's How Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' & 'Renaissance' Are Connected". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  11. ^ Petridis, Alexis (March 28, 2024). "Beyoncé: Cowboy Carter review – from hoedown to full-blown genre throwdown". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 28, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  12. ^ Devaney, Kath; Fuamoli, Sose; Gbogbo, Mawunyo; Rowe, Zan (April 2, 2024). "Is Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter any good?". ABC News. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  13. ^ "Beyonce Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  14. ^ "Beyonce Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  15. ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts (Week 28, 2025)". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  16. ^ "Beyoncé – Tyrant". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  17. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  18. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  19. ^ "Beyonce Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  20. ^ "Beyonce Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  21. ^ "Beyonce Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  22. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Beyoncé – Tyrant" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
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