The Grammys have a problem, and Beyoncé calls it out on her new album , "Cowboy Carter." On the penultimate track, "Sweet Honey Buckin'," the singer briefly addressed the Recording Academy, which has yet to award her Album of the Year despite being the most decorated Grammy winner in history.
"Sweet Honey Buckin'" plays like a parallel (or even bigger sister) to Renaissance 's "Pure/Honey , " which consists of two separate songs that flow together into a cohesive piece. In this case, Bay fuses three tracks together, connecting them with country pedals, synth-dance beats, and sticky-sweet melodies.
While the "Sweet" and "Honey" sections are celebratory in nature, Bey decided to use "Buckiin'," with contributions from rapper Shaboozey and producer Pharrell Williams, to slyly call out the Grammys while bragging about her lead caught the trend.
Grammy Awards callout
Although Beyoncé has won the most Grammys in history, she has never won the top award, Album of the Year. She was first nominated in the category in 2009 for "I Am... Sasha Fierce," and has since been nominated for her last three studio albums: 2013's "Beyoncé ," 2016's "Lemonade " and 2022's "Lemonade." "Renaissance ".
Her husband, Jay-Z, gave a shout-out while accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 2024 awards show, as she watched on in support. "I don't want to embarrass this young lady, but she has won more Grammys than anyone else and has never won Album of the Year," he said. "So even by your own standards, this isn't going to work. Think about it."
In the first verse of "Buckiin'," Bay talks about this particular Grammy snub and proudly lays out how she responds to it each time: by making better music. "AOTY, I didn't win, I didn't perform in front of them," she declared. “Take that shit off your chin and come back and screw up your pen.”
Lyrics to "Sweet Honey Baggin"
Read the full lyrics to "Sweet Honey Buckiin'" below.
[Part One: Sweetness]
My heart breaks every time I see you
I miss all our secrets so tell me how you're doing
[ Shabz ]
Lucchese, look at the boots (check)
You can hear when I step (steps)
Bought a Chevy and painted it red
I have too much money to put on the bed
It doesn't matter what no one says
Country Boy Until the Day I Die (Yee-hoo)
You want a cigarette, I'm the Marlboro Man
Cut it off before it gets out of hand, ayy
This isn't Calabasas, we don't need freeways
We can go back (go back)
Honey, have you never ridden a bike?
Get in the stirrups, jump on my saddle (jump on my saddle)
Snakes on my feet, they squawk (oh)
The only thing in the bag is the noose, yeah (get what?)
I'm still up like a ladder (ugh)
And I'm still in the fields like a cow
Cadillac is back on the road and we take Route 44
Just say what you need to buy from the store, oh oh
Put some grits on the stove
Jiffy Cornbread, Loot Corn Fed
Body roll at rodeo
I'm going home
Ride just to let my eyes fall on you
you are a superstar
Everyone drives old and new cars
Turn a bad night into a good time
Cycling along the trails to zydeco
I am going home
[Beyoncé, Shabz , Beyoncé and Shabz ]
I'm going home ( I'm going home, I'm going home )
I'm going home ( I'm going home, I'm going home )
We have come a long way from the difficult journey
From railroads to rodeos, sweet country home
This is for me, this is for me
she left
Ride for your cowboys
Then sprinkle sweet honey on top
[Part 2: Honey]
So come on (So come on) Come with me (Come on with me)
New life (persistence, persistence, persistence)
You're trapped by me (trapped)
All night long (Hold on, hold on, hold on)
Put a flower inside (there is a flower inside)
Trapped with me all night (Stuck with me all night)
[Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams ]
Dear ( us ), hey ( ride ), hey ( travel ), oh ( night )
Dear ( us ), yes ( ride ), yes ( cross ), it tastes like ( night )
Honey ( us ), ayy ( ride ), oh ( cross ), taste like ( night )
Dear ( us ), ayy ( Ridin' ), ayy, think of me
[Part 3: Bucky']
[Beyoncé and Shabz ]
Buckin' ( yeah ), buckin' ( yeah ), buckin' ( yeah ), wow ( yeah )
Buckin' ( yeah ), buckin' ( yeah ), buckin' like a mechanical bull
Ba Jin ( yes ), Ba Jin ( yes ), Ba Jin ( yes ), wow ( yes )
Buckin' ( yeah ), buckin' ( yeah ), goodnight ( yeah ) Flow, the money's full ( yeah )
Look at that horse, look at that horse, look at that horse (look at that horse)
Pretty as Hell, Natural, Dine in Farce (Dine in Farce)
Ba Jin, Ba Jin, wow, Ba Jin ( yeah )
Buckin' (Buckin'), good night, wow, yeah
Your patience is very weak ( ahem )
Your hormones are on the edge ( oh )
You just went in ( ha )
Fuck it, do it again ( Let's go )
AOTY, I didn't win ( let's go )
I don't do stunts on them.
Take that thing on the chin
Come back and mess up the pen ( yeah )
Say something I know will offend ( uh, yeah )
Wear that thing that I know will be the trend ( duh )
Go for a ride in a Bugatti ( oh )
No top, feel the wind on my skin
Oh, oh, oh, snake in the lair ( ugh )
They hiss, don't listen to them ( let's go )
they bite again and again
But when we
Ba Jin ( yes ), Ba Jin ( yes ), Ba Jin ( yes ), wow ( yes )
Buckin' ( yeah ), buckin' ( yeah ), buckin' like a mechanical bull
Ba Jin ( yes ), Ba Jin ( yes ), Ba Jin ( yes ), wow ( yes )
Buckin' ( yeah ), buckin' ( yeah), goodnight flow full of money
Look at that horse, look at that horse, look at that horse (look at that horse)
Gorgeous, natural, eating slapstick, eh
Ba Jin, wow, Ba Jin, Ba Jin ( huh )
They yank on your chains ( yank on your chains )
Promise something they can't do ( something they can't do )
Are you that person at the bank? ( bank )
Are you or are you not? (Are you or are you not?)
Hit the runway, I'm late (Runway, I'm late)
Dad has photos to take ( take, take )
This is my DNA ( Ayy )
Look at my mom, this is a characteristic
Say something I know will offend ( woo )
Wear something that I know will be on trend ( Woo )
Take a ride in a Bugatti
No top, feel the wind on my skin
Oh, ah, buckin', wow
Punch, lunge, lunge like a mechanical bull
