“16 CARRIAGES” marks the start of Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER album rollout. The single was surprise-dropped alongside “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” following the airing of her ‘break the internet’ advertisement during the 58th Super Bowl in partnership with Verizon.

The song is an epic ballad which traverses the emotions and experiences caused by sudden uprooting due to losing innocence at an early age. Taking the structure of a classic country anthem, the song encompasses the themes of loss, faith, resilience, and hardship.