For eight years, the Met Gala has been missing Beyoncé. This evening, the singer kept her absence streak going. Why? She’s keeping that business to herself.

The Cowboy Carter singer shared an Instagram photo of herself in Japan the weekend before Monday’s Met Gala, though it’s unclear when the photos were initially taken. Regardless, Beyoncé has certainly been jet-setting on the other side of the world while promoting Cowboy Carter, keeping her many miles from the Met.

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Beyoncé was last photographed at the Met Gala in 2016, wearing her beloved nude Givenchy Haute Couture gown for the event’s “Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology” theme.

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This year, the singer’s focus has instead been on releasing and promoting Cowboy Carter, the second act of her three-act music project. She introduced the album on Instagram in March, and explained why she opted for a country project. She wrote:

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the supporters of TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES, [the album’s first two singles]. I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart. That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant.

This album has been over five years in the making. 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. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.

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.

I have a few surprises on the album, and have collaborated with some brilliant artists who I deeply respect. 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.

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. This is a “Beyoncé” album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!