For weeks, Queen Bey’s Renaissance has had the hive buzzing for its highly anticipated July 29 release.
The wait is over. Today, fans can start bopping the Houston native’s comeback album on all major streaming platforms — just in time for the weekend, too.
As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, Renaissance was first announced as “Act I” of an upcoming saga, but the album’s liner notes confirm that Beyoncé will follow it up with
at least two more “acts.” The project, which was released from her own label, Parkwood Entertainment, and Columbia Records, comes at a unique time as different forms of dance music — Jersey club, disco, house, UK garage, and more — are screaming “here to stay.”The multi-Grammy award-winning songstress hasn’t dropped a solo album of new work in the past six years, since Lemonade. However, she did share that all the music was created during a creative journey, amid the overwhelming rise of COVID; and that it was inspired by her children, her husband, and her team.
Renaissance unveils Beyoncé’s journey of exploring love, lust, and liberation in the COVID age. She nods to queer culture and representation, inspired by her godmother, Uncle Jonny, and unapologetically embraces her lusty freedom.
As a fierce dancer herself, the esteemed singer delivers the dance fever on her tracks. From house jams like “Break My Soul” to club energy anthems like “Move,” the hive won’t be sleeping this weekend.
Collaborators on the album include Tems, Jay-Z, Grace Jones, The-Dream, Nile Rodgers, NOVA, NO ID, Raphael Saadiq, Mike Dean, Honey Dijon, Chris Penny, Luke Solomon, Skrillex, Beam, and Big Freedia. They’ve all added to the project’s essence in their own way.
Beyoncé
took to social media ahead of the official release to let her fans know that the album leaked. But that didn’t phase her none. She thanked her supporters who waited until the actual album release, saying “I’ve never seen anything like it” and she thanked them all for their “love and protection.”In a short clip, she also teased her followers with vinyl covers. It includes two black, limited-edition vinyl LPs, a 36-page booklet, and a folded collectable (24”x 36”) poster, according to her website
.