Beyoncé Releases New Album ‘Renaissance’
Beyoncé has released her seventh solo studio album, Renaissance, which is said to be the first part of a trilogy. The LP has been described as a homage to disco music and ballroom culture, as well as a celebration of emancipation, joy, and sex. Apart from its lead single “Break My Soul,” which has spent several weeks inside the top10 of Billboard Hot100, the record brings collaborations with Grace Jones and Teams on the track “Move,” and with Beam on the cut “Energy.” The latter has been altered after its release due to a supposedly unauthorized interpolation of Kelis 2003’s hit “Milkshake.”
The LP is a deep dive into the exploration of dance music. “Pure/Honey” samples two ‘90s dance songs: “Cunty” by Kevin Aviance and “Miss Honey” by late drag queen Moi Renee, both beloved gay icons. Third track “Alien Superstar” samples Foremost Poets’ “Moonraker,” Danube Dance’s “Unique (featuring Kim Cooper)” and the famous “I'm Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred. Many other songs on Renaissance sample iconic dance songs but perhaps the most impressive one is “Summer Renaissance,” which has arguably the most creative reinvention of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love.”
The vinyl for Renaissance is being sold with an alternate cover: it shows the singer mounted on a horse and wearing a cowboy hat, with a renaissance paint as background. The official artwork has the singer mounted on the same sequined horse in front of a solid black background. Both artworks allude to the disco sonority on the record. The album is set to land at #1 on Billboard 200, becoming Bey’s 7th studio album to debut atop the chart consecutively, and making her the first female artist to achieve that. As of now, no music videos have been released for any of the tracks on the album, nor has a tour been announced.
Listen to Renaissance:
