Saddle Up for Renaissance: Act II

Beyoncé galloped into the album rollout for Renaissance: Act II with the surprise drop of two new songs and a peak at her next music video during Super Bowl Sunday, marking her official foray into the country genre. 

The teaser, which aired as a commercial on Sunday, featured the lively banjo-charged song TEXAS HOLD ‘EM, about a night of dancing in a bad-weather-afflicted town. The teaser announced March 29 of this year as the release date for Renaissance: Act II. 

But, fans didn’t have to wait that long to listen to the album. Shortly after, the Houston singer released 16 CARRIAGES, a slower song that takes listeners on a ride through the hardship-filled life of a woman, and the aforementioned teaser trailer song.

Beyoncé created a unique album cover for each song, incorporating chrome elements from her 2022 Renaissance album. 

While both covers feature the singer in a western style hat, she appears in a much bolder and confident stance on the brown, shining cover for TEXAS HOLD ‘EM, which is listed as track one in her next album on her website. For track two, 16 CARRIAGES, she stares out from the cover in black and white portrait photo that conveys the emotion and spirit of the song’s lyrics. 

The aesthetic disparity between both covers seems to suggest that Renaissance: Act II will be more dynamic, in terms of song variation, compared to the first edition, which explored many topics with its lyrics, but maintained a consistent rhythm throughout. 

This isn’t the first time Beyoncé dips into the country genre. She is from Texas after all. 

In 2016 she released Daddy Lessons within her acclaimed album, Lemonade. On Spotify, this song is the fourth most popular song from the album. And though Beyoncé established her roots as an r&b artist, she has proven her ability to bend and blend genres with Lemonade and Renaissance. Now, with her hints at a full fledged country album, most fans rightfully expect another groundbreaking bookmark in her discography. 

And she’s likely to continue breaking ground with Renaissance: Act III. In July of last year, she confirmed that Renaissance would be a trilogy through her website.

But, before we get there, hold your horses and send us a tweet sharing your thoughts on Beyoncé’s country era.