After 6 years from her latest solo album and after a glorious album with husband JayZ, 2022 marks Beyoncé’s return with a new 16-songs record, Renaissance.
Beyoncé is back
The date of the huge return of the queen herself has finally arrived: Beyoncé is back. And she didn’t miss the chance to make her comeback as glorious as it could be.
As the first album of an announced trilogy, Renaissance is the new single from the wonderful Beyonce. Although there was not as much expectation as there was for previous albums, Renaissance is a great continuation of the singer’s musical journey and the confirmation (once again) of her icon status. And despite it has been 6 years since her “last” album release, the vibes are still immaculate.
With the ability to always work her way through generations and grow and progress as years pass, Beyoncé just made a record of 16 club bangers.
The album presents hits like “BREAK MY SOUL,” previously released as the only single from the album. Also “ALIEN SUPERSTAR” deserves an honourable mention among the others: the song is in fact one of the best as for the singer’s vocal performance. As well as “VIRGO’S GROOVE,” “ENERGY” proves again her incredible uniqueness and performing abilities, with grandiose vocal lines.
The Anti-American American We Need
In Renaissance there are many bangers, but nothing comes close to “CHURCH GIRL.” The irony, the pride and the delivery are on point,
I’m warning everybody, soon as I get in this party
I’m gon’ let go of this body, I’m gonna love on me
Nobody can judge me but me
I was born free (Ooh)[…] Twirl that ass like you came up out the South, girl (Uh, uh)
I said now drop it like a thottie, drop it like a thottie (You bad)
Bad girl acting naughty, church girl, don’t hurt nobodyYou can be my daddy if you want to (You bad)
Also “ENERGY” earns its spot on the podium. Lyrics such as “Them Karens just turned into terrorists” have already become the centre of the internet enthusiasm for this long awaited release.
Both the songs are a description of the “Anti-American” woman Beyoncé impersonates. In fact, what makes the album cohesive is the presentation of Beyoncé as the “anti-Karen” – the embodiment of the entitled white, Christian, privileged woman of today’s America.
Beyoncé is in fact far from this stereotypical white-privileged person. As she repeatedly mentioned through Renaissance, she is more
“We was just chillin’, mindin’ our business
Poppin’ our pain and champagne through the ceiling
Sippin’ it up, flickin’ it up
All this good energy got you all in your feelings, feelings.”
The release is certainly a good representation of what Beyoncé anticipated. According to what the singer herself said, hedonism and the romanticization of life in abundance is the center of her work. And it is well represented within the 16 songs.
The intention of making something that represents her sense of freedom is evident in the entirety of Renaissance. As the singer mentioned to Harper’s Bazaar in 2021: “With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love and laugh again. I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible.”
What did we get?
Although Renaissance is not the singer’s best album, it is still a great continuation of what the singer has released so far. The repetition of perhaps too similar musical lines and the 90s-diva-vibes-lookalike that seem made just to resemble a commercial hit, are probably what stopped this album from being one of Beyoncé’s best. On the other hand, the singer’s incomparable voice is still what makes her releases so unique and inevitably great. Maybe not the best, but Queen B is still Queen B.
How do you feel about Beyoncé’s huge return? Let us know in the comments!
Wow, this blogger is seriously impressive!