The widely-acclaimed pop star Beyoncé released her seventh studio album back in July of 2022, Renaissance, and has kicked off her highest-grossing tour to date this past May. It's the first of a trilogy that the star plans on releasing, and has been described as a “joyful celebration of life amid undeniable chaos that is intended to get fans dancing again,” by TIME Magazine. Renaissance starkly contrasts with a popular release of hers from 2016, Lemonade, which dealt with heavier subject matter. This new album acts as an embrace of upbeat music, a homage to different cultures, and a testament to Beyoncé’s reputation as an innovator.

The singer-songwriter beautifully paid respect to Black dance music and queer culture, drawing from early-nineties Chicago house music and the drag-ball culture of New York City. She dedicated the album to her late uncle Johnny, who passed away from HIV-related illnesses in the 90s, and whom she credits for exposing her to new styles and cultures. As she described him at the 2019 Vanguard Music Awards, he was “the most fabulous gay man I’d ever met,” as he lived “his truth” in a time when this “country wasn’t as accepting.” She also celebrated other queer artists, crediting DJ/producer Honey Dijon and 90s drag legend Moi Renee, among others.

Beyoncé also incorporated the works of several other artists. She worked with Big Freedia, her longtime friend and New Orleans bounce icon, as well as Grace Jones, Nigerian singer Tems, Drake, Jay-Z, 070 Shake, and Pharrell Williams. Beyoncé was meticulous about who she chose to work with and represent, reportedly having run background checks on each artist to ensure that none had been involved in sexual abuse allegations, illustrating Beyoncé’s commitment to ethical standards in her music production.

Beyonce is a pioneer of sound, devising new ways to challenge herself and discover different facets of her identity. Renaissance is a reflection of this ambition, and her keeping with the times. Uniquely, Renaissance was not accompanied by any music videos or ballads, a common element in her other albums. Critics argue that the reason for this may be that she meant for this album to be listened to with other people, in clubs, dancing and feeling the music. She explained that she wrote Renaissance to “feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving…a place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking.”

Information retrieved from Time Magazine, New Yorker, and Vogue.