Beyoncé has officially released her seventh studio album Renaissance amid fan excitement, a reported leak and some controversy.
Released on Friday (29 July) at midnight, Renaissance is Beyoncé’s first solo album since 2016’s Lemonade. The Grammy winner and cultural phenomenon shared the full 16-track list a week prior to the album’s release.
It includes songs such as “Alien Superstar” in which Beyoncé claims her status as “one of one” and “number one”, “America has a problem” and “Break My Soul” – which began the promotional run for Renaissance and was released on 21 June.
“Break My Soul” was recently featured on former US president Barack Obama’s annual summer playlist, as fans praised the track for its “positivity and light”.
Ahead of the album release, Beyoncé posted a statement about the making of Renaissance to her website.
Describing it as a “three-act project” that was recorded over “three years during the pandemic”, Beyoncé said Renaissance “allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving”.
She thanked her children Rumi, Sir and Blue Ivy for “allowing me space, creativity and inspiration” to create the album, before “extending a special thanks to my beautiful husband and muse” Jay-Z “who held me down during those late nights in the studio”.
“A big thank you to my uncle Johnny, he was my godmother and the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and culture that serve as inspiration for this album,” she continued, crediting her uncle who she has previously described as “the most fabulous gay man I’ve ever known”.
“He was brave and unapologetic during a time when this country wasn’t as accepting,” she had said, while accepting the Vanguard honour at the GLAAD Media Awards in 2019.
“Witnessing his battle with HIV was one of the most painful experiences I’ve ever lived,” Beyoncé continued, adding, “I’m hopeful that his struggles serve to open pathways for other young people to live more freely. LGBTQI rights are human rights.”
Finally, addressing the Beyhive in her statement ahead of the release of Renaissance, Beyoncé said she hoped her fans “find joy in this music”.
“I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.”
Fans have already declared Renaissance “one of Beyoncé’s best albums” since it was released, as many other urged people not to leak the album after it was spotted in stores two days ahead of its official release.
Hours before the album’s release, Kelis claimed she was sampled on Renaissance without permission and alleged the album was “theft”.
The album includes a song titled “Energy”, which samples Kelis’s 2000 track “Get Along With You”.
A recent Instagram post by an account named kelistrends recently shared an old photo of Kelis and Beyoncé, alongside the caption, “@Beyonce’s Renaissance album will include a @kelis sample on the song ‘Energy’”, followed by the mindblown emoji.
Under her verified account, the 42-year-old singer and chef commented on the post alleging “it’s not a collab it’s theft”.
“My mind is blown too because the level of disrespect and utter ignorance of all 3 parties involved is astounding,” Kelis wrote in a separate comment.
“I heard about this the same way everyone else did. Nothing is ever as it seems, some of the people in this business have no soul or integrity and they have everyone fooled.”
Beyoncé on the cover of Renaissance, seated atop a luminous horse
