Renaissance (Beyoncé album)
2022 studio album by Beyoncé / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Renaissance (also referred to as Act I: Renaissance) is the seventh studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on July 29, 2022, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Her first solo studio release since Lemonade (2016) and the first installment of her trilogy project, Beyoncé wrote and produced the album with Nova Wav, The-Dream, Symbolyc One, A. G. Cook, Honey Dijon, Beam, Tricky Stewart, BloodPop, Skrillex, Hit-Boy, No I.D., P2J and various other collaborators. Beam, Grace Jones and Tems appear as guest vocalists.
Renaissance | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 29, 2022 | |||
Recorded | 2020–2021 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 62:14 | |||
Language | English | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Beyoncé chronology | ||||
| ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
Singles from Renaissance | ||||
| ||||
Beyoncé conceived and recorded Renaissance during the COVID-19 pandemic, seeking to inspire joy and escapism in listeners who had experienced isolation and to celebrate a club era in which marginalized people sought liberation through dance music. With its songs seamlessly arranged like a DJ mix, the album blends post-1970s Black dance music styles such as disco and house and pays homage to the Black and queer pioneers of those genres. The album's lyrical content explores themes of escapism, hedonism, self-assurance and self-expression.
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, Beyoncé's seventh consecutive album to do so, and is certified platinum. It also reached number one in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The platinum-certified lead single "Break My Soul" was released on June 20, 2022, and reached number one on several charts worldwide, including the US Billboard Hot 100. The album's second single "Cuff It" peaked in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and internationally.
The album received universal acclaim from music critics for its eclectic yet cohesive sound, joyous mood, and Beyoncé's vocal performance. It became the best-rated album of 2022, named the best album of the year by publications such as the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, NPR, Pitchfork, and Rolling Stone, which would later place the record at number 71 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.[3] Renaissance and its songs garnered nine nominations at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards (including Album of the Year) and won four awards, including Best Dance/Electronic Album, making Beyoncé the most awarded artist in the Grammy Awards history. In promotion of the album, Beyoncé embarked on the Renaissance World Tour, and released an accompanying documentary concert film. The second installment of the trilogy, Cowboy Carter, was released on March 29, 2024.