It might have taken Beyonce six years to drop her seventh full-length album Renaissance on July 29, but it was worth the wait. Anyone reading the headlines, reviews and social media memes that have popped up in the last 24 hours would have noticed how the dance bangers in the 16-track album have been declared as “unapologetically escapist”, “an urgent call to dance”, and an anthem for hot girl summer.
Whether you agree with the general consensus that the album compels you to move and feel alive, there is no doubt that Renaissance – the first release of a three-part album project recorded during the pandemic – is a sonic masterpiece that drips with and flits between different dance genres like disco, house and techno.
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Beyonce exhibits her vocal dexterity on the album with her slick raps, her infectious chants, whispers and croons, all while paying homage to queer and ballroom culture. Anyone familiar with the latter will pick up on the lexicon peppered throughout the album – from the mantra of “Category Is…” on ‘Summer Renaissance’ and ‘Alien Superstar’ to the clacking sound of fans in the track ‘Heated’.
But the album is also a goldmine of hooky, feel-good, brassy and irreverent lyrics which naturally make for great Instagram captions. In this day and age, isn’t that the mark of a true Renaissance woman? Ahead, we highlight some lyrical gems from the album, courtesy of the lyrical videos Queen Bey dropped on YouTube.
