Wait, hasn't Beyonce released music since 2016?
Yes, but not a solo album. She released a joint album with husband Jay-Z in 2018, Everything Is Love (which included the single 'Apesh*t', complete with a music video set in the Louvre museum in Paris). She also curated the soundtrack for Disney's 2019 The Lion King remake, as well as releasing the single 'Be Alive' for the 2021 Will Smith film, King Richard.
However, RENAISSANCE would be her first solo album in six years, the long-awaited 'B7'.
When is RENAISSANCE releasing in Australia?
Bey updated her social media bios to read "7.29", which is obviously July 29. For Australians, that might mean we need to wait until early afternoon to listen.
Why were there rumours Beyoncé's new album was coming?
Beyoncé perfected the art of the unannounced album drop, so fans — a.k.a. the Beyhive — are primed to notice hints a new album might be on its way. (However, it appears that with RENAISSANCE, Bey is going down the more traditional route of hyping up media attention before a publicly scheduled release.)
Rumours went into overdrive when she joined TikTok last year. For someone who doesn't use social media much, why join TikTok unless you had an album to promote?
There was also this quote she gave to Harper's Bazaar last year: "With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again," she said. "I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible. I’ve been in the studio for a year and a half."
