Revisiting Beyonce's Renaissance

Jazz Williams
5 minutes ago
3 min read

Beyonce Renaissance Cover Art — Credit: Spotify

Before Act 3 (whenever it arrives) graces our earholes, I wanted to go back and review Acts 1 and 2. To give a little background about the three act project, Beyonce created this project as a way of reclaiming genres that had originated with black people. Act 1 was considered the best album of 2022 topping over 20 publications’ year-end lists. It was added to the Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, made her the first black female artist to win the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album, and gave her many other deserving accolades. Four years later, is the album worth all the hype it received back then? Let’s enter Beyonce’s world and find out…

I'M THAT GIRL
COZY
ALIEN SUPERSTAR
CUFF IT
ENERGY
BREAK MY SOUL
CHURCH GIRL
PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA
VIRGO'S GROOVE
MOVE
HEATED
THIQUE
ALL UP IN YOUR MIND
AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM
PURE/HONEY
SUMMER RENAISSANCE

Launched into a surreal atmosphere, the first thing you hear is “Please, motherfuckers ain’t stoppin’ me” on repeat. I’m That Girl gives us a brief look into the sound and meaning behind the album before she blasts off into the black pride anthem of Cozy and headbanger Energy. The middle of the album, Plastic Off The Sofa and Virgo’s Groove, slows down a little bit allowing her vocals to shine and showing the decades of technical expertise she has perfected. The most iconic string of music occurs towards the end of the album. She bounces from sassy in Heated and sexy in Thique to All Up In Your Mind, one of her most hype and danceworthy songs, and America Has a Problem which showcases her best rapping skills. She sends this timeless project off into the sunset with the ethereal, disco track, Summer Renaissance.

Renaissance is a dance album infused with house, pop, R&B, disco, soul, and funk. Escapism, self-expression, and pleasure are amongst the album’s main themes. I'll describe it as equal parts horny, goofy, and savage. Each song is its own soundscape, yet they seamlessly flow into each other without sounding repetitive. The lyrics are unique and quotable (I personally could quote them everyday). She was able to create a rhythmic atmosphere that celebrated blackness and queerness. It’s beautifully written and produced from the vocal arranagement to the engineering to the musical composition. I have not listened to a more perfectly crafted piece of work from start to finish. After seeing it live, it quickly surpassed Lemonade as my favorite album of hers (I also believe it's her definitive best album) due to the unmatchable ambiance and high energy that itches every scratch for me. It’s so versatile that my favorite songs change every time I listen to it. As of today, my top five consists of All Up In Your Mind, America Has A Problem, Cozy, Thique, and Energy.

Many of the songs interpolated songs by other black artists, mostly by ones who’ve been previously overlooked. I loved learning about ballroom culture and how the black and Latine queer communities created that culture to be a safe space. In 2023, she embarked on the world tour which elevated the album even further. She broke numerous records and barriers including highest grossing tour of all time by a black artist. She contributed to local and national economies by increasing tourism and overall economic activity equally comparable to the summer olympics. She also created fashion trends ushering in worldwide demand for metallic and silver outfits with fashion designers, small businesses, and other celebrities taking part. Even local politicans were declaring “Beyonce Day” in their respective cities. Dubbed the “Beyonce effect”, the entire era was a sociocultural phenomenon. A historic moment for black and LGBTQ+ people that is never to be misunderstood nor forgotten ever again.

Written By Jazz