On July 29, 2022, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter took America – and the rest of the world – by storm with the release of her seventh studio album, Renaissance. With tributes to the Black Queer roots of ballroom culture, the album contains house and disco music alongside Beyoncé’s sinister vocals that seem to get better with every song. This album will have you singing the same line over and over again, only to find a new one to sing on your next listen.
Renaissance, being Beyoncé’s first proper studio album since 2016, did not come to disappoint with its follow-up to Lemonade’s vulnerable, empowering visuals. With her new release, Beyoncé shows her vulnerability in a different light. Beyoncé creates a safe haven within every song by expressing herself and her true persona. In this album, she explores music as an art form through dance, joy, sex, self expression, and love. Songs like “CUFF IT” and “ENERGY” have effortless transitions, proving that they were made to be listened to back-to-back. Beyoncé once said, “people don’t make albums anymore…they just make quick little singles… they burn out and they put out a new one and they burn out and they put out a new one.” Beyoncé is no hypocrite with this critique. Renaissance is one of the greatest, if not the best, albums released this year so far. I mean, what other artist would make a song titled “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” in which they infer that they are the problem. No one! Except Beyoncé herself.
This album is fun, experimental, legendary, and as the artist herself would describe, “CUNTY.” There is a song for everyone, with slowed down songs like “PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA,” and the A.G. Cook produced, hyperpop-esque “ALL UP IN YOUR MIND.” Beyoncé did not come to play with “Renaissance”, and we should all look out for the release of the next two parts of her album trilogy.. For all the reasons stated above, I have to give Renaissance by Beyoncé 5/5 Big Oles. This album is Ole approved.
5/5 Big Oles
