New music is on the way from Beyoncé. On Wednesday, the singer confirmed via joint social media posts that what appears to be her next solo album, Renaissance, will release on Friday, July 29. Renaissance will mark the singer’s seventh studio album and will mark the follow-up to her wildly acclaimed 2016 album Lemonade.
The new album was confirmed Wednesday night when the video streaming platform Tidal tweeted three simple words – “Beyoncé RENAISSANCE July 29.” The tweet also included a photo of a black background with the words “act i Renaissance.” The official Spotify and Apple Music accounts shared similar posts. Apple Music’s pre-add function reveals the project will consist of 16 tracks, though the titles of each of the songs have yet to be revealed. It is also unclear if “act i” means the singer intends to release more “acts” following the initial July 29 release or if it means the 16 songs will be released in multiple parts. Meanwhile, Beyoncé’s website is currently offering four Renaissance box sets for pre-order. The box sets include a CD, a 28-page photo booklet, a mini poster, and one of several different t-shirts. The product “begins shipping July 29th upon album release.”
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Confirmation that new music is on the way comes after fans began speculating last week that an album could be in the works. According to Page Six, after the Grammy-winner’s profile pictures were removed from her YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok pages, many fans noticed that her social media platforms were wiped clean. On Wednesday, her profile pictures and bios were replaced with the words “act i RENAISSANCE 7.29.”
Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar in 2021, Beyoncé teased that she was working on new music. She told the outlet, “I feel a renaissance emerging.” She continued, “With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again. I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible.”
If Renaissance is a full-length solo studio album, it will be Beyoncé’s seventh. Her most recent album, Lemonade, was released in 2016 and led the Billboard 200 chart, marking her sixth solo No. 1. Since its release, the musician has released a number of other creative projects, such as work on Disney’s Lion King (2019), the concert film Homecoming (2019), and the visual album Black Is King (2020).
