Singer-songwriter Beyoncé has solidified herself as a household name throughout her career. She’s known for pop hits, R&B ballads, and most recently, house music featured on her album Renaissance. Renaissance was announced as a three-part album after the first act was released in 2022.
In Act One of Renaissance, Beyoncé’s exploration of house music paid homage to the Harlem Ballroom scene, a space where black queer culture thrived. She was inspired by her Uncle Johnny, who introduced her to the genre when she was young. Johnny was extremely close with Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson, which led to him being a very influential figure in the singer’s life. She even references him in her song “HEATED” when she sings, “Uncle Johnny made my dress,” referring to the time he made her prom dress.
With nearly two years since the release of Act One of Renaissance, fans grew impatient as they excitedly anticipated the next act. Some even joked that the whole idea of a trilogy was a trick Beyoncé was playing on fans. Rumors had been circulating that she would break into the country genre with the next album, fueled mostly by her collaboration with The Chicks on her song “Daddy Lessons” in 2016, which they performed at the 2016 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards.
As a girl who grew up on country music and a Beyoncé fan who was lucky enough to see her perform in Atlanta last summer, these rumors were very serious to me. I’ve always believed that the singer has the range to excel in any genre she enters, and her experience with country music in “Daddy Lessons” proves that her talent translates to the genre.
During Super Bowl LVIII, a Verizon ad featuring Queen Bey herself aired and showed her doing different stunts with the goal of “breaking the internet.” She succeeded in doing so after the ad ended with her saying “Drop the new music,” which caused my friends and I, who were watching, to simultaneously whip our heads towards each other, sharing the same shocked expressions.
We found it hard to believe she’d release new music that same night, until she posted a video teaser on her social media pages a few minutes later. It announced that her new single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” was out. “16 Carriages” was also released that same night along with the announcement that Act Two of Renaissance is going to be a country album released on March 29.
As a Texan woman, Beyoncé has undoubtedly been around country music throughout her childhood; this new album is a fresh new avenue in her career that will show that experience. As I said, I’m a country music fan and very curious about how the rest of the album will sound, considering “Texas Hold ‘Em” is an upbeat and catchy song driven by a guitar and thumping beat. “16 Carriages” is more of a ballad that perfectly captures the pain of classic country.
There are Western influences on the songs that have been released so far, but I have to wonder how much of country music’s dimensions will be reached. The possibilities are endless: will there be Appalachian influence, American folk, or country rock? There have also been rumors of another collaboration with The Chicks or even country music’s latest sweetheart, Kacey Musgraves, but none of these are confirmed.
Either way, no matter what avenue Beyoncé takes with the rest of Act Two of Renaissance, I already know I’ll have it on repeat all summer. I’m beyond excited that one of my favorite artists is crossing over into my favorite genre and bringing this type of music to her fans, especially those who may not have been exposed to much country music before.
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