Listen: Beyoncé: Renaissance Album Stream

Beyonce’s much-anticipated Renaissance album comes weeks after she released the house track “Break My Soul” on the Summer Solstice. She told Harper’s Bazaar last year she was working on her next album and planned to make it a place of safe escape after so much isolation and injustice in 2020. The cover of Renaissance is an ode to John Collier’s Lady Godiva painting and Bianca Jagger’s horse ride into famed New York club Studio 54. Beyonce credits her late gay uncle Johnny for introducing her to the world and culture of dance music which is the main source of inspiration for Renaissance. The album is blended liked a mixtape and feels like one long night at the club.  Syd, The Dream, Hit-Boy and Honey Dijon are among the personnel who helped bring Beyoncé’s vision to life. The changes to Renaissance make no difference in its potency as a much-needed club respite and necessary dance music history lesson. The only real question now is when will Beyoncé take Renaissance on tour and what will the videos look like.