July 30, 2022

An Era That’s Here to Stay

Happy Saturday, peeps! I certainly hope you’ve been listening to all the new music that we music fans love to get. Still, I hope you have primarily listened to Beyoncé’s latest project, Renaissance. It’s one day removed from the world premiere, and I’ve fallen deeply in love with this body of work. Renaissance feels more than just like a new era or album. It’s a project, a body of work, a movement, and I adore its influence on self-awareness and acceptance.

Beyoncé’s influence on all things culture continues to captivate and perplex those that undoubtedly can’t seem to figure her out. It’s within these nuances of her personality and her imagery that make and will continue to make Beyoncé virtually peerless. With Renaissance, there’s so much to unpack, and I wholly agree that educational music courses, artists, and overall music fans will delve deeper into the project as time passes.

As her seventh solo project, Renaissance sets the tone that Beyoncé is exploring the second chapter of her career with boldness, self-reflection, passion, and exuberant charisma. Her free-spirited approach to this project has translated for many fans. But what seals my stamp of approval for Renaissance is its unapologetic celebration of communities heavily stolen from and commodified against their standards.

These communities are the LGBTQ+, specifically black LGBTQ+ communities, black womxn, and southern blackness. From the moment you press play on I’m That Girl to the ending chorus of Summer Renaissance, it’s a celebration through and through. Several images have already been imagined through the minds of fans and visual lovers alike because what she’s shown the world is music needs to get back to storytelling and cohesiveness. Most of what’s consumed in the music world is centered around surface-level living and stereotypical worldbuilding.

Personally, it’s been far too long since I’ve heard about a virtually unskippable project. This also makes Renaissance a stand-out project because of its transitions between songs. The story flows seamlessly from one beat to the next to the point that you have to decipher that a new song is playing. Though I know no one can make music like Beyoncé, I hope other artists will take note of her “technique” (Pure/Honey) and incorporate better approaches to music creation. With all that’s happening in the world, music should serve as a release and refuel.

I’m enjoying the movement, and I have a few stand-out faves. But as I listen to the album collectively with Twitter and solo, my faves are shifting, which is why I won’t list a top 5. Act 1 is just the beginning, and the fact that 2 more acts remain leaves me entirely open to receiving everything Beyoncé is ready to serve the world. Check out the project if you’ve been under a rock and not heard it yet, where ever you like to stream your music. Also, if you have not heard Renaissance shout out to you for not listening to the leaks! (Check Beyoncé’s official tweet for the backstory and acknowledgment.)