Credit: Pretty Hurts
The remarkable career of Beyonce continues.
The singer/songwriter seemingly reinvents herself with each album she releases; her Lemonade album beautifully eclectic music and visuals together that displayed power themes of race, feminism, love, honor, and respect, and the evolution of the artist showcased again how versatile Beyonce is when it comes to her craft and artistry. However, that was back in 2016, and fans wondered when Beyonce would release her next album. The Crazy in Love singer gave hints of a new album in her interview with Harper’s Bazaar, notably discussing possible themes for her seventh album:
“With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are 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. I’ve been in the studio for a year and a half,” she says. “Sometimes, it takes a year for me to personally search through thousands of sounds to find just the right kick or snare. One chorus can have up to 200 stacked harmonies. Still, there’s nothing like the amount of love, passion, and healing that I feel in the recording studio. After 31 years, it feels just as exciting as it did when I was nine years old. Yes, the music is coming!
“With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are 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. I’ve been in the studio for a year and a half,” she says. “Sometimes, it takes a year for me to personally search through thousands of sounds to find just the right kick or snare. One chorus can have up to 200 stacked harmonies. Still, there’s nothing like the amount of love, passion, and healing that I feel in the recording studio. After 31 years, it feels just as exciting as it was when I was nine. Yes, the music is coming!”
Credit: Christopher Polk
The music came about a year later as the R&B star surprisingly dropped Renaissance on July 29th. The first entry in a three-part trilogy smashed records again, proving why the artist is such a powerhouse within the industry. Renaissance became Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day by a female artist in 2022 thus far. The streaming platform didn’t release the official numbers, but it was reported that Renaissance garnered an astounding 43.25 million streams. Plus, every single track on the album hit Spotify’s top 25, seven of them taking a spot in the top 10.
However, that isn’t the only record that Beyonce’s studio album set as her physical sales set the music charts on fire as Renaissance opened at the No. 1 spot with 332,ooo first-week units. It’s Beyonce’s seventh solo number one. Renaissance is the highest first-week sales for a female artist in 2022. It’s the second biggest album drop thus far, with Harry’s House maintaining the top spot with 521,000. Because the year saw Adele, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, and Future release albums, with is an impressive feat. The artist has been riding solo since 2003’s Grammy-winning debut, Dangerously Love, and Beyonce continues to be a timeless force despite being in the business for over 20 years.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that Beyonce is slowing down, as Beyonce is releasing two more albums as part of a three-act structure with Renaissance, “This three-act project was recorded over three years during the pandemic. A time to be still, but also a time I found to be the most creative,” she wrote in a letter to her fans. “I intended to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom.”
Credit: Life is a Dream
There’s no word on when Beyonce plans to drop the next album, nor is there any name for her second project. Renaissance has garnered a nice buzz, and the seventh studio entry will likely receive love from the Grammy in 2023. The artist holds the record for the most wins at the prestigious awards event, notably taking home the best contemporary R&B album, best R&B song, best female R&B vocal performance, and song of the year. However, despite her many awards, Beyonce has never taken home album of the year. The artist continues to push the envelope with each album, but unfortunately, the Grammy voters have yet to give Beyonce the top honors. Perhaps that will change next year, though, to be fair, she’ll be competing in a tough category once again.
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