Six years later and Queen Bey is reborn.
Beyoncé released her seventh studio album, Renaissance, on Friday after announcing the record in mid-June. A mix of disco, dancehall and electronic music with club nostalgia, the hour-long album has 16 tracks, giving fans of the pop superstar something to eat.
Renaissance, which follows Beyonce’s 2016 studio album Lemonade, is the first act of a three-part project, according to the singer’s website. It’s a departure from the visual-forward style of Beyonce’s previous two albums, which were accompanied by short films and album music videos.
The album artwork, revealed last month, depicts Beyonce sitting atop a holographic horse wearing glittering body jewelry.
After recording it for the better part of three years, mostly during the pandemic, Beyonce told fans that the album was a creative escape for her during a difficult time and that she hopes listening to it will be a liberating experience.
“Making this album allowed me a place to dream and find an escape during a scary time for the world,” the 40-year-old pop star wrote on Instagram in June. “It allowed me to feel free and adventurous at a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment.”
CBC News breaks down the long-awaited release: contributors, reviews and everything.
Canadian producers on two tracks
Beyond contributions from Drake, NOVA, Skrillex, Pharrell, and The-Dream, Renaissance interpolates hits from the likes of Diana Ross, Robin S., and Grace Jones.
In a statement on her website, Beyonce thanked her children and husband Jay-Z, whom she referred to as her “muse.”
When the album’s first single BREAK MY SOUL was released in late June, fans noted that, amid a sample of Robin S.’s 1990 club classic Show Me Love, the empowering lyrics were equal parts liberating and stimulants
The rest of the album, as diverse as it is sonically, is full of that feeling.
CUFF IT is a funky disco track in which Beyonce proclaims she wants to go “where no one’s been,” while VIRGO’S GROOVE, the album’s six-minute centerpiece, is an ecstatic ode to the “love of my life”.
MOVE is a delightfully bossy, no-nonsense number that teams Beyonce with Grace Jones and Afrobeat artist Tems, while SUMMER RENAISSANCE samples Donna Summer’s 1977 hit I Feel Love.
The album’s Drake-produced track, HEATED, credits three other great Canadian talents: Toronto’s Boi-1da, one of the country’s most prolific record producers; as well as Sevn Thomas, who has worked with Rihanna, Travis Scott and Nicki Minaj; and Mississauga’s Neenyo, whose previous credits include tracks with Drake, Future and PARTYNEXTDOOR.
Third track ALIEN SUPERSTAR features Montreal producer Dave Hamelin as a collaborator, who counts Jessie Reyez, Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip among his previous collaborators.
CBC News reached out to those four producers but did not hear back.
‘It’s not a collaboration. it’s theft’
An artist says she wasn’t consulted before Beyonce premiered her song.
R&B singer Kelis took to Instagram on Friday to express her disappointment that her 2003 hit Milkshake was featured on the fifth track on the Energy album without her permission.
The song was co-produced by Pharrell and Chad Hugo, who, under the moniker The Neptunes, have been a producing duo since the early 90s.
Pharrell and Hugo often worked with Kelis. She says they and Beyonce should have asked her permission before using the song.
“My mind is also blown because the level of disrespect and complete ignorance from all three parties involved is astounding,” Kelis said on Instagram. “I’ve heard about this the same way everyone has. Nothing is what it seems, some of the people in this business have no soul or integrity and have everyone fooled.”
“It’s not a collaboration, it’s a steal,” Kelis later commented on her post.
Renaissance had a small bump in the road two days before its official launch when it leaked online. Many fans refrained from listening, and Beyonce thanked them for sticking to the album’s planned release date in a statement on her website.
“I can’t thank you enough for your love and protection,” she wrote.