Take off your cowboy hats, because Beyoncé is going country, or so you—or at least fans—think. The beehive is buzzing with speculation about the singer's upcoming country album.
When "Renaissance" is released in July 2022, the album title will be preceded by a mysterious "Act One" moniker, with Bey confirming that it's the first part of a "three-act project" she's been working on for over three years, leaving fans We are curious about the next two scenes to come.
Thanks to some reports and hints from Beyoncé herself, fans immediately suspected that the "Second Act" album would lean toward a country style, similar to how dance and house music influenced the Renaissance . Speculations reached new heights when the singer attended the 2024 Grammy Awards wearing a western-inspired outfit.
Bey previously flirted with country music with "Daddy Lessons" from her 2016 album Lemonade . Later that year, she remixed the blues-tinged song with The Chicks and performed with the band at the 2016 Country Music Awards. Now, maybe it's time for her to become a mature cowgirl. Read on to find out why the Beyhive thinks Beyoncé's country album is coming soon.
ivy park rodeo
One of Beyoncé's Ivy Park collaborations with Adidas is specifically country-themed - a 2021 collection called Rodeo. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Bey said the collection was inspired by the "overlooked history" of black cowboys in America, whom she saw at rodeos in Houston as a child.
"Many of them, originally known as cattlemen, suffered great discrimination and were often forced to work with the worst, most ill-tempered horses," she wrote. "Over time, these black rodeos have showcased incredible performers and helped us reclaim our place in Western history and culture."
In the ad campaign, she spotlighted some real-life cowboys, including actor Glynn Turman and country artist Orville Peck.
Jimmie Allen hints at country music
The first hint that Beyonce was making country music came from singer Jimmie Allen, who called Beyonce a dream collaborator in a 2021 interview with Billboard .
"There were rumors that she wanted to make a country song or a country record," he said. "Listen, Beyoncé: I'm here. Let's do it."
Renaissance Confirmation
In June 2022, a month before the release of "Renaissance , " Variety reported that Beyoncé had recorded country music. At the time, the outlet said Bey's new album "will contain dance and country songs," but said it was unclear whether those country songs would appear "as a separate album or as part of the first version of Renaissance ."
As fans will find out next month, the genre won't be found in "Renaissance," Except for the discom horse (named Rene) on the cover and the singer's mirrored cowboy hat in promotional images. This only fueled speculation that "Second Act" might be a country-style album.
Renaissance Journey Visual Effects
Renaissance World Tour also contains cryptic glimpses of country-inspired imagery. In a December interview with British Vogue, set designer Es Devlin confirmed that these specific visuals have special meaning to Bey and may have been inspired by her CMA performance.
"I think she had a really bad experience at the Country Music Awards and she wanted to explore her African-American roots," Devlin said. "She discovered that in the 19th and early 20th centuries, 50 percent of cowboys were black, and country music was certainly heavily appropriated. She wanted to reinterpret Americana and country music from a black perspective."
Bey's 2024 Grammys Look
Beyoncé attended the 2024 Grammy Awards to support her husband Jay-Z, who received the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. But her outfit attracted more attention, especially from the Hive.
Bay wore a sparkly plaid button-down shirt, paired with a Western-style bolo tie and a giant white cowboy hat. If that doesn't make the nation scream, nothing will.
