Hive, rejoice! Just days before Beyoncé dropped the Renaissance , she revealed that fans will be getting three installments of this artistic era. "This three-act project was recorded during the pandemic and took three years," Beyoncé confirmed. "A quiet time, but also a time that I find most creative. Creating this album gave me a place to dream and find an escape during a scary time in the world. It allowed me to be there when nothing else could It feels freeing and adventurous when it happens.”
Beyoncé added that her purpose "is to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place without perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, to release, to feel free. It's a beautiful exploration journey of."
When she initially announced the launch of Renaissance in June, she deleted her social media profile photos to signal to eagle-eyed fans that Queen Bey was about to launch new products. Even before that, she even slyly teased a revival coming in 2021 ("I feel like there's a revival coming"). So we can't help but be on high alert for any signs that Beyoncé may be releasing music soon.
From potential release dates to what the next installment might be (think visual albums similar to her Lemonade days), here's what we know about the upcoming Second Act album.
Act 2 release date
When it comes to album releases, Beyoncé releases music without any promotion or teaser to her fans, which often sends them into unexpected madness. This unexpected release strategy is now known as "La Beyoncé" whenever other artists try it. However, with Renaissance Act I , she gave us a month or so from announcement to release to prepare ourselves physically and emotionally. So it's unclear whether she decided to announce the album as a big surprise on the day it was released, or announced it weeks before.
Fans are already speculating when the next album will be released. "The last song on Beyoncé's new album Summer Renaissance is Act One (in the summer)...does that mean Act Two might be coming in the fall?" Twitter user @DaNayNayyy theorized.
Of her seven studio albums, Beyonce released three in the fall: September 2006's "B'Day ," November 2008's "I Am... Sasha Fierce" and 2013's Beyoncé . Second Act may be her next fall album and will be released in 2013. Just in time for holiday shoppers.
A press release from Act One states that a visual album is imminent. It's unclear when it will drop, or if this will be a second act .
Act 2 theme and significance
Many fans thought Second Act was just another album. But what if Bey has another type of project on the horizon? "Maybe by 'this three-act project,' Beyoncé means the album is the first act, the visuals are the second act, and the tour is the third act..." suggested Twitter user @PhenomenallyME3, referring to the absence of A factual video of the music was released along with the rest of the first act . Six years ago, when she released her solo album Lemonade , she released an hour-long music video.
Another fan came up with the idea of making it a documentary instead of an album. One Reddit user speculated that "The second act will be a movie with songs inserted like Lemonade, while the third act will be a stage show for the tour." Others suggested that perhaps the follow-up to the first act will be a remix album .
When Beyoncé announced Renaissance , some thought it might be a four-act project, with the horse visuals on the album cover hinting at the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. However, three act announcements put that speculation to rest.
Act 2 track list and singles
If Act II is indeed an album, we don't yet know what the tracklist is or how many songs are on it. Apple Music dropped the skeleton of the Act One tracklist weeks ahead of the release of the official full list, which features 16 songs that feature samples from other artists. She also released the single "Break My Soul" from the album, which gives us a few weeks ahead of the remaining 15 songs.
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If Act II was the aforementioned visual album, then the tracklist for Act I would probably be similar to Act II - unless Act II ends up being all new songs to accompany the new videos.
Meanwhile, we'll be listening to the first act on an infinite loop.
This article will be updated as more information about Renaissance Act II becomes available .
