A new chapter of Renaissance is here. On Sunday February 11th, Beyoncé announced plans to release a follow up Act II of her seventh studio album by way of a Super Bowl commercial for a wireless network provider. In it, the singer performed a handful of “internet-breaking” activities before saying “okay, they’re ready. Drop the new music.”
The follow-up project is sure to be one for the books—below everything you’d ever need to know about Renaissance: Act II.
What will Act II sound like?
Rumors of a follow up to Renaissance have long been circulating—thankfully, Beyoncé already dropped a pair of gems as to what we can expect from Act II. The singer released two singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” which officially confirmed that she’s dipping her toe into country music.
The singles are a shift sonically from the disco-heavy Renaissance, but have also drawn comparisons to the song “Daddy Lessons” from the singer’s 2016 album Lemonade.
Beyoncé dropped the two singles alongside a short teaser which included songs like Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” and a billboard with Beyoncé and the words “Texas! Hold ’Em” written across—seemingly, a reference to Wim Wenders’ 1984 film Paris, Texas. Allegedly there’s also an Act III in the works, though for now, Act II will definitely have us looking for our cowboy hats.
Is there a tracklist for Act II?
So far, the only two songs we know of from Act II are “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.” It looks as though the singer is updating the tracklist on her website, so be sure to keep an eye out there.
Who is featured on Act II?
Aside from one major name (more on that below), not much is known about potential features on Act II. Like all of Beyoncé’s albums, though, she’s working with some pretty serious producers behind the scenes.
Raphael Saadiq, a frequent Beyoncé collaborator, helped compose, write lyrics, and produce both “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.” Other names include Dave Hamelin, Ink, and Grammy Award-winning producer and rapper Hit-Boy.
Is there a Lady Gaga collaboration?
A short teaser, in which Beyoncé is seen driving through a desert, has fans speculating of a potential Lady Gaga collaboration. The musical icons, of course, teamed together for “Telephone” back in 2009 and fans have been calling for a follow up ever since. The video for “Telephone” also has some similarities to the Act II teaser, which only fueled rumors of a potential collaboration.
Oh, and it could just be a coincidence—but Gaga was also seen attending the Super Bowl.
Are there Act II visuals?
Yes! Alongside the Super Bowl commercial, Beyoncé released a handful of visuals—from the wild, wild west teaser to a pair of captivating images for her singles. Now, whether there will be long-form visuals remains to be seen—we’re still waiting on the complete visuals from Act I, after all.
When will Act II be released?
Renaissance: Act II will be released on March 29th, 2024.
