VA month ago, Beyoncé posted the cover of her new album, RENAISSANCE, on Instagram. In their stories, a countdown counted down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the moment of publication. A fitting staging. Fans had to wait six years for a new work by the pop icon. Now her seventh studio album has been released after the worldwide success “Lemonade”.
It emerged during the pandemic years. For the artist it was a place of escape where she could scream and feel free during a time when everything stood still. This is what Beyoncé writes on Instagram. You can feel this burst of energy in the album. “I’m about to explode, take off this load” is what their single release “BREAK MY SOUL” says. All song titles are written in uppercase. The desire for something new screams out of the songs. Musically it is more of a return to times gone by.
Because the queen of R&B marches backwards through the decades and uses everything danceable. The songs are a mix of 80’s and 90’s dance and house music with elements from the 70’s disco era. This results in a sound that one is not used to from the singer. But it works, it’s even great.
Now you could say: Sure, it’s also Beyoncé. The pop icon who can’t really do anything wrong. Nevertheless, “BREAK MY SOUL” caused controversy in the run-up to the album release.
The sound is based on the dance song “Show Me Love” by black singer Robin S. from the 90s. Beyoncé’s lyrics are about finding new inspiration, breaking new ground, quitting your job if necessary. At one point it says:
„They work me so damn hard
Work by nine, then off past five
And they work my nerves
That‘s why I cannot sleep at night“
In German:
“You make me work so damn hard.
Work at nine, then home after five.
And they wreak havoc on my nerves
That’s why I can’t sleep at night”
From Beyoncé’s mouth it was inauthentic, critics accused her. As one of the richest and most successful artists in the world, she cannot speak of a nine-to-five job. Also, the casual advice to quit the job would be insensitive. Because in times of Corona, many people would have actually lost their jobs. Apparently even Beyoncé can’t please everyone. Suddenly pop should also be authentic. Still, many nine-to-five workers and beyond will be happy to hear this song on their way to the office. In any case, it is at the top of Barack Obama’s summer playlist.
Beyoncé becomes the queen of disco in her new album
Quelle: Sony Music Entertainment
In contrast, the song “ENERGY” starts with a calm, dry bass, which is mixed with sounding drums after the intro. In between, Beyoncé’s voice, which sometimes floats soulfully, sometimes staples out the text in rap. At one point it says:
„I just entered the country with derringers
‚Cause them Karens just turned into terrorists“
So in English: “I came to the country with Derringers because these Karens turned into terrorists.” The name “Karen” stands for a stereotype of white middle-class American women who complain to the police about the smallest or alleged violations of complain blacks. They’ve become a social media phenomenon and a meme. A “derringer” is a pocket pistol from the 19th century. It is the same model that John Wilkes Booth used to shoot President Abraham Lincoln.
At least since her Superbowl appearance in 2016, Beyoncé has increasingly been considered the voice of the black empowerment movement. The show paid homage to the black civil rights movement Black Panthers. Beyoncé and her singers performed in black leather. In the USA, the performance caused a great deal of discussion. The comedy show “Saturday Night Live” then published a sketch in which white Americans leave the country in an apocalypse-like scene because they suddenly realize that Beyoncé is black. Prior to the release of Lemonade and this performance, Beyoncé had never really let her roots shine.
“RENAISSANCE” is also a homage to the black artists before her. She sings the song “MOVE”, a driving song with jumping tones, together with the Jamaican singer Grace Jones. In the bassy-electronic “PURE/HONEY” she samples a song by drag icon Moi Renee from the 90s. The album ends with “SUMMER RENAISSANCE” in memory of the “disco” queen Donna Summer and her song “I feel Love”.
The album delivers what its cover promises. Beyoncé, barely covered by silver jewelry, is enthroned on a silver horse that glitters like a disco ball. At first the mixture of dance, disco, electro and funky soul seems like a crazy ride. But the singer sits confidently in the saddle and manages all transitions lightly. “I hope the music brings you joy and inspires you to shake it up,” Beyoncé wrote on Instagram. She does. The album is fun. And anyone who hears “ALL UP IN YOUR MIND” is guaranteed not to get it out of their heads for the next few hours.