In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last 24 hours, Beyoncé is coming this summer with an all-new album, titled Renaissance.
Though little was known about the forthcoming project when the initial announcement was made Wednesday night, thanks to an insider who recently spoke with Variety, we now have a clue as to the kind of vibes Queen Bey will be blessing us with come next month.
The forthcoming album will reportedly have dance and country-leaning sounds and will feature contributions from legendary producer Raphael Saadiq and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder. If those aforementioned music genres feel a bit foreign to you, and lead to somehow believe that they may be out of Yoncé’s wheelhouse, let me just remind you that 1) this is Beyoncé we’re talking about here. She could do fast-food chain restaurant jingles for the rest of her career and still go platinum and 2) she’s sprinkled in both dance and country vibes before on a handful of her previous albums, so the fact that she’s deciding to go full-fledge in this direction should come as a surprise to no one.
But if you’re still not convinced, allow British Vogue’s EIC Edward Enninful’s description of the few tracks he was able to listen at Bey’s home to serve as further proof as to why our ears will undoubtedly be in good hands:
Instantly, a wall of sound hits me. Soaring vocals and fierce beats combine and in a split second I’m transported back to the clubs of my youth. I want to get up and start throwing moves. It’s music I love to my core. Music that makes you rise, that turns your mind to cultures and subcultures, to our people past and present, music that will unite so many on the dance floor, music that touches your soul. As ever with Beyoncé, it is all about the intent. I sit back, after the wave, absorbing it all.
Renaissance, Act I is set to arrive Wednesday, July 29.