Beyoncé announces awaited 7th studio album and a drop date

Beyoncé is back. In typical cryptic fashion, the award-winning artist announced her album’s title and drop date, which is sooner than expected, on July 29th.

A story and photo shoot in British Vogue were also released shortly after the announcement.

The release of her record, titled “Renaissance,” was confirmed on her website’s product listing. It’s subtitled “Act I,” implying that there’s more to come soon. Beyoncé’s social media profiles were also updated, reflecting the new record, with a variety of streaming services tweeting and posting about her awaited return. Her record label, Columbia Records, shared an image of a black square with the words “act i” and “Renaissance” on it.

The British Vogue story shares the writer’s personal experience when listening to Beyoncé’s new record, while also showing off some striking images of Beyoncé atop a horse and wearing bright colors like gold and silver. The writer, Edward Enninful, called her new record her “most ambitious project to date.” “Soaring vocals and fierce beats combine and in a split second I’m transported back to the clubs of my youth,” he wrote upon a first listen. “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.”

Currently, record box sets are available for pre-sale in four different formats, featuring a collectible box, a 28-page booklet, a T-shirt, a CD, and a mini-poster. They’ll be shipped as soon as the record is released.

“Renaissance” marks Beyoncé’s first solo album since “Lemonade” a culture-shifting record released in 2016. In 2018, she collaborated with her husband Jay Z on the record “Everything Is Love,” and has worked on the soundtracks of “The Lion King” and in an original song for the film “King Richard.”