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Beyoncé Just Announced a New Album and Fans Are Losing It (But That's Not All That’s Coming)

Wake up, Beyhive! It looks like we're getting a treat this summer, because Beyoncé just announced a new album that will drop on July 29.

It all started a few days ago, when the “Love on Top” singer erased the profile pictures across all her social media accounts, seemingly indicating that a new album was on the way. And while fans started digging for clues, the news was all but confirmed early this morning, when TIDAL streaming service tweeted, “Beyoncé RENAISSANCE July 29.” In the photo that was shared, all that was included was a black background covered with text that said, “act I Renaissance.”

The same text was shared to Beyoncé's official website, and then Beyoncé confirmed that an album was on the way with a series of items that she listed on her store.

In her shop, the “Halo” singer has four different Renaissance box sets available for pre-order, and the description says, “Begins shipping July 29th upon album release.” In the write-up for the product, it says that each box set includes a collectible Renaissance box, a t-shirt and a CD. While the album's cover art has not yet been released, fans can choose one of the four box sets at random to pre-order for $40. According to Apple Music, the new album will have sixteen tracks.

Along with the music announcement, Beyoncé also revealed that she will be the cover star for British Vogue's July 2022 edition, which will coincide with the new release.

In the interview, author Edward Enninful gets to listen to a taste of the star's new music, and he writes, “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.”

It has been six years since Beyoncé released her last studio album, Lemonade. Since then, she has recorded a joint-album with her husband, Jay-Z, (Everything Is Love), a soundtrack for the live action version of The Lion King (The Lion King: The Gift) and a recording of her iconic Coachella set (Homecoming: The Live Album). However, with this latest announcement there is still one mystery: the “act 1” descriptor.

Although the Grammy-winner has not clarified what will follow Act I, it seems like this could be a multi-album release, which would be even more exciting for fans who have been hungry for new music.

All we know is that we'll be counting down the days until July 29.

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calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the former Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features Editor at ROCKET Magazine. When he's not dissecting the latest trends in entertainment (or guiding you on what to watch), he covers all the hottest red carpet looks and fashion movements. When he steps away from the keyboard, you can likely find him at an NYC concert, thrift store or LGBTQ+ bookstore happily perusing the shelves.