Beyoncé to follow up house-influenced album with country-themed ‘Renaissance Act II’

Beyoncé is releasing a country-themed follow-up to her house-influenced 2022 album ‘Renaissance‘.  

‘Renaissance Act II’, which will serve as the next part in the US superstar’s planned album trilogy, will be released on 29th March. The first two singles off the LP, ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ and ’16 Carriages’, were released on Monday, 12th February. They both feature input from Raphael Saadiq and sister Solange.

The album reveal was preceded by a Super Bowl ad that ended with Beyoncé teasing, “OK, they ready — drop the new music. I told y’all the ‘Renaissance’ is not over”, Variety reports. Soon after, her team shared a teaser for the album and ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ on Instagram. 

So far, known ‘Act II”s writing, musical and production contributors include Lowell, Rhiannon Giddens, Hit-Boy, Nathan Ferraro, Killah B, Dave Hamelin, Gavin Williams, Justus West, as well as Saadiq and Solange, among others, according to Pitchfork.

Beyoncé’s seventh studio album ‘Renaissance’ (initially titled ‘Act I: Renaissance’) won Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 2023 Grammys, and its lead single ‘Break My Soul‘, which samples Robin S and Big Freedia, won ‘Best Dance/Electronic Recording’. For that house- and ballroom-inspired album, Beyoncé enlisted Skrillex, Honey Dijon, Green Velvet, Kelman Duran, A. G. Cook, Luke Solomon, Nile Rodgers, The Neptunes and more. Honey Dijon, Nita Aviance and Terry Hunter were tapped for official remixes of ‘Break My Soul’. 

In 2023, Beyoncé released the ‘My House‘ single and a remix of ‘Act I’ track ‘America Has Problem’ with a new verse by Kendrick Lamar. 

Listen to ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ and ’16 Carriages’.