Renaissance is singer Beyoncé’s 7th studio album and supposedly the first in a trilogy. It debuted at the top of the Billboard charts and the lead single “Break My Soul” topped the charts worldwide. It was made during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and was intended to revitalize listeners who were stuck in isolation.

Opinion Time: It’s a super varied record with house, reggaeton, disco, soul, and techno vibes alongside her usual RnB and hip-hop feels. It’s really surreal and new hearing Beyoncé vocals on beats that give off such unapologetic house and electronic vibes. And the way the tracks flow into each other I legitimately thought one song was a feature on another song. It was so smooth and consistent; it’s like a DJ set, which the album is aware of and plays off of. That being said, overall some songs didn’t really do it for me, like the repetition of the first half of “PURE/HONEY”. Some moments felt kind of drab and airy to me and didn’t stick in my head. On the other hand, the first half of the album as a whole, from “THIS GIRL” through “VIRGO’S GROOVE” was so great. Particularly “PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA” to “VIRGO’S GROOVE” was the highlight of the whole album for me. “CHURCH GIRL” was also a highlight; super memorable. Also “SUMMER RENAISSANCE” is great, the chorus and the production are amazing. 

TLDR: Mostly a great album with super cool production, great vocals, and lyrics from Beyoncé. I’d listen to “COZY” or “ALIEN SUPERSTAR” and if you like either of those you’ll be into the album. I’m excited to see the rest of the trilogy.

Best Song: “COZY” or “VIRGO’S GROOVE”

Worst Song: “THIQUE”