Beyoncé's Renaissance: An anti-capitalist, minority-driven, self-assured work of art

I suppose I have officially converted LinkedIn into the place where I spill my own opinions about pop culture phenomenons and try to somehow connect them to work-related topics. Whether this effort is successful or not, I guess that's up for debate. But until then, allow me to officially kick off my second LinkedIn article.

On June 8, 2022, Beyoncé announced her seventh studio album, titled Renaissance. The announcement was followed by the release of the first single, Break My Soul, on June 20. The artist clarified that Renaissance was part one of a three-act project that she recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, over the last three years.

Break My Soul immediately divided audiences. Some of them were used to the R&B and hip-hop vibes that Beyoncé is so well known for and became disappointed. Let us be reminded that the artist was coming from albums such as Lemonade and Everything is Love, which fit perfectly into the previously-mentioned genres. The other half acknowledged the new direction that Beyoncé was seemingly going for and recognized the single as a gateway to a new phase in the artist's career.

Renaissance was officially released on July 29 and instantly met with critical acclaim. Consisting of sixteen tracks with seamless transitions between them, the album debuted at number on the Billboard 200 chart, making Beyoncé the only female artist to ever have seven albums to debut at the top of the charts. Now that we have all the facts out in the open, let's try and take a look at why Renaissance easily became so groundbreaking.

A departure from the usual sound

It's been six years since Beyoncé released her last solo album (Lemonade) and it's clear that she was ready to experiment with a new sound. Ever since her debut in Destiny's Child, the artist navigated mostly within the R&B and hip-hop spheres, later being regarded as disruptive in terms of the narratives she spoke of (female empowerment, betrayal, sex-positive topics) as well as the way she presented those same narratives (visual albums). Renaissance, as the title suggest, is a literal reincarnation for Beyoncé as an artist.

The album features a wide range of house and disco sounds, also including styles such as afrobeats, gospel, boogie and others. This new scope is primarily evident in the way that Beyoncé uses samples from famous house and disco tracks to create her Renaissance. The album is an obvious homage to artists that initially paved the way for these genres to thrive in the 70s and 80s. It contains a total of twenty-three samples, including elements from I Feel Love by Donna Summer, I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred, Ooh La La La by Teena Marie, and many others.

Some fans were also scared that this new direction would not be a versatile option to showcase Beyoncé's powerhouse vocals. I beg to differ. Her runs in Plastic Off The Sofa, as opposed to her spoken-word verses in Alien Superstar, are a clear example that the artist can still pull off a multi skilled vocal range while being able to step into new grounds. Beyoncé is an outstanding vocalist and performer. She is backed by an amazing team of producers and songwriters, who deserve as much credit as she does - in fact, Renaissance features over sixty studio personnel. But she most certainly knows how to honor the work her team so ambitiously envisions.

A love letter to minorities

Speaking of Beyoncé's partners in crime, one of the most gripping aspects of Renaissance is the number of minority artists featured in it. The album aims to take us back to black dance music from decades ago and it does a good job at it by including collaborations from POC (people of color) artists such as Beam, Tems, Grace Jones, Sheila E., Nile Rodgers and many others.

Furthermore, the LGBTQ+ community is equally embraced in this production. Not only does the album feature names such as Honey Dijon, Big Freedia and Ts Madison, it has also been confirmed that Renaissance is dedicated to Beyoncé's gay cousin, known as 'Uncle Jonny'. According to the artist, he was the one that introduced her to a lot of the black and queer culture that serve as foundation for the album.

This is exactly what we mean when we talk about inclusion. Beyoncé knew the path she wanted to embark on with the album and that she needed to bring in the right people to achieve that. Black and queer artists were the ones who initially paved the way for house and disco music to blow up in the 20th century. These communities not only served as inspiration for Renaissance but their talent and contribution were actually a vital part in bringing its singular vision to life.

A new state of mind

As mentioned in the beginning of the article, Renaissance relies on Beyoncé's own feelings during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world was turned upside down and everyone was looking for hope that things would eventually get better. Naturally, the album's main theme revolves around escapism, which encompasses imagination and entertainment as a way to escape the boring aspects of daily life.

Additionally, the pandemic also came with the rise of the anti-work movement and Beyoncé was not afraid to include that in the album. COVID-19 exposed the unjust, often mediocre conditions to which many workers are exposed to, especially those categorized as 'essential workers' (healthcare staff, firefighters, food service employees and many others). The anti-work movement not only uncovered the precarious settings in which these workers operate but also questioned the purpose of work itself during a time when the world seemed to be falling apart. I recognize the irony here, since Beyoncé is a multi-billionaire artist whose net worth is only possible to the capitalism itself. On the other hand, I appreciate how self-aware she is and guides us in questioning the typical '9 to 5' model. The verse 'release your job', which is enthusiastically performed by Big Freedia in Break My Soul, became a hit example of this very movement.

Even the cover art speaks for itself. Beyoncé stands in front of a horse and critics say this is an allusion to Lady Godiva, a painting by John Collier from 1897. The legend of Lady Godiva goes all the way back to the 13th century, when she supposedly stripped naked and rode on a horse through the streets of Coventry, England, in order to spark attention to her husband's oppressive taxation that was harming the lives of townspeople. The storyline is pretty much the same: a strong female who goes against a repressive regime.

As a young Millennial born in the 90s, I think I've known the artistry of Beyoncé for almost as long as I've known myself. Her exceptional vocals, crazy dance moves and upbeat tracks all served as an excellent substructure for the stories she wanted to tell - most of them revolving around liberation, female empowerment, sexual pleasure and motherhood. This new album is all of that and, at the same time, none of that. Renaissance takes a step back and brings in a variety of different people to remind us of one common desire we all have as human beings: to feel good and to have a good time.