Queen Bey’s new album is a country music collection, as shown in her new singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.”
Beyoncé proved she’s capable of breaking the internet once again.
Just moments after she starred in a Verizon Super Bowl commercial, in which she competed with herself to break the cellular network, Beyoncé announced that she will be releasing a new project, tentatively titled “act ii.” The new album, which appears to be within the country genre, will be released on Friday, March 29. Beyoncé teased the album in the Verizon commercial, ending the spot with the line, “Drop the new music.”
The “Break My Soul” singer took to Instagram on Sunday during the 2024 Super Bowl to confirm the exciting news, posting a promotional video of herself driving in a taxi with the license plate reading, “Hold ‘Em.” In the video, the taxi drives by a crowd of people who are looking at the billboard of Bey, with the words “Texas! Hold ‘Em” shown in bold, black letters.
Just a few minutes after sharing the video, Beyoncé posted cover images for two new singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” with the caption, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM and 16 CARRIAGES out now.” Both singles are available to listen to now on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and Tidal, the platform where the songs streamed exclusively until early Monday morning.
The BeyHive was overjoyed by the news, sharing their enthusiasm on social media. Both A-list friends and fans alike reacted on Beyoncé’s Instagram, with producer-writer-actress Issa Rae writing, “WHAT” and actress Laverne Cox saying, “Palpitations! Gagging! Shooketh. 3-29.”
The new releases follow a record-breaking few years for Beyoncé, who released the critically acclaimed “Renaissance” in July 2022. The album was certified platinum, produced two Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 charts (“Break My Soul” and “Cuff It”), and garnered nine Grammy Award nominations, including for album of the year.
As noted in The New York Times, upon the release of her “Renaissance” LP, Beyoncé shared on Instagram that it was the first of a “three act project” created during the COVID-19 pandemic, referring to it as “Act I.”
After its release, Beyoncé embarked on her now-legendary Renaissance World Tour in 2023, performing 56 shows across the U.S. and Europe. The tour — which featured a diverse cast and crew, homages to Black and queer culture, stunning set design, beautiful designer costumes and dance performances by Bey’s daughter, Blue Ivy — grossed over $579 million worldwide, according to Billboard.
“Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world,” Beyoncé said in 2022 at the time of the “Renaissance” release. “It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration.”
Beyoncé followed up the Renaissance World Tour with the release of her documentary concert film, “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.” The movie gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the tour with intimate interviews and never-before-seen footage. Released in December 2023, “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé” has been championed by critics and fans alike with a gross of over $44 million at the global box office.
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