ABOUT a day and half before Beyonce’s latest album, ‘Renaissance’ was scheduled to drop – midnight Eastern Time on Thursday (12 noon Malaysia Time) – it has apparently been leaked online.
News of the leak spread across social media, with US entertainment portal Variety able to find high quality audio files relatively easily. CD copies of the album are apparently on sale in Europe as well.
Beyonce’s representatives and the album’s distributor, Columbia Records, have yet to make a comment.
The leak is a surprise, with the mega successful multi-talented artist usually able to keep her work a secret until the very last minute – she famously dropped her 2013 self-titled album as a surprise.
Last week Beyonce revealed the tracklist for the album. Titles include America Has a Problem, Alien Superstar, Church Girl, Cuff It, Thique, All Up in Your Mind and the single, Break My Soul.
“Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world. 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. I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.”
Before that, Beyoncé released Break My Soul, the album’s first single. The track channels ’90s house music beats over a sample of Robin S’s 1993 hit Show Me Love, featuring vocals from Big Freedia.
‘Renaissance’ is said to feature both dance and country-leaning tracks, though the country songs might be in a separate album, or part of the first edition of the album. – The Vibes, July 28, 2022
