Beyonce: Renaissance Track By Track Review

Renaissance is the first album from Beyonce since 2016's highly-acclaimed Lemonade. In each album that she has released, Beyonce has been an innovator and on her latest effort, she has turned to clubbing culture in order to craft an album that celebrates the beauty of musical connection.

Here we look at Beyonce's new album on a track-by-track basis to see if it lives up to the hype...

 

I'm That Girl

Beyonce is fully embracing dance music it seems on this album, yet it wouldn't be one of her albums without her booming, unparalleled vocals. With a beat that flows along with a trail of augmented vocals, the song is a testament to the fact that Beyonce can easily wear this new sound and make it her own. "Bring that beat in, I can breathe again" is a stunning line.

 

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Cozy

 

Dropping straight into this track, we are immediately put under the spell of the drum track. With plenty of playful vocal lines, Beyonce describes the comfort she feels within herself and the effect that has on the others around her. There's something about Beyonce's confidence that will always hold your attention.

This track was helped to be brought to life by Honey Dijon and Green Velvet and there will be plenty more collaborators throughout the album. Each of them played their part in bringing Beyonce's vision to life.

 

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Alien Superstar

In making this album, it served as a sense of escapism and relief for Beyonce from the period of lockdown we endured. Now, Renaissance is a celebration of club culture and finding joy within dance. This track samples Right Said Fred and sounds completely otherworldly.

Some of the ways in which her voice flows out and switches up is absolutely incredible. This is a song that truly speaks of the joy of dance.

 

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Cuff It

Nile Rodgers is on hand here to supply the disco-tinged guitar riff. "I want to go higher" Beyonce declares as she finds herself amongst keys and a beat that gives off the feeling of dance paradise. It's like you can imagine her in the middle of a futuristic dancefloor. "Have you ever had fun like this", she has become addicted to the thrill. Easily the sexiest track so far.

 

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Energy

The transitions between each song have been so satisfying. This song is the shortest so far and features vocals from Beam who fits effortlessly into the album's tapestry.

 

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Break My Soul

One of the two singles released that teased this new era, Break My Soul is a disco-house track at its core. In it Beyonce rallies against working hard for very little reward. We hear phrases like "release your stress!" blurted out in the background as it becomes an ode to finding your pleasure.

 

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Church Girl

Gospel-like harmonies give way to broken beats at the beginning of this track. "Nobody can judge me but me, I was born free" Beyonce declares. Here she makes it clear that she can do whatever she wants to do with her body and celebrates it in doing so.

 

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Plastic Off The Sofa

There's an incredibly smooth groove that lights up this song. Reclining in its relaxed vibe, it's a moment to have a bit of a breather in an album that's been none stop so far. She sings of truly knowing somebody, finding relief in them despite everything going on in the world around you.

 

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Virgo's Groove

Oh wow, the groove here is absolutely outstanding. With disco stylings that drag you instantly to all of your favourite clubbing moments, the production on this song is perfect. A bit of R&B creeps in on the verses, it's a classic Beyonce song dressed up in new clothes. 

The vocal harmonies are on point, a song that is six minutes long never felt so short. 

 

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Move

We're immediately dropped straight into the middle of a bustling club, surrounded by bodies all around us but empowered by all our friends around us. That's what this song sounds like. If Beyonce was in the same club as us, we would simply move out of the way. 

 

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Heated

Beyonce has a voice that no one would ever get bored of. This song has a really strong beat and as usual, the production is off the scale. Each sinew of sound lands absolutely perfectly.

 

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Thique

This song sounds downright evil. Here Beyonce is demanding more and more, sounding like a TV show villain throughout. It's like a club version of the sinister vibes you get from listening to some of Billie Eilish's songs. It eventually branches out into a sleeker sound that is full of wobbly synth. 

 

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All Up In Your Mind

"Be careful what you ask for 'cause I might just comply". Beyonce is at her seductive best here, portraying herself as something wild, full of lust and desire. She knows that she can get in your head all too easily and is using the opportunity to mess with you. 

 

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America Has A Problem

The title for this song may be the biggest understatement of all time. Again, she's playing off of the feelings of the last song and dressing it up with a constantly shimmering drum pattern that is interjected by sharp tones and fuzzy textures. "Boy, you can't get no higher than this". 

 

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Pure/Honey

The way that the tempo builds up the tension here is absolutely brilliant. The beat that it is centred around is nothing short of incredible. It does feel as though the subject matter has been pretty much the same over the past three tracks though. There's a gorgeous key change in the middle that switches things up nicely.

The song constantly evolves in more and more interesting ways. 

 

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Summer Renaissance

This feels like the perfect closer, an encapsulation of everything that makes this new era of Beyonce so good. You want to instantly get up off your feet and celebrate in dance. It samples I Feel Love by Donna Summer and encapsulates it completely into this club-orientated sound.

She repurposes something old into something new entirely. 

 

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In summary, we have missed Beyonce far too much. In embracing club culture and yearning to dance in a world where such celebrations were temporarily halted, Renaissance is an album of pure escapist bliss. With an ensemble cast in the background that includes Honey Dijon, Skrillex, Drake and many more, Beyonce has crafted another classic album.

 

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