Beyoncé announces new album 'Renaissance: Act II' after surprise Super Bowl ad
The queen is back.
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is giving fans exactly what they've been waiting for — Act II.
The "Cuff It" singer announced during a Super Bowl ad that she was dropping new music. A short time later, she posted on Instagram that the second part of her "Renaissance" project would be released March 29 with two singles out Sunday.
Her Instagram video features country music and a crowd gathering to gaze at a billboard that reads "Texas! Hold 'Em" and features an image of Beyoncé. The music changes, and Beyoncé sings: "This ain't Texas, ain't no hold 'em / So lay your cards down, down, down, down."
It's long been rumored that the second act of "Renaissance" could be a country music album. Those rumors were reignited last week when Beyoncé wore a cowboy hat to the Grammys.
Beyonce is famously from Houston, Texas. The Instagram video featured music by fellow Black musicians from the South: "People Grinnin' In Your Face" by Son House and "Maybelline" by Chuck Berry.
Beyoncé releases two new songs: 'Texas Hold 'Em' and '16 Carriages'
The first two singles from the new project were released to streaming services Sunday evening.
"Texas Hold 'Em" is a laid-back foot-stomper, while "16 Carriages" is a power ballad. She wears a cowboy hat in the artwork for both singles, though she sports a metallic bikini in the "Texas Hold 'Em" image. For "16 Carriages," she wears a more traditional Western shirt.
Beyoncé's Verizon ad announcement during Super Bowl LVIII
Beyoncé appeared in a Verizon ad during the second half of the Super Bowl. In the ad, she tried to break Verizon's 5G internet, with Tony Hale as her foil.
She started a lemonade stand, became "BarBey," created Beyonc-AI and performed in space, but nothing would take down Verizon's service. "You ain't gon' break me," she says as the ad ends. "OK. They ready. Drop the new music."
Fans began frantically searching the corners of the internet until her Instagram posts appeared minutes later.
A look back at Beyoncé's 'Renaissance: Act I'
Beyoncé released her seventh studio album, "Renaissance," in July 2022 through her company Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. The album earned her four Grammys in 2023 including best dance/electronic music album, making her the most decorated artist in the awards' history.
After dropping "Renaissance," Beyoncé kicked off her groundbreaking Renaissance World Tour, which is her highest grossing tour to date. She earned over $500 million from its 56 shows.
Beyoncé also released an accompanying concert movie, "Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce," which showed fans the inner workings of her tour. The film was a box office hit, earning over $20 million in sales its opening weekend.
Ahead of its debut, Beyoncé announced the "Renaissance" album was the first part of a three-act project.
She shared a message on her website when it was released. "Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world," she wrote. "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."
In true Beyoncé fashion, she did not give further details about when she would release the remaining acts, but the day is here, and it certainly seems there's a lot more in store.