Renaissance, Beyoncé’s seventh solo studio album, marks her first solo studio album in six years and includes a wide array of well-known samples, features and a star-studded list of artists who worked on the production and songwriting process. The highly anticipated album released on July 29 as a 16-track collection including a fun mix of club music, R&B, afrobeats, disco, trap, dancehall and house pop, all of which culminate in a collection of vibrant summer anthems sure to get listeners on their feet. 

Renaissance masterfully celebrates self worth, summer, individuality, sexuality, love and female empowerment and will leave listeners ready for a night out on the town in their “freakum dress,” embracing their best selves. 

“I’m That Girl” and “Alien Superstar” set the tone for the LP, starting on a powerful and confident note with airy, siren-like vocals. “I’m That Girl” begins the album with a spoken monologue from Beyoncé, whose velvety southern voice leads into a dancehall-esque afrobeat with empowering lyrics loosely melting above. For the last third of the song, the beat takes on a shallower yet grittier sound, backing lyrics sung and rapped with more vindication and hip-hop influence, which nicely contrast earlier verses.

Starting with a faster tempo, “Alien Superstar” brings a sense of urgency and fierceness that persists through its duration. The otherworldly track preaches uniqueness and individuality with light, breathy harmonies that meld together in a mosaic of ethereal vocals and spacey, futuristic synths. Lyrics like “I’m too classy for this world / forever, I’m that girl / feed you diamonds and pearls” foster a theme of basking in self-love that persists throughout the entire album. 

Despite the plethora of subgenres featured in the album, an upbeat sound is a common factor between songs, showcasing rhythmic, dynamic dance beats with each track. Songs like “Virgo’s Groove,” “Energy,” “Cozy,” “Move” and “Heated” utilize these up-tempo beats with unique, warped and wonky production, making for an interesting and fun project and establishing Renaissance    as one of the strongest summer dance albums yet.

Additionally, though Beyoncé rarely censors her more sensual lyrics, Renaissance feels very raunchy, openly encouraging listeners to embrace their own sexuality through songs such as “Church Girl,” “Thique,” “Pure/Honey” and “Summer Renaissance.” While Beyoncé has never particularly shied away from singing about sex, she has never done it so openly and bodly — a shift that will leave listeners feeling empowered and motivated.

Sonically, the vocals highlighted on Renaissance stand out among Beyoncé’s work. Usually, the singer showcases her vocal talent through power belts, performing heart-wrenching ballads or stronger empowered sentiments in songs that reinforce her icon status. While Beyoncé’s signature belt can be heard to some extent in “Cuff It” and “Break My Soul,” the vocals present on this album are much lighter, creating space for more intricate vocal runs and riffs. When not rapping, Beyoncé stays in between her higher vocal mix and head voice, even within her backing harmonies, as heard in “Plastic Off the Sofa” and “Virgo’s Groove.”

“Summer Renaissance” sums up the album’s message in one triumphant song, celebrating summer, sensuality and confidence over gorgeously hazy and entrancing vocals that mirror Donna Summer’s own disco track, “I Feel Love.”

With two more acts of Renaissance awaiting release, it seems there is more to be expected from this era. The album makes a great addition to Beyonce’s long and phenomenal discography, truly feeling like a declaration of liberation and love and making it the perfect kickoff to Queen Bey’s Renaissance era. 

4 ½ alien superstars out of 5