Beyoncé has just announced the release of the highly anticipated follow-up to 2022’s RENAISSANCE with ‘Act II’, due for release on March 29, 2024.
The announcement was made today (February 12, 2024) at the Super Bowl LVIII show, released as a one-minute teaser video that showcased the pop culture icon driving by a western cowgirl billboard of hers through the Texas desert. The latter half of the clip showcased a sample of Beyoncé’s upcoming lead single to the record, with the vocalist singing “This ain’t Texas, ain’t no hold ’em, so lay your cards down, down, down… ” to a country tune as the screen fades to black.
Beyoncé teased the release of new music just mere minutes before the official announcement was made through a commercial for the cellular network service Verizon, which showcased the pop juggernaut finding ways to break the internet –– only for her to close it with “Okay, ready! Drop the new music.”
‘Act II’ serves as the second installment in Beyoncé’s three-part musical series which was conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, and follows the critically and commercially acclaimed RENAISSANCE. While RENAISSANCE leaned towards the genres of electronic, dance, and house music, the initial teasers of the forthcoming album are primarily geared towards country-inspired sound and visuals.
Courtesy of Columbia Records
The track “Texas, Hold ‘Em” was confirmed to be the first track to Beyoncé’s ‘Act II’ album, with a second track also announced via the singer’s official website, titled “16 Carriages”. Both songs were dropped through a surprise, early release exclusively available on the streaming platform, Tidal, but are now available on all streaming and digital platforms.
Listen to “Texas, Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” below: