Beyoncé gave her fans a pleasant surprise during the Super Bowl on Sunday, when she announced that she will release the second album of her Renaissance trilogy on March 29th, and dropped two new country-themed singles, Texas Hold Em and 16 Carriages.
The announcement came during a Verizon ad campaign, where Beyoncé was shown trying to break the internet with various stunts, such as launching a film called Barbey, creating a hologram called Beyonc-AI, and running for president. After none of these attempts succeeded, she said, “OK, they ready. Drop the new music.”
Shortly after the ad aired, a new clip was posted on the artist’s Instagram, teasing the single Texas Hold Em and revealing the release date of the new album. The clip also showed Beyoncé driving through the desert, wearing a cowboy hat and a red dress, while singing, “This ain’t Texas, ain’t no hold’em, so lay your cards down, down, down, down.”
The two new singles, Texas Hold Em and 16 Carriages, were also added to streaming services, indicating that the second album of the Renaissance trilogy will have a country flavor, in contrast to the dance and house music of the first album, which was released in July 2022. The songs feature Beyoncé’s signature vocals, along with acoustic guitars, banjos, and fiddles.
The Renaissance trilogy is a three-act project that was recorded over three years during the pandemic, according to the liner notes of the first album. The singer also toured the world with the Renaissance album from May to October 2023, grossing $579 million and breaking several records.
The tour was followed by a concert film, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, which was released in theaters and on Netflix in December 2023. The film included behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, as well as stunning performances of the songs from the album.
