- Masood hits first ton for four years to power Pakistan to 233-1
- Fritz wins delayed match to reach Shanghai Masters third round
- Naomi Osaka pulls out of Japan Open with back injury
- Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid
- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Artist Marina Abramovic hopes first China show offers tech respite
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- Pakistan 122-1 at lunch in first England Test
- Kazakhs approve plan for first nuclear power plant
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- 'Second family': tennis stars hunt winning formula with new coaches
- Philippines, South Korea agree to deepen maritime cooperation
- Mexico mayor murdered days after taking office
- Sardinia's sheep farmers battle bluetongue as climate warms
- Japan govt admits doctoring 'untidy' cabinet photo
- Israel marks first anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack
- Darvish tames Ohtani as Padres thrash Dodgers
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Family affair as LeBron, Bronny James make Lakers bow
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- As Great Salt Lake dries, Utah Republicans pardon Trump climate skepticism
- Amazon activist warns of 'critical situation' ahead of UN forum
- Mourners pay tribute to latest victims of deadly Channel crossing
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- Phillies win thriller to level Mets series
- Yu bags first PGA Tour win with playoff win
- PSG held by Nice to leave Monaco clear at top of Ligue 1
- AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea's penalty heroics
- Lewandowski treble for leaders Barca as Atletico held
- Fresh Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Sucic stunner earns Real Sociedad draw against Atletico
- PSG draw with Nice, fail to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1
- Gudmundsson downs AC Milan after De Gea's penalty heroics for Fiorentina
- 'Yes' vote prevails in Kazakhstan nuclear plant vote: TV
- 'Difficult day': Oct 7 commemorations begin with festival memorial
- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Lewandowski hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- 'Nothing gets in way of team,' says Celtics' MVP hopeful Tatum
- India maintain Pakistan stranglehold as Windies cruise at Women's T20 World Cup
- 'We will win!': Mozambique's ruling party confident at final vote rally
- Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars
- Florida braces for Milton, FEMA head slams 'dangerous' Helene misinformation
- Postecoglou slams 'unacceptable' Spurs after 'terrible' loss at Brighton
- Marmoush double denies Bayern outright Bundesliga top spot
- Rallies worldwide call for Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire
- Maresca hails Chelsea's 'fighting' spirit after draw with 10-man Forest
- New 'Joker' film, a dark musical, tops N.America box office
- Man Utd stalemate keeps Ten Hag in danger, Spurs rocked by Brighton
- Drowned by hurricane, remote N.Carolina towns now struggle for water
- Vikings hold off Jets in London to stay unbeaten
Beyonce sounds urgent call to dance on new album 'Renaissance'
Beyonce, the paradigm-shifting music royal whose art has long established her as one of entertainment's seminal stars, on Friday released her hotly anticipated album "Renaissance," a house-tinged dance record primed for its summer needle drop.
Six years after she shook the culture with her powerful visual album "Lemonade," Beyonce's seventh solo studio work is a pulsating, sweaty collection of club tracks aimed at liberating a world consumed by ennui.
Eminently danceable and rife with nods to disco and EDM history -- Queen Bey interpolates Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder along with James Brown and the archetypal synth line from "Show Me Love," the 1990s house smash by Robin S -- the 16-song album is poised to reign over the season.
Prior to releasing her opus Beyonce had dropped "Break My Soul" to acclaim, setting the tone for her house revival that highlighted the Black, queer and working-class artists and communities who molded the electronic dance genre, which first developed in Chicago in the 1980s.
The megastar has indicated that "Renaissance" is but the first act of three, in a project she said she recorded over the course of three years during the pandemic.
"Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world," Beyonce on her website.
"It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving," she continued. "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."
- 'Expansive listening journey' -
In the weeks preceding the release of "Renaissance" Beyonce teased the album with the steady stream of glossy, curated portraits of herself that over the past decade have become her signature.
But though she's received wide praise for keeping the world of music videos on the cutting edge, Beyonce put out her latest record sans visuals (they're promised at a later date.)
In a statement her label Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records lent insight into the decision, saying the artist "decided to lead without visuals giving fans the opportunity to be limitless in their expansive listening journey."
Beyonce's soaring vocals have their place on "Renaissance" but it's the rhythmic, urgent call to the dance floor that stands out, with a tapestry of influences paying homage to pioneers of funk, soul, rap, house and disco.
"Unique / That's what you are / Stilettos kicking vintage crystal off the bar," she sings on "Alien Superstar," which samples Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy" in a sonic ode to voguing, the stylized house dance that emerged from the Black LGBTQ ballroom culture of the 1960s.
That song closes by sampling a speech from Barbara Ann Teer, who founded Harlem's National Black Theatre.
On "Virgo's Groove" Beyonce gets raunchy with an unabashed sex anthem, adding a titular nod to her star sign -- the Virgo turns 41 on September 4.
Along with a smattering of deep house cuts as well as tributes to gospel, funk and soul, Beyonce's collaborators on "Renaissance" include Nile Rodgers, Skrillex, Nigerian singer Tems, Grace Jones, Pharrell and, of course, her rap mogul husband Jay-Z.
- Album leaks, Beyhive stings -
Beyonce has long bucked music's conventional wisdom, and is credited with popularizing the surprise album drop.
She later made waves by releasing "Lemonade" -- the groundbreaking work that chronicled her own emotional catharsis following infidelity within a generational and racial context -- first on cable television, and limiting its streaming availability.
Since "Lemonade" she's released "Homecoming," a live album and film featuring footage from her mythic 2018 Coachella performance, as well as the critically acclaimed song "Black Parade" -- which dropped amid mass protests ignited by the police murder of George Floyd.
That song saw the megastar, who first gained fame as a member of Destiny's Child, become the winningest woman ever at the Grammys with 28, and the gala's most decorated singer.
But for all her cultural clout and an indisputable throne in music's pantheon, Beyonce's songs have not seen the same commercial dominance as other contemporary global stars -- her last number one solo hit was 2008's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)."
That's poised to change with "Renaissance."
The album's release saw Queen Bey return to music business as usual, deploying pre-sales, a lead single drop, a tracklist and polished social media fodder.
But it wasn't without a hitch -- in the days prior to the official release, the album leaked online.
Late Friday Bey thanked her hive for waiting, and added that "I appreciate you for calling out anyone that was trying to sneak into the club early," the megastar told her fandom. "We are going to take our time and Enjoy the music."
"I love you deep."
Ch.Havering--AMWN