Every single detail — from the fashion to the lyrics and the surprise cameos — let us feel seen, heard, and loved by Bey herself. Truly, 10s across the board.
As if the opening track of her new album Renaissance (Act I of III) needed to be said — Beyoncé is That Girl, and we always knew she was.
Late last night, many of us were lying in bed, hoping to escape the heat, and anxiously awaiting midnight, that fateful hour when we knew Bey was about to drop the hottest album of all time, and subsequently set the internet ablaze. But we had no idea how busy Bey was. Having already debuted a track listing, and lead single “Break My Soul” in June — the first solo music we’ve had from her in the six years since the groundbreaking Lemonade — Beyoncé kept “The Hive” very much in the dark about the specific visuals Renaissance would entail. Then, mere hours before the album’s release, she posted a flurry of images to her website that not only cooled us down, but completely over-delivered on our wants and needs. It was as if she had read our minds, our tweets from her burner Twitter account, or sent The Beygency to tap our phones.
In a time when many in the LGBTQ community are looking for safety, and stability — the government has challenged our rights and made many of us feel not only unwanted but invisible — what we needed from Beyoncé was to be seen, to be heard, to feel unconditional love, and acceptance. And we got it in a way only Beyoncé could give.
Beyoncé has never been one to shy away from a daring, risk-taking, career-defining look. Whether it was her bootylicious bodysuits, her meticulous Met Gala ensembles, or those bangs — she sees it, wants it, buys it, and owns it. So it’s no wonder that her seventh studio album Renaissance include homages to disco queens like Donna Summer, who has routinely sang Beyoncé’s praises, as well as appearances from Black queer icons like TS Madison, Honey Dijon, and Big Freedia (who appears on “Break My Soul,” as well as 2016’s “Formation” from Lemonade). Beyoncé bringing these artists to the forefront in a time when many Black queer artists aren’t being recognized for their talent is definitely a statement.
The album also includes an abundance of iconic looks, and many it-girl, if-you-know-you-know references, and these intentional fashion choices were a beautifully penned, heartfelt love letter to not only her late uncle Johnny (also known as her Godmother) who introduced her to House Music and ballroom culture, but also to her LGBTQ fans. With her fashion selections, she also emphasized her support for Queer black designers (she name drops Telfar in “Summer Renaissance”). As she wrote in her Instagram caption first announcing Renaissance, “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.” Ahead, see how she has done just that.
It’s an Alaïa
The single “Break My Soul” not only broke the internet, but was also exactly what fans needed to feel alive again, and release the wiggle from the stress of a tumultuous, blisteringly hot summer. The album art arrived with Bobyoncé (Beyoncé and her famous blonde bob) behind an opaque pane of glass, with a gorgeous black sheer head-to-toe Alaïa Fall/Winter 2022 look, and elbow length evening gloves — she was serving, your honor. A second sheer, lime green full body Alaïa look (a similar hue from her performance at the 94th Academy Awards) wowed fans who were lucky enough to receive the visuals in the sold out Vinyl LP that was released with the album’s single.
Dripping in Gold — and the Whole Rainbow
In another image posted to her site, Beyoncé directly paid homage to the LGBTQ community — specifically the black LGBTQ community (which her uncle Johnny was a part of) by sashaying through a ballroom scene dripping excellence in a gold custom Melissa Simon-Hartman ensemble. It’s giving Oscar. On “Cozy,” she sings “Blue like the soul I crowned, Purple drank and couture gowns, gold fangs a shade God made, blue, black, white, and brown,” lyrics that highlight her love for the Black LGBTQ community by describing Daniel Quasar’s Progress Pride Flag that includes the addition of black and brown stripes.
She’s Still A (Disco) Diva
Sitting beneath a disco ball, Beyoncé dazzles in a boob-baring, metallic Spring 2022 Gucci look, reminiscent of the iconic Pat Cleveland’s Halston ensemble from her Studio 54 days, and while the dancery may have closed — disco ain’t dead, baby, which is evident from Disco Diva Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” sampled on Beyoncé’s closing track, “Summer Renaissance.” We’re already nostalgic for a summer that isn’t even over yet!
Her Own Studio 54
In another disco-diva inspired image, like her own version of Studio 54, Beyoncé sits in a dark, mirrored corner, lounging in a gorgeous custom black Thierry Mugler number with a metallic bodice, and blink if you missed it — but next to her on the leather sofa (did you take the Plastic Off The Sofa girl?) is a matching metallic microphone that has been morphed into a gun, a direct homage to Prince circa 1991, in which he poses in a gold-light filled room with a golden microphone gun of his own.
A Schiaparelli Cone Bra?!
Not to be outdone, and still making her point in a Schiaparelli cone bra and latex Versace platforms, we love the energy and moment of levity that says, maybe it’s not so bad to be a material girl.
If there’s one thing we know about Beyoncé, it’s that she always brings the fashion, now the only thing to do is listen to “Renaissance” on repeat while waiting for all the videos to drop!
Source: instyle.com
