Renaissance Act 1 is Beyoncé’s much anticipated 7th studio album. Here is a track by track review:
I’m That Girl – Bragging track from B. However, sonically doesn’t sound that good. Something to listen to rather than dance to. 2.5/5
Cosy – Easy dance track. An anthem for black pride and self-love. Cool vibe. 3.5/5
Alien Superstar – B brags about her uniqueness and style and how she can’t be beaten. Decent dance track which is more popular for her braggadocios lyrics. 3.5/5
Cuff It – B talks nasty over this disco vibe track. Contemporary lyrics over this retro beat. One of the more popular tracks on the album so far but sounds too generic. 3.5/5
Energy – The track that has Kelis upset with B and Pharrell. It does have that Kelis vibe to it. Shortest track on the album. It’s decent but not great. 3/5.
Break My Soul – First single from the album. Already on heavy rotation. A new empowerment anthem. Decent dance track. 3.5/5
Church Girl – B encourages church girls to do what they want to do. With lyrics like “church girls getting loose/drop it like a thoty”, this one is definitely not for church folk. The beat gives strip club vibes and ties in nicely with the lyrics. 2.5/5
Plastic Off The Sofa – Good soul vibe. B’s vocals glide over this nicely. 4/5
Virgo’s Groove – It has a 70’s disco vibe and B actually sings well on this one. Groovy vibe and you hardly realise it’s 6 minutes long! 4/5
Move – Another girl power joint with the attitude you can expect from the Queen B. Nice enough. 3/5
Heated – Sounds different to most of the tracks. Up-tempo Afrobeats-esque number. Will do well in the clubs. Bey does some raspy raps at the end of the track which gives it an edgier vibe. 4/5 (B is currently re-recording this track due to some complaints that one of the lyrics is used to abuse people with cerebral palsy – BBC News)
Thique – Difficult to describe this funky joint. The beat is something we have become accustomed to with B. Where it knocks really hard but will go through several gear changes laced with B’s unique vocal gymnastics. But it works. 4.5/5
All Up In Your Mind – Funky sound. The beat is very complex and B rides it effortlessly. One of the shorter tracks on the album. 4.5/5
America Has a Problem – Pleasing dance vibe track. B raps and sings over this up-tempo beat. It works. 4/5
Pure/Honey – “Pure” is a good dance beat but her vocals do not flow well on this one. Sounds a bit off tune. But it will do well with the key lyrics, “it costs a billion to look this good.” The other half of the song “Honey” definitely sounds good. Great vibe. This part of the song saves the whole track. 4/5
Summer Renaissance – This closing track aptly samples Donna Summer’s track “I Feel Love.” In a way paying homage to the disco legend. The beat and production is multi-layered and B does her thing over it. Nice dance number. 4/5
FINAL VERDICT – Renaissance Act 1 is essentially a dance album that basically tries its best to introduce core fans to a new Beyoncé sound. Whilst also trying to remind them that she is still the Queen B they have always known. Some fans will be disappointed but others will be pleased that she is trying something new. Much like what happened with the recent Drake release. These two are easily the biggest stars in music right now and if dance is the vibe this season, then rest assured everyone else will follow suit. As for B, it is good that she keeps pushing the envelope. On this album, sometimes it works and other times it doesn’t. Nonetheless there are more hits here than misses.
4/5
The Roddy Chasewater Show
The Roddy Chasewater Show 