What is the name of Beyoncé’s 2022 album that began the Renaissance trilogy?

Renaissance is the Beyoncé album that began her planned trilogy. Released on July 29, 2022, it is her seventh studio album and the first installment of the project later described as a three-act series.

The album draws heavily on dance, house, disco, funk, and queer club traditions. Its lead single, “Break My Soul,” became Beyoncé’s eighth solo number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. Other songs include “Alien Superstar,” “Cuff It,” and “Virgo’s Groove.”

Renaissance was widely praised for its production and for connecting contemporary pop with Black and LGBTQ club-music history. Beyoncé dedicated the album to her late uncle Johnny, her children, and the people who inspired the culture surrounding the music.

The album title is sometimes confused with the later act Cowboy Carter, released in 2024. Cowboy Carter is the second act, while Renaissance is Act I. Renaissance earned Beyoncé the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album at the 66th ceremony.