Beyoncé’s 2022 album that introduced her planned trilogy is Renaissance.
Released on July 29, 2022, Renaissance is Beyoncé’s seventh studio album and the first installment in a project she described as a three-act or trilogy series. Its sound draws heavily on dance music, house, disco, funk, and electronic styles. The album’s lead single, “Break My Soul,” became a major international hit and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Renaissance was released after a period in which Beyoncé had issued acclaimed projects including Lemonade and The Lion King: The Gift. Its dance-floor focus and extensive sampling connect it to Black and queer club-music traditions, while the album’s credits include many featured and sampled artists.
The title is sometimes confused with Cowboy Carter, which is the second act of the trilogy and was released in 2024. Renaissance is specifically the opening act, not the name of the entire sequence.