What was Beyoncé’s first album in the three-part Renaissance project?

Renaissance was Beyoncé’s first album in the three-part project known as the Renaissance trilogy.

Released on July 29, 2022, Renaissance is a dance, house, and disco-influenced album. Beyoncé presented it as “act i,” signaling that it was the opening chapter of a larger series. The album’s themes include freedom, pleasure, community, and Black dance-music traditions.

Its lead single, “Break My Soul,” became Beyoncé’s eighth solo number-one on the US Billboard Hot 100. Renaissance also features “Cuff It,” “Alien Superstar,” and “Virgo’s Groove,” and it incorporates samples and interpolations from numerous earlier artists.

Cowboy Carter followed as “act ii” in 2024. The third act had not been released by October 2026, so Renaissance remains the opening installment rather than the complete trilogy.