Which Beyoncé album began the three-act project announced in 2022?

Renaissance began the three-act project Beyoncé announced in 2022.

Released on July 29, 2022, Renaissance is Beyoncé’s seventh studio album and the first part of a planned three-act project. Its sound draws heavily on dance music, house, disco, funk, and ballroom traditions, while the sequencing is designed as a continuous listening experience.

The album’s lead single, “Break My Soul,” became Beyoncé’s first solo Billboard Hot 100 number-one single since “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” Renaissance also includes “Cuff It,” “Alien Superstar,” and “Virgo’s Groove.” Its credits acknowledge influential figures from Black queer dance and club music traditions.

The project’s second act arrived as Cowboy Carter in 2024, shifting toward country, Americana, rock, and related styles. That later release is why some listeners describe Renaissance as a complete trilogy, but it is specifically the opening act rather than the entire project.