Which Beyoncé album is officially styled as Act I of a planned trilogy?

Renaissance is officially styled as Act I of a planned trilogy by Beyoncé.

Released on July 29, 2022, Renaissance marked Beyoncé’s first solo studio album since Lemonade in 2016. Its sound draws heavily on house, disco, funk, dance, and Black queer club traditions. The album’s first single, “Break My Soul,” became Beyoncé’s eighth solo number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100.

The album was presented as a three-act project. Act II, Cowboy Carter, arrived in 2024 and explored country, Americana, rock, folk, and related traditions while continuing the broader project’s interest in Black musical history.

Renaissance is sometimes described simply as a dance album, but its formal “Act I” designation is a key part of its identity. The title should not be confused with Beyoncé’s 2008 album I Am... Sasha Fierce or her 2011 album 4.