Renaissance was the Beyoncé album released in 2022 with the lead single “Break My Soul.”
Columbia Records released Renaissance on July 29, 2022. It is Beyoncé’s seventh solo studio album and the first act of a planned trilogy. The album’s sound draws heavily on house, disco, dance, funk, and other club traditions, creating a continuous, energetic listening experience.
“Break My Soul” arrived as the lead single in June 2022. The song incorporates elements associated with Robin S.’s “Show Me Love” and The-Dream’s “Explode,” while its lyrics emphasize release, self-worth, and leaving exhausting circumstances behind. Renaissance was widely praised for its production and vocal performances.
The album title is sometimes confused with the name of the broader trilogy or with the later acts in that project. Renaissance is specifically Act I. Act II, Cowboy Carter, was released in 2024, making the two albums separate entries in Beyoncé’s evolving trilogy.