Renaissance was the Beyoncé album released on July 29, 2022, as the first part of a planned trilogy.
The album is officially styled Renaissance and is often called Act I. Its sound draws heavily from dance music, disco, house, funk, and club traditions. The lead single, “Break My Soul,” became Beyoncé’s eighth solo number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100.
Renaissance was followed by Cowboy Carter, released in 2024 as Act II. Beyoncé described the projects as parts of a broader three-act project, although the third act had not been released at the time of Cowboy Carter’s release.
The Gift is a different Beyoncé project: it was connected to the 2019 film The Lion King. Confusing the two albums overlooks Renaissance’s place in the trilogy.