If anyone knows how to break the internet, it’s our Queen Bey. Last week the megastar not only announced that she would be – which rightfully had everyone jumping with excitement – she also appeared on the cover of British Vogue. And as always she was also giving a platform to up and coming collaborators through her shoot.
But first, the album, titled Renaissance: Act 1, which Beyoncé announced through her social media channels, will be released on July 29. This will be her first solo studio album since 2016’s highly acclaimed Lemonade, which by topping the Billboard 200 after its first week.
Following the announcement of her new album, the star . While the famously private star didn’t give an interview to the magazine, editor-in-chief Edward Enninful got a sneak preview of the album which he called her “most ambitious musical project to date.”
“[It’s] music that makes you rise, that turns your mind to cultures and subcultures, to our people past and present, music that will unite so many on the dance floor, music that touches your soul,” Enninful wrote.
Last year in a with Harper’s Bazaar, the singer did announce that - “Yes, the music is coming!”
“With all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again,” she told the magazine. “I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible. I’ve been in the studio for a year and a half.”
And as always, Beyoncé is collaborating with up and coming as well as Black and POC creatives, utilising her platform to shine a spotlight on some amazing talent.
This includes the producing duo Nova Wav who based on a simple tweet are it seems working on the new album.
In an industry where , Brittany “Chi” Coney and Denisia “Blu June” Andrews who make up Nova Wav are standouts - being best known for their work with the superstar singer who they have previously collaborated with on nine songs.
Then there is the photographer Rafael Pavarotti who photographed Beyoncé for the British Vogue cover shoot. The young photographer who was born in a small village in the Amazon rainforest got into photography by borrowing his father’s camera to take photos of the people around him at the age of 12.
Since then he has gone on to become an in demand photographer, but this shoot with Beyoncé is clearly going to help take his work into the next realm. As Pavarotti previously : “The celebration of Black and Indigenous experience specifically will always be a part of my work, because it’s also a part of me. As an Afro-Indigenous Brazilian photographer, my existence and work are already political.” He also talks about using his work to illuminate Black bodies.
On the Vogue cover Beyoncé wears a striking head dress designed by Harris Reed, the fashion designer of the moment who makes . As Reed went on to write in his about working with Beyoncé: “I grew up watching her videos in my room, getting every dance move down to the best of my ability, singing, crying and dancing, trying so hard to just luminate even 5% of the light she shines onto this world. I used her music blasting in my headphones as the bullies said whatever they wanted to me in the playground, as I kick stepped and spun with her music blasting in my ears… helping me escape to another world, a safe world, a world of freedom! This one’s for my queers and people stepping out into this world being nothing less than who they truly are, loud, proud, and turning heads by using fashion as their weapon to invoke change, conversation and hope!”
Working with the superstar is clearly a big moment these young creatives. Beyoncé has previously spoken about wanting to open doors for the "next generation of young talent." Going on to say in the : “It’s important to me that I help open doors for younger artists. There are so many cultural and societal barriers to entry that I like to do what I can to level the playing field, to present a different point of view for people who may feel like their voices don’t matter.”
The superstar it seems is called Queen Bey for a reason, because she not only creates amazing work herself, but she’s generous in spreading the love – both towards her legions of fans and the many artists and creatives she helps shine a light on. All of which makes us love her even more.
