While we still don’t have the visuals to accompany Beyoncé’s seventh studio album, Renaissance, fans are suspecting that they may arrive soon. Over the past week, it appears Bey sent friends, family, and a selected group of fans special holiday cards.
On the cards was an image of the “Break My Soul” hitmaker dressed in a white cowboy hat, with a matching bustier and fluffy sleeves. The front of the cards also contained text reading “Winter Renaissance.”
Inside the cards read “Wishing you and your family the most joyous holiday season. Love Beyoncé and the Parkwood team.”
Of course, as the cards began to surface online, the Beyhive was sent abuzz, and immediately began sharing fan theories.
Some believe that these cards are a hint the music videos could premiere any day now. Some also believe that this may be leading up to another album.
“ok so it’s winter renaissance meaning that the visuals will he coming in winter & summer renaissance is the tour and they’re all under the renaissance project but she also has hints for the next alleged country project (thus the cowboy hat),” said one Twitter user.
ok so it’s winter renaissance meaning that the visuals will he coming in winter & summer renaissance is the tour and they’re all under the renaissance project but she also has hints for the next alleged country project (thus the cowboy hat) pic.twitter.com/Ep2j8V0Rte
Another Twitter user believes Bey may be re-releasing Renaissance during the winter months.
Because it’s going to be a renaissance of the renaissance album over these winter months where we get a deluxe edition AND the visuals…
Because it’s going to be a renaissance of the renaissance album over these winter months where we get a deluxe edition AND the visuals… https://t.co/LHgxdzJm3A
Vanessa De Luca, editor of The Root, shared an image of a card she received, and confirmed that all that arrived was a holiday card, “But always nice to be thought of,” she said in a comment.
Every #1 song on the Hot 100 in 2022: Easy On Me We Don’t Talk About Bruno Heat Waves As It Was First Class WAIT FOR U Jimmy Cooks About Damn Time BREAK MY SOUL Super Freaky Girl Bad Habit Unholy Anti-Hero All I Want for Christmas Is You
That brings us back to Carey. The 2022 “All I Want For Christmas” run began with the Hot 100 chart dated December 17 and is holding strong through this week. Which song will dethrone it in January and restart the cycle for 2023?
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Ticketmaster is not having the most pleasant run this holiday season. While they’ve very publically endured the wrath of the Swifties, who have filed two lawsuits since the disastrous pre-sale for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, several other fanbases have jumped on the “Ticketmaster is cancelled” train.
Earlier this month, Bad Bunny fans in Mexico were distraught to find that Ticketmaster had allegedly sold them fake tickets through their official sales outlets, resulting in them being turned away at the entry point.
The sales for Death Grips’ upcoming tour, their first in four years, were also handled by Ticketmaster. But like the presale for Swift’s upcoming tour, several fans alleged that many of the Death Grips presale tickets went to bots and resalers.
Tickets for Bruce Springsteen And The E-Street Band’s were going for over $5,000 in some cities. While Springsteen defended the prices, he promised fans who weren’t satisfied on the way out of the tour that they could have their money back.
Some of the issues fans have been having with Ticketmaster date back to last year, when Olivia Rodrigo fans were unable to purchase tickets for her Sour tour due to technical difficulties.
But these recurring issues have fans nervous going forward. Recently, tickets for SZA’s SOS tour with Omar Apollo proved to be rather pricey. And although Beyoncé has yet to formally announce her Renaissance tour, the prices for SZA tickets prompted fans to start saving, so they can be ready for when Bey finally does make the announcement.
As a late Christmas gift, country singer Zach Bryan decided to give the gift of live music to his fans, so they wouldn’t have to pay Ticketmaster prices. The album is appropriately titled, All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster.
Some of the artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Barack Obama has shared his highly-anticipated year-end lists for 2022, including one for the songs he loved the most. While Obama has some obvious picks, as artists like Maggie Rogers (included for “That’s Where I Am”) and SZA (included for “Shirt”) have made the list in previous years, he also did some artist discovery this year it seems.
He included Ethel Cain’s “American Teenager” and Rosalía’s “Saoko,” from her album, Motomami. Obama also loved releases by Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and Lizzo while spotlighting rising artists like Sudan Archives, Omar Apollo, Ayra Starr, Rema, Plains, Zach Bryan, and more.
“I always enjoy sharing my end of year music playlist with all of you — and this year we heard a lot of great songs,” he captioned. “Here are some of my favorites. Are there any songs or artists I should check out?”
I always enjoy sharing my end of year music playlist with all of you — and this year we heard a lot of great songs. Here are some of my favorites.
Some of the artists who were included on Obama’s favorites of 2022 have also started responding. “did not have a former president including my anti-war, anti-patriotism fake pop song on his year end list on my 2022 bingo,” Cain posted on Twitter.
did not have a former president including my anti-war, anti-patriotism fake pop song on his year end list on my 2022 bingo
As for the public’s reactions to Obama’s playlist, social media users have been disappointed by the lack of Drake and Taylor Swift, as well as suggesting he checks out Goose, Arctic Monkeys, and other 2022 albums before December ends.
138 days have passed — it’s been a little under five months since the release of Beyoncé’s seventh studio album Renaissance. Celebrating Black, queer culture in a dance-filled record, the album has easily found itself on listeners’ #SpotifyWrapped charts, across Ballroom floors, and placed on album of the year lists.
It’s unsurprising that Renaissance has held a relevant position in pop culture considering the endless memes and themed dance parties — regardless of the album’s undelivered music videos. If it wasn’t obvious after the release of her self-titled album in 2013, Beyoncé knows how to captivate an audience for an extensive period of time. As Twitter users joked about members of the BeyHive getting to leave the imaginary waiting room of artists that rarely drop music (alongside fans of SZA, Rihanna, and Frank Ocean), the unbelievable existence surrounding the album’s long-awaited release started to feel real. The longing for the album’s visuals is similar to how we’ll be yearning for the next chapter of the Houston native’s teased three-act project.
Longevity isn’t anything new for Beyoncé. If you’ve been following her superstardom since the days of Destiny’s Child or even 2016’s vulnerable project Lemonade, everything revolving around the artist stays relevant. On “Formation,” she did claim that she’s that b*tch because she frequently causes conversation. In “I’m That Girl,” she reminded her listeners exactly who the f*ck she is with the opening sample by the late Memphis rapper Princess Loko.
She’s also tapping into a wider trend. Like a variety of musical projects from the likes of PinkPantheress, Rochelle Jordan, Drake, Shygirl, Channel Tres/Tinashe, and IDK/Kaytranada, Renaissance is one of many examples of why 2022 was a popular year for dance music by Black artists. Following two years of isolation, grief, and an unforeseeable return to normalcy, Renaissance arrived at a necessary time to return to the dance floor.
As many have mentioned, the album’s effortless flow is perfect for a night out, and that’s evident with the existence of #ClubRenaissance parties at clubs across the globe. While sharing an open letter about the album, Beyoncé anticipated that her fans would find joy in the music and “release a wiggle” while listening to it. Following the June arrival of lead single “Break My Soul,” some pointed out that the album’s ode to queer culture would’ve been heavily appreciated during Pride Month, but its drop toward the end of July promised a rewarding conclusion of the summer.
In the open letter, she also dedicated the album to her late Uncle Johnny, who passed away from HIV. “He was my godmother and the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and culture that serve as inspiration for this album,” she writes. While acknowledging the impact that her Uncle Johnny had in her life — which was also mentioned during her acceptance speech at the 2019 GLAAD Media Awards — the mission to pay homage to Black queer and trans icons was evident throughout the album.
Her extensive roster of Black LGBTQ+ collaborators included New Orleans bounce phenomenon Big Freedia, The Internet’s singer-songwriter and sapphic superstar Syd, multihyphenate Grace Jones, television personality Ts Madison, and DJ/producer Honey Dijon, among others. Prior to Renaissance’s arrival, Beyoncé said, “My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom.” Her intended choice of words has resonated with me for months: to be Black and queer during the release of Beyoncé’s Renaissance is to feel heard, seen, and unapologetically loved. The album’s recognizable reverence to Black queer artists, drag queens, and listeners was intentional, just as she spoke.
To minimize the longevity of this album to the unknown arrival of its visuals wouldn’t be fair. Following the surprise drop of Beyoncé in 2013, fans have always questioned the secrets that could be up the artist’s sleeve, especially if she’s carrying her notorious laptop.
Besides the visuals and forthcoming two acts, what else is Beyoncé hiding up her sleeve? Well, I personally didn’t account for the limited-edition “Cuff It” themed merchandise that would be gifted by Queen Bey for the lucky few that created a viral video for participating in the trending #CuffItChallenge. After the challenge swept its way beyond TikTok and onto every social media platform, she rewarded her fans’ choreography by reposting 27 of her “Cuff It Picks” onto her account via an Instagram Guide.
Perhaps the relevancy and compelling nature of the 16-track album has more to do with its sound, specifically the work of longtime collaborator The-Dream. After penning remarkable classics like “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” “Grown Woman,” and “Formation,” The-Dream was bound to create a sonic masterpiece on Renaissance. If the combination of the album’s funk, disco, house, soul, R&B, and gospel doesn’t explain its addictive flair, maybe the excitement for its live performances will.
Following the historic blessing that is BeyChella, not to mention her infamous dance breaks, the Renaissance tour will be a lively experience creating FOMO for those not in attendance. The approaching tour dates were inadvertently confirmed to occur during next summer after an auction for October’s Wearable Art Gala, leaving fans who are now financially preparing themselves for the tour’s announcement. Whether Ticketmaster is ready or not for the BeyHive after the debacle with Taylor Swift’s devoted Swifties, the satisfaction of attending the Renaissance tour has motivated employed people everywhere.
As fans fill Beyoncé’s comment sections asking about the status of the album’s visuals, don the disco balls (every last one of them) and dance carefree with your loved ones as the hour-long album plays from start to finish. Renaissance has gifted us a moment to release ourselves and escape within songs like “Church Girl” or “Virgo’s Groove.” Go ahead and press play to absorb the bad b*tch energy that oozes out of tracks like “Pure/Honey” and “Heated.” In an attention economy that often finds it hard to focus on anything longer than a week, this is built to last. As Beyoncé stated in the album’s opening track, Renaissance truly is That Girl, and it’s time to wholeheartedly recognize it while reviewing this year’s best albums.
After nearly two years in a gridlocked pandemic, this year in music was all about paying homage to nostalgic acts. Pop icon Britney Spears made her triumphant return to music, as did Backstreet Boys. While rock band Blink-182 plans to make their return next year, No Doubt plans to do the same. Musicians weren’t the only ones feeling the throwback energy in the air. According to Billboard, consumers of music felt the same opting for vinyl album purchases in mass this year.
Data and insight company, Luminate, revealed that last week (ending on December 15) was the third-largest week for vinyl sales since 1991 — well that’s when the company began tracking the metrics. Of the albums released on vinyl this year, the company reported, A Charlie Brown Christmas, sold a total of 469,000 pieces of vinyl. Overall, this year’s official vinyl album sales total $39.659 million dollars (or 1.521 million units), a 3.5% increase since last year.
This is quite normal for the 1965 animated TV special, as the document outlines, A Charlie Brown Christmas is consistently among the top-selling holiday album on vinyl annually domestically. Other albums at the top album sales chart include Taylor Swift’s Midnights which currently sits at No. 1 for the eighth consecutive week (a record previously held by Adele’s 30) and Zach Bryan’s American Heartbreak at No. 4.
But not all old music technology is being embraced. CD albums sale fell for the second consecutive year. The data should CD album sales only accounted for $33.822 million, which is down 11.3% compared to a year ago.
Star singer SZA reached a new milestone with her latest album, SOS, reaching No.1 on the Billboard 200 charts after a five-year hiatus. Her debut is among one of the five highest album debuts of 2022. TDE songstress SZA’s latest album SOS has reached early success as it is now No. 1 on the Billboard […]
No matter how famous Beyoncé may be, Tina Lawson will share stories about her eldest daughter whenever possible. This time, Ms. Tina sat with a former First Lady for REVOLT x Michelle Obama: The Cross-Generational Conversation. The special also featured guests like Kelly Rowland, Winnie Harlow, and H.E.R., while Angie Martinez acted as host.
During the chat, several women spoke about parenthood and finding the balance of protecting one’s children while also allowing them to make mistakes. Lawson used Beyoncé as an example as she brought up a moment in the singer’s youth. According to Lawson, Bey was just an aspiring singer who felt out-matched by a better vocalist.
“There’s a balance so that they don’t feel that they’re entitled to things,” said Lawson. “I remember Beyoncé being in the group at first,” but another singer, a girl slightly older with a “better voice” was brought in.
There was disbelief that there could have been a singer better than Beyoncé, but at the time, it was true.
“She was much older and stronger,” Lawson remembered. She recalled her daughter “coming home and saying, ‘That’s not fair because I brought her there and, you know, they’re not even telling me thank you, and now she’s just singing all the lead.’”
It could have made things simple just to support Beyoncé during her youthful frustration. However, that’s not what Ms. Tina chose to do.
“I’m like, you know what, I would go get in those voice lessons,” she said. “And I’d just work twice as hard because the world ain’t fair… That was a really tough lesson for that age.”
Little Beyoncé didn’t appreciate the lesson and told her mother, “I hate you.” She even threw in a, “You’re not my best friend and I hate you.”
“When your kids say, ‘You are not my best friend,’” Lawson added. “Well, I don’t want to be your best friend.” It was a lesson that we’re sure Bey has implemented throughout her career.
Beyoncé’s cultural impact has spanned nearly two decades, but it has never been more evident than in 2022. The multi-hyphenate brought the world to a screeching halt after releasing her seventh studio album, Reinassance, this past July, sparking national debates about topics like the “Great Resignation,” the Black roots of House music, and more.
2022 has been quite the year for Queen Bey. Aside from releasing her highly anticipated album, the singer starred in a new campaign with Tiffany & Co. earlier this year. She also achieved the record for having the most Grammy nominations ever — tieing with her Jay-Z for 88 nominations. Here are the three biggest moments from Beyoncé for 2022.
Beyoncé Releases Her Seventh Album, Renaissance
Beyoncé brought the world to a screeching halt with her latest album, Renaissance, an ode to House music, which was heavily influenced by Black and queer artists. The album sparked national debates about burnout in the workplace and the Great Resignation, making everyone want to “release their jobs.” The pop singer has yet to release the visuals for the project, causing considerable frustration within the “Hive.”
She is also rumored to be gearing up for a tour in 2023, guess we’ll have to wait and see.
2022 Oscars Performance
For her Oscar performance of King Richard‘s “Be Alive,” Beyoncé hit the streets of Compton, performing at a local tennis court. Surrounded by dancers with glowing, yellow ensembles and the signature hair beads that defined Venus and Serena’s early careers, the singer brings the song to life. It had been the first performance from Beyoncé in over five years, and the singer got to have her daughter, Blue Ivy, right alongside her, bringing the moment full circle.
The over-the-top performance was peak Beyoncé, which means sheer perfection, and we should expect nothing less.
Queen Bey Celebrates The Big 4-0
Along with dropping an album and racking up several nominations, Beyoncé hit another milestone this year — turning 40. The pop singer celebrated her 40th birthday this past September and in this new stage in he life, Beyoncé said she is working to “obliterate old boundaries” as she heads into uncharted territory.
“My wish is for my 40s to be fun and full of freedom,” she told Harper’s Bazaar last month. “I want this next decade to be about celebration, joy, and giving and receiving love. I want to give all the love I have to the people who love me back.”
︎ (@itsbarbey) December 29, 2022
(@fonzfranc) December 29, 2022
