Beyonce fans seem to think we might be getting a rock album from the global superstar at some point.
What is sparking the speculation? Beyonce is reportedly in the midst of a three-act stage of her career dubbed her Renaissance. The first “act” was a tribute to house music, with fans speculating that she was revisiting genres that black artists helped to pioneer.
The Super Bowl commercial announcement of a new album that falls in a more country style supposedly marks the second of the three acts, and for the better part of the past year, heavy rumors have circulated about either a country or a rock album. So with the country album now seemingly confirmed, there was once again heavy buzz about a rock record on social media on Sunday.
What Was the Initial Speculation?
The PopTingz X account initially set Beyonce fans abuzz in late July 2023, with a tweet that suggested, “More insiders are reporting that Beyonce’s Act II will be coming this year with the genre being Rock. Not 100% sure about the news but thought I’d share.”
The tweet then yielded a wealth of responses on the speculation, even inspiring a Reddit thread as well.
Many fans pointed to Beyonce’s “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” a track that featured Jack White, as a song that led them to believe she could make the rock transition, while another fan pointed out that Beyonce had covered Alanis Morissette‘s “You Oughta Know” in the past as well.
“YES YES YES,” exclaimed one fan on the initial Reddit thread, adding, “With the current discourse around country and rock this would be actually so culturally fresh and impactful.” Yet another responded to the speculation stating, “As a Slipknot and Beyonce fan, this would be amazing.”
At the time, the thread also yielded speculation that Beyonce was working on a country album as well, teeing up the possibility that both rock and country could finish out the three act album cycle.
What Beyonce Announced During the Super Bowl?
Beyonce was part of the big Super Bowl commercial extravaganza with a humorous spot for Verizon. In it, Veep and Arrested Development actor Tony Hale plays her assistant, with Beyonce betting him that she can break Verizon just like she broke the internet. She then increasingly attempts to go bigger with events, even jokingly heading to space before teasing at the end of the spot, “Drop the new music.”
The commercial debut essentially doubled as a new album announcement, with Beyonce sharing a teaser video on her Instagram for the twangy new single “Texas Hold ‘Em,” lending credence to the rumor that Act II would be country based.
She later announced on her social media the release of the songs “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.” Both songs fall more in the country vein which would seem to confirm the country album speculation.
Why Beyonce Fans Now Feel a Rock Album Will Follow?
Since country and rock were speculated for the next two acts, fans were actively championing a rock album for Act III on social media after Sunday’s country revelation.
Some fans even offered wishlist suggestions for Beyonce.
“When beyoncé’s act iii turns out to be a rock album and she collabs with paramore to maximize their southern rock slay,” offered one fan. Another proffered, “When Beyonce announced Act III is a rock album with a feature from Slash then WHAT?” And yet a third fan suggested, “if we get a Beyoncé/Jack White/Deftones rock album for act iii, I’m gonna lose it.”
Other fans were just excited at the idea of Beyonce potentially embracing rock. “Predicting Act III will be a rock album. Beyonce Turner is loading I’m sure,” speculated one fan. Another added, “The way Beyoncé is RECLAIMING genres started by BLACK PEOPLE! With her making Act I, House music, Act II, Country music, AND Act III, which we can assume will be Rock ‘n’ Roll music, she is showing EVERYONE that Black artists are the BLUEPRINT when it comes to these genres of music! See more responses below:
READ MORE: How Mike Myers Got Beyonce Into Led Zeppelin
What About a Timeline?
Beyonce’s Renaissance album, which many fans consider Act I, was released on July 29, 2022. The newly announced Renaissance Act II is expected to arrive on March 29. Though purely speculative, given a nearly two-year promotional cycle, the third act, which most think will be a rock record, could arrive by late 2025 or early 2026.
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Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner