RENAISSANCE - Beyoncé

REVIEWED: July 31, 2022

My first impression of the project is that the beats are very unique. This is especially prevalent in the opening track I'M THAT GIRL. There is no denying that Beyoncé has vocals. She is incredibly talented. However, the songs on this project just didn't fully do it for me. The track COZY GIRL had the sound of abcdefu and other TikTok songs that have had less than thought-provoking lyrics. I have almost no memory of listening to CUFF IT, which goes to show my thoughts on it; it wasn't bad, just forgettable. It should be noted that the production on this project was definitely a 10/10, especially on the track ALIEN SUPERSTAR. I can't lie, some of the lyrics were a miss, such as a line on ALIEN SUPERSTAR about unicorns, but it was otherwise a great track. It was nice to listen to most of the tracks, but it just doesn't have much replayability for me; I wouldn't add many of the songs to my playlist. The song ENERGY is a banger, and I would add it to my playlist. It definitely has afrobeats elements infused which gives it that extra edge compared to other tracks on the project. Unfortunately, BREAK MY SOUL was driven into the ground by TikTok the second it dropped, so despite not being a bad song, I just couldn't fully enjoy it. It was catchy though, I will give it that. I can envision it being played in clubs, just not on my casual playlist. The intro of CHURCH GIRL sounded exciting, but upon further listening, it was just okay. The beat carried the track, with the lyrics leaving me wanting more. If you take more than one second to critically think about the lyrics, you will recognize the corniness. I want to make it known that a song lacking lyrically does not always make it a bad song, but sometimes these songs remain as party songs, and not songs I want to listen to time and time again. PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA had incredible vocals. I actually really liked the song because of the harmonization of Beyoncé's voice with the background vocals. I would replay this song and add it to my playlist. I would consider it one of the best songs on the album. A strong aspect of this project is the album sequencing. This is particularly noticeable in the transition from PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA to VIRGO'S GROOVE. The sequencing is near perfect across the project, and the tracks flow into one another seamlessly. The intro of VIRGO'S GROOVE was angelic, leading into an amazingly funky and refreshing track with a lively beat. The background vocals were, in line with the song's title, groovy! I was sitting in my office chair and it had me swaying from side to side. In my books, the song is already a certified classic. It is easily one of the best tracks off of the album, and a notable feature of the song is its heavenly vocals. The second half of the album was much more promising than the first. The song MOVE was another track that felt like it was carried by the beat, as the lyrical substance was quite dry. Again, this is not bad for a club song, as it still had me moving my hips, but it is just not memorable. The track HEATED had me bopping my head the whole time due to its addicting beat, and I could see myself dancing to it at a function for sure. I noticed the house and afrobeats influence that resided over this track, and it certainly gave it some flair. Its catchiness has me predicting it as being dubbed one of the "Songs of the Summer." The use of ad-libs on this project was one of its greatest strengths. It added an element of fun and sass for the listener, especially if you listen with headphones. I didn't really find myself enjoying the track THIQUE. It just didn't have any standout characteristics compared to others of the project. It was similarly carried by its beat, despite the beat sounding too similar to others. This meant I was not inclined to listen again. The vocals were still on point of course, and the album sequencing to the next track shone once again. The ALL UP IN YOUR MIND vocals were 10/10. The beat sounded like it was from a track by The Weeknd, and this caught my attention and made a stronger, more unique impression on me. AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM had a beat that carried it to potentially be one of the best on the album. Like HEATED, it had me bopping my head for its entirety. This song had a sound similar to The Weeknd as well. PURE/HONEY didn't really pique my interest. The background singers, however, were fantastic and the highlight of the song. The second half of the song was better than the first, but I am not sure that I would listen again if it takes two minutes before I start enjoying the track. SUMMER RENAISSANCE had a similar impact; it took about one minute before I started enjoying it, unfortunately. The beat was interesting, but it just was not memorable. I liked the beat more than I disliked it, that's for sure, but the song felt like it was taking too many directions at once. The track had me enjoying one section, then would abruptly switch to almost an entirely different genre. All in all, the project was not bad, but there were too many misses for me to add most of the tracks to my playlist. The album was decent; its highs were high, but overall, it was quite average. It should be noted that despite many efforts to try to get into it, I don't listen to Beyoncé's music very much. I believe she had a lot of hits many years ago, but I just can't mesh with her newer releases. I hope you enjoyed this week's review, see you next time!