Top 5 Songs From Beyonce's New Album "Renaissance"
When “Renaissance” was released on July 29th, 2022, the world reset. Beyoncé has not released an official solo studio album since “Lemonade” in 2016, so this album was already anticipated. I was never a massive Beyoncé fan, but I think I am after listening to this album. When I heard the album for the first time, the intro in the opening track “I’m That Girl” caught my attention, and I was drawn in. These are my top five songs from the album:
5. “Move (ft. Grace Jones & Tems)”
“MOVE” is a loud and empowering song that talks about the culture and uprising of African Americans. Grace Jones’s verse has a beat inspired by ballroom and vogue style but has a cultural meaning. The lyrics “Brukup, it’s Brukup, it’s Brukup” talks about the Jamaican dance style called Bruk Up. Started by George Adams, the style is made up of contortionist-style dancing and break-dancing moves. In the ’90s, he had a bone infection called osteomyelitis, and he used his infected bones to create hip-hop-like dance moves. This song has a more hip-hop feel and is great for that style of dance.
4. “Energy (ft. Beam)”
This song is the shortest on the album with a duration of one minute and 56 seconds, it holds so much energy despite the short duration. The name sounds like it’s going to be an intense song, but instead, it's more of a slow pop song with a heavy distorted-sounding beat. My favorite part of the song is when Beyoncé uses repetition of repeating words like pop, dot, block, and shot. Beyoncé did this so the lyrics are more memorable for the listeners. Lastly, the song after “Energy” is the lead single hit from the album, “Break My Soul” and the transition at the end of the song is incredible. Towards the end, you hear Big Freedia’s voice (the singer who is sampled/featured in “Break My Soul”) which then leads into the very beginning of the next song.
3. “Heated”
This song is about how Beyoncé is thriving and successful. The “heat” she discusses in the song is describing her success. She says she has to “cool herself off” because of how heated she is with success. “Heated” is a slow pop song that has empowering lyrics. The reason this song is in my third spot is because of the ending. At the outro, Beyoncé starts doing a type of freestyle with the lyrics. They rhyme perfectly and the rhythm has a great flow. My favorite line which Beyoncé repeats a lot, “Uncle Johnny made my dress that cheap spandex she looks a mess”, is about her late Uncle Johnny who passed away of complications from HIV and influenced her career and fashion. This song is lyrically and rhythmically powerful and so heated.
2. “ALIEN SUPERSTAR”
“Alien Superstar '' is the most iconic song on this album. It's hard to not like the song. It starts off with a sample from “Moonraker” by Foremost Poets which sets the tone of the song very well. The sample has a memorable phrase of, “Please don't be alarmed, remain calm. Do not attempt to leave the dance floor.” This makes the listener really excited about what's coming next in the song. The first three phrases Beyoncé says are, “I’m one of one,” “I’m number one,” and “I’m the only one.” She repeats the word “one” to show that she is the one and not to mess with her. This also sets the tone because the song is about confidence and being yourself. My favorite part is the transition between the verse and the chorus. The majority of choruses are spoken until the chorus. When the chorus starts, it's an eruption. It's loud and big with a heavy bass that makes you feel like you are strutting down a runway. The word Beyoncé repeats a lot in this song is “unique,” conveying the message that everyone is unique and should feel confident about who they are.
1.” Pure/Honey”
When I first heard this song, it kept surprising me. The very first beat of the song is an introduction to Beyoncé entering the vogue and ballroom cultures. One of my favorite lyrics is, “It should cost a billion to look this good.” When she says that line, it's silent until she says “good” and then the beat drops. This song has the best production because of all the Ballroom-influenced sounds and the thick beat that is present most of the song. This song is a combined song on the album. Whenever there is a slash between two names, it means the song is two different songs combined into one. The transition between “Pure” and “Honey” is phenomenal. “Pure” is a heavy beat song, but “HONEY” is more soft and melodic with good background vocals. Overall, “Pure/Honey” is so powerful and shows a different side of Beyoncé that we have not seen much of.
By Marco Schittone