Was the Super Bowl really just one big warm-up for a surprise announcement from Beyoncé?
During the second half of Sunday night’s big game, the Grammy winner appeared in a Verizon commercial as she tried to “break the internet” by opening a Lemonade stand, playing the saxophone, performing in space, and launching a “BarBey” doll, among other things.
But the real chaos began near the end of the ad, when Beyoncé said, “OK, they ready — drop the new music. I told y’all the Renaissance is not over.” Right after the spot concluded, the singer dropped a video and promotional images on Instagram announcing a new album: Act II arriving March 29. Then she dropped two news songs: “Texas Hold ’Em” and “16 Carriages” are out now.
As suggested by all the dust and cowboys, it appears the yeehaw agenda has struck again (Lana Del Rey also announced her first country project earlier this month). When Beyoncé dropped Renaissance in 2022, her website noted that the album would be the first of a “three-act project,” according to Variety. Last week at the Grammys, Beyoncé’s cowboy hat upstaged most of the actual performances, and as we now know, she was likely hinting at her country-leaning second act.
Is there a Dolly Parton feature? Another summer tour in the works? I’m sure we’ll learn more soon, but for now, yeehaw, honey.
This post has been updated.