On Friday Beyoncé released her seventh solo album, “Act I: Renaissance”, six years after the breakaway hit of “Lemonade.” She gave fans and critics a taste of her latest work last month, when she released the surprise single “Break My Soul”. (It debuted in the top 10 of the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart on Billboard.)
the iconic performer steers a famous narrow ship, with a careful image and studio presence. And yet “Rebirth” was leaked two days before this week’s scheduled release, prompting a flurry of headlines that clouded the premiere. Of course, leaked content in the music industry is it’s not a new thing. But this (minor) chaos highlights how even Beyoncé may be losing some control in our current moment. And in the end, we could relate more to this lack of control than to her own songs.
This (minor) chaos highlights how even Beyoncé may be losing some control in our current moment.
Beyoncé writes that her new album represents a creative awakening and personal evolution that emerged from the darkness and isolation of 2020’s lockdown. She says she dreamed of an escape “to feel free and adventurous when little else was moving.” And he trusts the rest of us to feel the same longing for existential and ultimately rejuvenation and reinvention.
It certainly seems as if the pandemic and lockdown sparked a wave of personal reflection, especially in terms of what we value, who we want to spend our time with, and the role of money and work in our daily lives. It could be said that this feeling culminated in the Great Resignation, as millions of people quit their jobs in the hope that they would not only survive but thrive creatively, professionally, and emotionally. Beyoncé’s single “Break My Soul” seems to capture this sentiment.
It also seems about two years too late.
In fact, after an early wave of perhaps too optimistic media reports highlighting those who, like apparently Beyoncé, have been able to create new businesses or more flexible work experiences, others they have now expressed regret at leaving their jobs without an adequate plan or an aligned alternative in a society where much of our quality of life and well-being can be traced back to employment. Not surprisingly, some have criticized “Break My Soul” as “deaf.”
It’s also not surprising that Beyoncé has experienced a personal renaissance over the past two years, while many of us feel more insecure personally and professionally than ever. “Renaissance” reflects the “good vibes only” state of mind from a few years ago. We now have articles being published on how this kind of attitude can really become toxic if you disavow more complex experiences and emotions. Americans have long been relentlessly optimistic, an interesting side effect of our national exceptionalism. This album taps into that quality, but it’s a sentiment that feels increasingly lacking as our political rights and environment deteriorate.
Public frustration runs deep. A majority of the population has repeatedly expressed its support for women’s reproductive health human rights, stronger gun laws and more action on climate change. Our collective failure to promote more humane and socially progressive public policies has left us in a state of social retrograde rather than renaissance.
This is not exactly the flavor of the cultural awakening that we so badly need right now.
In this climate, it’s hard to get too excited about feel-good music and the dreamy escapades of the super-rich, even if we have a less critical take on celebrity and Beyoncé’s meteoric success as latest bell hooks. Beyoncé could be a musical genius, as unexpected collaborations like working with grace jones on the “Move” track. She mixes and shows across genresand her sheer determination is convincing. But this is not exactly the flavor of cultural awakening that we so badly need right now.
Because this is the thing about rebirths: they refer to collective change and social transformation, not private personal evolutions. The Italian Renaissance was not just about the great works and achievements of figures like Leonardo da Vinci or Galileo Galileo, but more importantly, about a definitive break with the old traditional ways of thinking and organizing society. Closer to home, few would put the Harlem Renaissance on the shoulders of a single person, not even the formidable Langston Hughes or Zora Neal Hurston. Noel harlem renaissance it was about a fundamental reorganization of everyday life and social space centered boldly around black life. In order not only to dream but to sustain lasting personal evolution, we need broader social transformations and protections that allow for greater personal expression.
Yes, we need good vibes and good music, but we also need better socio-economic plans so we don’t get stuck when those dreams of escape don’t come to fruition. Beyoncé’s personal renaissance may well inspire her biggest fans. Perhaps it also provides a catchy soundtrack for the rest of us as we push ourselves, each other, and our social institutions toward a better tomorrow.