Tina Knowles, the mother of Beyoncé, has seemingly been keeping Renaissance: Act II a secret for quite some time.
Knowles, 70, took to Instagram on Sunday, February 11, to celebrate the news of her daughter’s upcoming album, which is set to drop on March 29.
“I have loved this record for years, now so happy that you guys get to hear,” Tina wrote alongside a photo of Beyoncé, 42, wearing black attire with a matching cowgirl hat and shades. “It’s amazing. It’s on tidal right now.!❤️❤️.”
Beyoncé surprised fans on Sunday when she announced her new music — the second installment in her Renaissance trilogy — during Super Bowl LVIII. She initially teased the reveal in a Verizon ad that showed her being challenged by Veep alum Tony Hale to break the internet. The singer attempted to do so in several ways, dropping a surprise saxophone album, hosting a lemonade stand — which Hale, 53, jokes “broke me” — and announcing her run for “Beyoncé of the United States.”
Beyoncé then flew into space, saying, “How about the first woman to launch the first rocket for the first performance in space?” When Hale said the internet was still up and running, Beyoncé replied, “You ain’t gonna break me.”
At the end of the clip, the rocket passed by in space and Beyoncé declared, “OK, they ready, drop the new music.”
She followed through with her promise via Instagram on Sunday, announcing the release of her highly anticipated album. She shared a clip that showed a car driving to Texas’ rural countryside while a group of men gathered to look at the sky.
As the clip continues, Beyoncé sings, “This ain’t Texas. Ain’t no hold ‘em. So lay our cards down, down, down, down.”
Her official website was updated with two song titles, “Texas Hold ’Em” and “16 Carriages,” both of which were released on Sunday evening.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance era began in July 2022 with Act I, her first solo release since 2016’s Lemonade. At the time, Beyoncé revealed that the album was part of a “three-act project” recorded and conceived during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world,” she noted in a message shared via her website. “It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment, a place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration.”
Little else was revealed about the continuation of the Renaissance trilogy until Sunday. While the 2022 album celebrated house music, Act II is tackling a new genre with the help of prominent Black country artists Rhiannon Giddens and Robert Randolph. (Beyoncé previously teased her move to country by wearing a cowgirl hat to the 2024 Grammy Awards earlier this month.)
Renaissance: Act I was accompanied by a world tour, which concluded its five-month run in October 2023. Fans got a closer look at Beyoncé’s concert prep in Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, a documentary that hit theaters in December 2023. She dropped a surprise single, “My House,” to coincide with the movie’s release.
