Beyonce's Renaissance

Music by Beyoncé comes in like falling asleep: slowly and suddenly.

[{"selector":"#anim-d0f2e64d-bebd-4769-8ac5-1f8e08043463","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-61f4ef38-d7fe-4a3b-b780-f23d5c2cc5b7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 136.91354%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Having been silent for six years — and only cryptic clues indicating something was in the works.

[{"selector":"#anim-fc7a5c30-2a00-4d61-8be1-3c87f1b59945","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e6232a5d-58e0-42b6-89d3-fb33ffba6f6f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 165.37694%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5f37e5ad-2b4d-4030-974f-c6b96fd63ac5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(58.413370872129434%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":9000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Queen B followed her tradition of surprise-announcing records when streaming platform Tidal, owned by Jay-Z

[{"selector":"#anim-150c73d1-6bda-4557-a17f-b1111dc6853d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d814dc8a-4456-4e65-9412-95f4e5f4a6a1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.60509%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-08af2bb5-e825-4f7c-b666-9c948b8641d5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-37.410714096523925%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":9000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Lemonade was released in 2016 on Tidal as her first official solo album after hints on social media. In 2014, she released her self-titled fifth studio album.

[{"selector":"#anim-e0e53247-c258-4d5e-952b-39d762b4ce75","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-85e027f1-4e88-48d7-acd0-9833bd96cd4e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 136.55695%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-33737c4c-4caa-45cd-95db-0394edbf5de9 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(59.37499987688605%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":9000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

She changed her Instagram bio to announce the July 29 release of Renaissance and posed for stunning photos on the cover of British Vogue.

[{"selector":"#anim-bbdc76a8-55fd-4b6c-9b36-c78644017ad1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ebe1d7ba-e657-4a18-a8e2-86a97d37d4d5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.60510%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-51cba1ad-ed73-4198-bdd1-7e7086586c06 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(54.128520848414205%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":9000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

She poses amid gilded set pieces that include horses, motorcycles, and oversized disco balls.

[{"selector":"#anim-ffade860-6d5d-475e-a411-328d339491d5","keyframes":[{"transform":"scale(1)","offset":0},{"transform":"scale(1.5)","offset":0.33},{"transform":"scale(0.95)","offset":0.66},{"transform":"scale(1)","offset":1}],"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-c40924a3-0f85-4ee0-a7f6-9747f6de0f1e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(35.75819633149471%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":9000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

The piece did, however, provide some details about the album's sound and release date.

[{"selector":"#anim-42188e56-7c23-48f5-a642-3c12a2d38097","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0b9043a8-4b47-44f7-8564-1843adcb7122","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.28663%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-068f0571-d9df-4e1f-b0d1-8cd43f889eb5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-63.37499977776092%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":9000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

On her website and social media accounts, Beyoncé has also provided clues.

[{"selector":"#anim-35db6584-b787-4196-98b0-3c80fbdd199b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-24188473-1b97-4b58-af47-ac2597cd7d98","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 168.07149%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dd5bfff5-bcbc-474f-a1d7-71ba48719203 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-63.117792197946486%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":9000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]