Beyoncé’s Renaissance: Through My Queer Lens

Beyoncé’s Renaissance: Through My Queer Lens.

When I first heard Beyoncé’s Renaissance in July of 2022, something about it haunted me. Sure, it’s a dance album, no question. It samples many songs and genres. Out of sixteen tracks she has samples in ten of the songs. The samples range through disco, Jamaican Dancehall, Hyper Pop, and Memphis blues. I kept asking myself, why does this dance album feel so profound? Stirring something deep inside me that I can’t identify. I kept telling my friends, this album is so much more than a dance record. The first single, “Break My Soul”, hit me like a sucker punch in my soul. I could not find an answer. I put the song on my workout play list. I loved to dance to it in my home. Yet, I couldn’t help feeling an endless ache inside this dance song.

I was at a friend’s video release party and the song came on. I stood on the dance floor and it finally hit me. My revelation about Renaissance. More about that later.

Let’s start with the cover. We see Beyoncé riding a ghost-like horse and staring with great intensity right at us, while basically nude. Beyoncé wrote, “It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom.” The words safe space, a place to scream and release, feel freedom, stayed with me.

Here is how she described the record in British Vogue: “Music that makes you rise, that turns your mind to cultures and subcultures, to our people past and present, music that will unite so many on the dance floor, music that touches your soul.”

I began to dig deeper into the record, its lyrics and its trajectory. I’m underlying key lyrics to support my revelation. By the end of the blog, you will see why I underlined these key words.

“Break My Soul” If I'm 'bout to explode, take off this load Bend it, bust open, won't ya make it go?

Release ya anger, release ya mind Release ya job, release the time Release ya trade, release the stress Release the love, forget the rest

You won't break my soul And I'm telling everybody (oh yeah, yeah)”

“Church Girl” I been up, I been down Feel like I move mountains, got friends that cried fountains, ooh I'm warning everybody soon as I get in this party I'm gon' let go of this body, I'm gonna love on me Nobody can judge me but me, I was born free.

Swimming through the oceans of tears we cried (tears that we've cried) You know we got church in the morning (the morning) But you doin' God's work, you goin' in.

“Energy” Voting out 45, don't get outta line

Big wave in the room, the crowd gon' move Look around, everybody on mute Look around, it's me and my crew Big energy

We was just chillin', mindin' our business Poppin' our pain and champagne through the ceiling Sippin' it up, flickin' it up All this good energy got you all in your feelings, feelings I'm crazy, I'm swearin' I'm daring, your man's staring I just entered the country with derringers 'Cause them Karens just turned into terrorists

He was on stop mode, got froze Froze from page Vogue, no pose Chat too much, full clip unload That's that Kodak energy

Let’s go back to the dance floor at my friend’s video release party. I’m watching everyone dancing, screaming, and howling, “You Won’t Break My Soul.” It became a cry, an anthem, a declaration against the rising fascism in this country. Think about it. The only violent mass shootings in places of worship have been in a black church, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues and then our church…dance clubs. It’s the blacks, Jews, and the queers that they go after. We have always been their fascists holy trinity of fear. I can’t leave out the Asian American community, because they have been shot at, vilified and victimized. Thankfully they have not been attacked in their place of worship.

I danced through the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s. When we danced in clubs it was to “It's Raining Men”, “I Love the Nightlife,” “Boogie Wonderland”, “Da YA Think I’m Sexy”, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody, “1999”. We were dancing to silly songs, songs about boogying all night long, and the coming new millennium. There was no fear on the dance floor of being slaughtered, watching your best friend’s head explode. The only Karen we knew was Karen Carpenter. Now everything is different. “You Won’t Break My Soul” means exactly what it says. Any group that is now under attack from the fascist right-wing won’t break us, we won’t live in fear. We will still worship in our chosen temples.

I have no idea if this is what Beyoncé set out to say with this album. I’ve never had the pleasure to meet her and ask her. My guess is that she did this this consciously. Her Black experience is universal and shines a light on the common experience of stigmatized, threatened, brutalized peoples. Even if it was unconscious, she was tapping into the zeitgeist and our collective unconscious. It’s a profound achievement.

I’m with Beyoncé. I’m gonna love on me, and be free.