Leading up to the Super Bowl, amidst all the game predictions, Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce chatter, and big brand activations, a hot topic steadily trended all week: Beyoncé. Fans buzzed with rumors around a new album release and a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas. While the rumors of the Sphere have yet to be confirmed, during Super Bowl LVIII, Beyoncé herself confirmed her new album, Act II. Since her album announcement and two new single song drops less than 24 hours ago, Beyoncé has made history again, becoming the first Black female artist to occupy the top 2 spots on the U.S. Apple Music Country songs chart.
Arrested Development and Veep star Tony Hale first appeared in Verizon’s Super Bowl teaser ads, packed with specific references that fans often associate with the multi-Grammy award winning singer: lemons and a silver horse. If you listened closely, the teasers also then included a very brief snippet of her music.
During the Super Bowl, the minute-long Verizon ad ran: Hale hands Beyoncé her phone on set, and he casually mentions how powerful Verizon’s 5G internet service is – “Bet you can’t beat that,” he challenges. Accepting the challenge, towards the end of the commercial, Beyoncé is seen leaving in a rocket ship, saying, “OK, they ready. Drop the new music.”
Following the ad, fans took to social media to look for more details. The Houston native then confirmed with a video on Instagram, that the second part of “Renaissance,” entitled Act II, would be released March 29, 2024.
The video released on her Instagram account and website features a crowd in a desert, looking up at a billboard of Beyoncé, with the words, “Texas! Hold ‘Em.” The video ends with “act ii. 3.29.” The video clip also featured Beyoncé’s new song, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which dropped after the Verizon ad. The Beyhive was then graced with another single drop on Instagram, titled “16 CARRIAGES.” In her new tracks, fans can hear prominent banjo and violin instrumentals – strong country influences, hinting at a country music-centric album.
The Beyhive can now stream her two latest singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 CARRIAGES,” on all streaming services – Currently, both “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 CARRIAGES” by Beyoncé has reached #1 and #2 on US iTunes. Stay tuned for all the best listening Bey parties that are sure to come this March – In the meantime, here are some of our favorite fan reactions and memes around Beyoncé’s Act II:
Before her Act II announcement, Beyoncé released “Daddy Lessons” off her 2016 album, Lemonade – her first country track, with a remix that features iconic country band, The Chicks. The fan-favorite track made a resurgence following Act II’s announcement:
Many fans shared how powerful it is to see a Black woman artist releasing music in the country music genre, considering the history of Black artists in country music.
And this announcement from the proud Texas native is even exciting fans who usually don’t gravitate towards country music:
The Beyhive gearing up for a Cowboy Renaissance – think Cowboy Core ‘fits:
Yee-haw indeed, Beyhive.