Renaissance was born of its creator's desire to create an escapist musical fantasy world during the dark days of COVID-19 lockdown. And where did Ms. Beyonce Knowles choose to escape? Into the glitter-streaked glory days of early disco, house and techno -- Black musics that largely originated within the further marginalized confines of queer-friendly dance clubs in New York, Chicago and Detroit.

It's a good look for Beyonce. The singer's first album of new material since 2016's Lemonade, the endlessly groovy Renaissance is presented in a continuous flow as if it were a DJ mix her and allows Beyonce to try on an entirely new style of diva-dom and makes you wonder why she hasn't been doing this sort of stuff all along. It debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard album chart upon release in July of 2022, too, giving mainstream audiences a tantalizing peek into the realm of underground dance music. So "cool" points to Beyonce. In further testament to her restless creative spirit, the formally titled Act 1: Renaissance would be followed by Beyonce's "country" album Act II: Cowboy Carter in 2024.

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