In the wee hours of Thursday morning, a new era dawned: the nü Renaissance, a.k.a. the summer of Beyoncé’s seventh album. It’s been six years since Queen B gifted us with her last solo album, Lemonade, for which we are forever grateful. Just as we did with that album, we’re more than ready to make Renaissance, album seven, into our entire personalities when it finally arrives on July 29.
Because as good as Beyoncé’s post-Lemonade releases have been—namely 2019’s Lion King concept record; 2020’s visual album Black Is King; and last year’s Oscar-nominated single “Be Alive”—nothing she’s done post-Lemonade has hit the highs of a full-on Beyoncé jaunt. (If you’re a fan of the Carters’ Everything Is Love, we’re happy for you. We are not among you, but we’re happy for you.) She’s the type of creator whose vision comes together in one intentional set of songs. Lemonade is as much a set of songs as it is an aesthetic, made only more so by its iconic accompanying film.
Just as important as new music and videos, though, is a new press tour. Beyoncé photo shoots are one of the world’s only good gifts to woman, and a new Beyoncé photo shoot is exactly what we have been blessed with. Today, British Vogue premiered its July 2022 cover, starring Beyoncé in a set of styles that we will try and fail to recreate ourselves for the next calendar year. Even though we’ll never look this good, we will fawn over how good Beyoncé looks in the magazine’s Renaissance reveal-inspired shoot.
That’s exactly what Allegra Frank, deputy entertainment editor, and Fletcher Peters, entertainment reporter, will do below. Get ready: We’re going to fashion church, beehive.
Allegra Frank: That horse looks better in red than most humans do. This look is giving Twin Peaks “Black Lodge” vibes, a little bit, but if Lynch were high fashion instead of abstract horror. What I mean by this is: Hot, love it, want it framed on my wall.
Fletcher Peters: Oh, that red horse. A simple, sleek black dress (notice the gloves, too!) is the perfect way to capture attention with this cover. I can’t stop looking at the feathered headdress, too.
Fletcher: Your eyes might flicker immediately to the shimmering gold cowl. But mine landed on another aspect entirely: the planetary earrings. Saturn’s rings are floating around, defying the law of gravity.
Allegra: Astrology girlies are probably recreating those earrings to sell on Etsy right now, and I’m happy for all of us. I’m most taken by the hair moment here, I think—an unevenly cut bang isn’t a look that just anyone can pull off. But this comparatively “imperfect” styling choice makes this bold look that much bolder. Choppy bang summer???
Fletcher: The black clothes/red background look she’s repeating really takes the cake in this shoot. I love the look of tight leather and shimmering red velvet together, especially with the added sheen of the motorcycle.
Allegra: This might be my favorite look among the entire shoot. It’s an uncharacteristically badass moment, all hard edges and dramatic spikes, wrapped in leather and augmented with that velvet curtain. There’s as much a motorcycle dude aesthetic here as an industrial goth one, making for an interesting, complementary pairing that Beyoncé pulls off surprisingly naturally. Beyoncé x VampireFreaks is forthcoming.
Fletcher: I don’t know what is on her arms, but, girl, I am living. Pipes and a puffer coat? The blurriness of this adds to the intrigue of this album, too. I can’t tell if those are flowers or spots of colors littered around Bey’s body. Her hands are in motion. This shot is full of lightness and movement, and has inspired me to dance.
Fletcher: A top comment here reads “The president of the United States omg!!!” and I love that energy. This is our first (and only) double slide in the bunch, and while I did stare at the first photo, captivated for quite awhile, the double glimmer of the second photo floored me.
Allegra: Bubblegum cyberpunk is my new dream aesthetic. I will never pull this off, but I’m glad Beyoncé has introduced me to it. Agree that photo #2 has the most flair, but I am desperate to see more angles of her wearing that asymmetrical visor in photo #1.
Allegra: Tinfoil hat, but make it fashion. Chuck McGill would approve, as do I.
Fletcher: Bubbles! That was my first thought. My second: Yes to the return of the short-shorts. I will forever be thinking about Bey’s Coachella looks, and these foily gems seem like a little throwback to that.
Fletcher: I’ve sent this image to approximately 87 of my closest friends, making sure they understand that this is the vibe every day after July 29. It’s so hard to admit that summer can’t really begin until the end of July, but I’ll be spending the next 42 days peeling through the internet for the chunkiest heeled boots and sparkliest disco balls I can squeeze into my apartment. Folks have often hung disco balls from the ceiling, sure. But using them as a chair? Profound.
Allegra: Do you know any woman but Beyoncé who can pull off a dramatic headdress this well, let alone two of them in two different outfits? And not only is Beyoncé pioneering with those disco balls, but she’s teasing the sound palate of Renaissance. British Vogue EIC Edward Enniful, who was lucky enough to hear some of the new tracks, said the song he heard conjured images of the club. Think club kids, Studio 54—that whole vibe. She’s nailing it fashion-wise, and I’m sure she’ll nail it sonically too.
