(CNN)You should know by now that a Beyoncé album release is quite the event.
“Renaissance,” of course, and if social media is to be believed, the Grammy winner’s eagerly awaited seventh album does not disappoint.
The album was officially released on Friday morning. So much to digest, so much to dissect and so much to dance to. Here’s what you need to know:
Queen Bey addresses the leak
Before we get into the actual music, the singer had something to say about it Leaking just days before its scheduled release.
“So, the album leaked and you all waited until the right release time so you could all enjoy it together,” she wrote in a statement posted on social media. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I can’t thank you enough for your love and protection.”
Members of The Hive, as her loyal fan base is known, took to social media to plead with people to please not share or listen to the leaked files contained there.
She thanked them for their “unwavering support” and “patience”.
“I appreciate you calling out anyone trying to sneak into the club early,” she wrote. “It means the world to me.”
Speaking of clubs
We expected to dance and “Renaissance” gives us house music and Afro-beats and pays homage to the jams of the past.
Kids of the 1970s will reminisce about the house parties their parents threw — complete with Boone’s Farm wine and couches to make room for the dance floor — with songs like “Summer Renaissance” (which channeled Donna Summer) and “Cuff It,” which was a disco and roller coaster. -Returns to the skating rink.
The latter also features Chic co-founder Nile Rodgers, one of the era’s sound architects.
Of course Beyoncé gives her own interpretation, as she does on lead single “Break My Soul,” which samples house music legend Robin Ace’s 1993 hit “Show Me Love.”
Love for the LGBTQ+ community
Beyoncé pays tribute to her late Uncle Johnny, a gay man, with her latest project.
“She was my godmother and the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and culture that served as inspiration for this album,” she wrote in a note on her site. “Thank you to all the originators of culture, to all those fallen angels whose contributions have long gone unrecognized. Here’s a celebration for you.”
In 2019, she opened up about him between her and her husband Jay-Z Acceptance speech for the Vanguard Award at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards held in Los Angeles.
She called her Uncle Johnny “the most amazing gay man I’ve ever known and will ever know” and credited her with helping raise her and her sister, Solange.
“He lived his truth,” she said emotionally. “He was brave and unpredictable in a time when this country was not accepting. Watching his battle with HIV was one of the most painful experiences I have ever lived through.”
“Heated” features lyrics, “Uncle Johnny made my dress/It’s cheap spandex/She looks messed up.”
“The album also features contributions from LGBTQ+ stars Big Freedia, TS Madison and transgender DJ and producer Honey Dijon.
She is feeling herself and she wants you too
Queen Bey also comes with her strong brand of sexy, and with this album, she’s letting it all hang out.
Sex — or at least hints — are staples of this album, with songs like “Heated,” “Alien Superstar” and “Pure/Honey.”
Only she can drop a track called “America Has a Problem,” and instead of delivering a message about the state of the country, she lets us know she “can’t wait to get back up.”
“I’m supplying my man/I’m in demand/As soon as I get off,” she sings.
Beyonce the Rapper
We see you drop the bar, Mrs. Carter!
Jay-Z isn’t the only rapper in the family, as we’ve known since Beyoncé hopped on Megan the Stallion’s “Savage” remix.
Beyoncé proves her ability to go beyond just singing with songs like “Cozy” and “Church Girl,” in which she gives us a sample of her spitting ability.
This is just the beginning
According to her, this new album is only “Act I” of the three recorded on the pandemic.
A “Renaissance” has begun.