Music, community, and Beyoncé meet at the Phoenix Concert Theatre
The Beyhive, Beyoncé’s stans (for all of those who have been living under a rock), recently had a dance party in celebration of Beyoncé’s seventh studio album, Renaissance, and wow, did it ever give us ENERGY! (Energy is the title of the fifth song off the album, for those of you who missed that pun).
Released this past July, Renaissance is Beyoncé’s seventh studio album. With sixteen songs running sixty-two minutes in length, it serves as a reminder of Beyoncé’s musical brilliance and unique ability to produce something we have never heard before. It’s safe to say that “Queen B” has given her stans, the Beehive, exactly what they were waiting for since her last album, Lemonade. With hit songs such as Break My Soul, Cuff It, Alien Superstar, and more, Renaissance is a celebration of all dance and club parties we missed during the pandemic. However, as Beyonce always does, Renaissance is another statement that Black women are the past, the present, and the future—and no one better forget it!
Self-described as “A Night Dedicated to Beyoncé,” the Renaissance Groove took place Saturday, October 8, at the Phoenix Concert Theatre. All of Beyoncé’s hit songs were played for the energetic Beyhive crowd and the forced-to-attend partners, like Freakum Dress, Love on Top, Drunk in Love, and more. Nevertheless, the main attraction, Renaissance, came on at 12:30 a.m., to be played front to back, in all of its musical glory, all for sixty-two uninterrupted minutes.
Attendees had various expectations for the event. We personally were looking forward to listening to the album in its entirety uninterrupted. Others were looking forward to experiencing the glory that is Renaissance with other like-minded people—a discussion of the importance of community building and music is an important topic on its own.
Now, you may be asking yourself: “What is the point of having an event like Renaissance Groove?” or “Why can’t fans/listeners/curious minds listen to the album on their own?” All very okay questions to ask. However, there is an innate community building embedded into music and the consumption of music; something that Beyoncé has worked hard at over the previous three decades and has achieved success—we mean, just look at the material. Renaissance is an ode to all the dance parties and hangouts the world missed during the pandemic, and if we could not have them then, we are definitely going to have those nights out now.
It is one thing to listen to an album alone through your earphones, or to hear songs randomly on the radio. It is a whole other experience and form of music to listen to an album in a group setting. This is something Beyoncé and the creators of the Renaissance Groove have blessed the Beyhive with this year and hopefully in years to come.