Topline
Beyoncé’s upcoming album Renaissance appeared to leak online Wednesday—possibly because CDs distributed overseas—less than two days before her seventh studio album is scheduled to be released.
Beyonce Knowles-Carter attends the European Premiere of Disney’s “The Lion King” at Odeon Luxe … [+]
Key Facts
As conversation about the leaks spread on social media, Forbes was able to discover links to what appeared to be high-quality, never-before-heard Beyoncé songs, the lyrics of which appeared to match the announced list of song titles for Renaissance.
It’s rumored the cause of the leak may be attributed to CDs that were distributed early in Europe.
Beyoncé—who famously released a surprise self-titled album in 2013—has one of the “most secure” operations in the industry, according to Variety.
Beyoncé last suffered a leak in 2011 with her album 4, and said at the time “while this is not how I wanted to present my new songs, I appreciate the positive response from my fans,” according to the New York Times.
Forbes has reached out to Beyoncé’s label, Columbia Records, for comment.
Key Background
Renaissance was announced in June. The first single, “Break My Soul,’ was released by surprise later that month. With lyrics like “release your job,” it was quickly hailed as an anthem for the Great Resignation. It has reached a peak of No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it sits this week. It became her 20th top 10 hit as a solo artist, along with the 10 she has as a member of Destiny’s Child. She is only the third artist to have at least 20 hits alone and 10 with a group, joining Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson.
Forbes Valuation
$450 million. That’s how much Forbes estimated Beyonce’s net worth to be in June, landing her at No. 61 on the 2022 list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women.
What We Don’t Know
Whether Beyonce will release her album early because of the apparent leak, or if she will stick to Friday as scheduled.
Further Reading
Is Beyoncé’s Latest Album Rollout (Gasp!) Conventional? (New York Times)
Beyoncé Announces New Album ‘RENAISSANCE’ Will Be Released July 29 (Forbes)
Beyoncé Joins Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney In Billboard Record With ‘Break My Soul’R (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/07/27/beyoncs-renaissance-leak-album-seemingly-appears-online-days-before-official-release/