Beyoncé's hotly-anticipated new album Renaissance hits the virtual shelves today, and the tracklist and composer credits make for interesting reading.
Credited composers include several prominent electronic artists, signalling an embrace of contemporary electronic music in the record's production style. EDM titan Skrillex has contributed, alongside house producer Honey Dijon and PC Music mastermind A. G. Cook.
However, the credits also include some more familiar contributors, such as Jay-Z, Drake, 070 Shake, The-Dream, Mike Dean and Labrinth. The Neptunes' Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are listed, in addition to funk legend Nile Rodgers.
The album's final track, Summer Renaissance, looks to feature samples from pioneering producer and songwriter Giorgio Moroder, and Queen of Disco Donna Summer.
This, alongside the album's Robin S-sampling, Korg M1-featuring lead single, suggests that Queen Bey has taken inspiration from classic house and disco for Renaissance, perhaps enlisting platinum-selling Skrillex and hyperpop trendsetter A. G. Cook as a way to channel these influences in a contemporary context that will resonate with a younger audience.
While we at MusicRadar welcome a good throwback, those of a more cynical persuasion might pin this as a canny marketing strategy, in light of Luminate's recent findings on the growing popularity of older music.
The credits below, found on the album's Apple Music page, do not reflect the full list of the album's contributors, but give a flavour of its approach.
1. I’M THAT GIRL
Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Kelman Ducan, MIKE DEAN, Tommy Wright III & Andrea Yvette Summers
2. COZY
Beyoncé, Nija Charles, Honey Redmond, Christopher Lawrence Penny, Luke Francis Matthew Solomon, MIKE DEAN, Dave Giles II, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant & Curtis Alan Jones
3. ALIEN SUPERSTAR
Beyoncé, Honey Redmond, Christopher Lawrence Penny, Luke Francis Matthew Solomon, MIKE DEAN, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, S. Carter, David Debrandon Brown, Dave Hamelin, Timothy Lee Mckenzie, Danielle Balbuena, Rami Yacoub, Lev
4. CUFF IT
Beyoncé, Nile Rodgers, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Raphael Saadiq, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Morten Ristorp, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Mary Christine Brockert & Allen Henry McGrier
5. ENERGY
Beyoncé, Skrillex, Tyshane Thompson, BEAM, Almando Cresso, Jordan Douglas, Tizita Makuria, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Mary Christine Brockert, Allen Henry McGrier, Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo
6. BREAK MY SOUL
Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Christopher A. Stewart, S. Carter, Allen George, Fred McFarlane, Adam Pigott & Freddie Ross
7. CHURCH GIRL
Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Ernest “No I.D.” Wilson, Elbernita Clark Terrell, Jimi Stephen Payton, Dion Lamont Norman, Derrick Robert Ordogne, James Brown, Orville Erwin Hall, Phillip Glen Price, Ralph MacDonald & William Salter
8. PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA
Beyoncé, Sabrina Claudio, Sydney Bennett & Nick Green
9. VIRGO’S GROOVE
Beyoncé, Leven Kali, Solomon Fafenson Cole, Daniel Memmi, Dustin Bowie, Darius Dixson, Jocelyn Donald, Jesse Wilson, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews & Brittany “aChi_Coney” Coney
10. MOVE
Beyoncé, Richard Isong, Ariowa Irosogie, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Temilade Openiyi & Ronald Banful
11. HEATED
Beyoncé, Aubrey Drake Graham, Matthew Samuels, Jahaan Sweet, Rupert Thomas Jr., Sean Seaton, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney & Ricky Lawson
12. THIQUE
Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Chauncey Hollis, Jr., Atia Boggs, Julian Martrel Mason, Jabbar Stevens & Cherdericka Nichols
13. ALL UP IN YOUR MIND
Beyoncé, Jabbar Stevens, MIKE DEAN, Cherdericka Nichols, Michael Tucker, Alexander Guy Cook, Jameil Aossey & Larry Griffin, Jr.
14. AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM
Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, MIKE DEAN, S. Carter, Andrell D Rogers & Tino Santron Mcintosh
15. PURE/HONEY
Beyoncé, Michael Tucker, Raphael Saadiq, Darius Dixson, Michael Pollack, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Brittany “aChi_Coney” Coney, Moi Renee, Eric Snead, Jerel Black, VEJAI MARCEL ALSTON, Michael D. Cox, Andrew Richard
16. SUMMER RENAISSANCE
Beyoncé, Leven Kali, Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, MIKE DEAN, Brittany “@Chi_Coney” Coney, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Atia Boggs, Lavar Coppin, Saliou Diagne, Ricky Lawson, Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder & Peter Bellotte
